If the most recent menswear collections showed us anything, it’s that the 80s are back in style – a development that’s caused us to contemplate how to style drop-crotch trousers once more. However, these are not the likes of MC Hammer’s exaggerated metallic versions – instead it's a more streamlined, modern take rendered in luxury fabrications such as sharp suiting and silk.
Looking at the Balmain trousers collection, for example, designer Olivier Rousteing debuted a variety of drop-crotch trousers for men in everything from a utilitarian style with patch pockets to a silky jodhpur and even an opulent brocade style. Designers like Rousteing prove there is far greater versatility to wearing low-crotch designs now than we ever could have imagined.
With that in mind, it seems the time is ripe for determining your own most natural fit of the trousers and the best ways to style them for right now. It's a good idea to contemplate proportion, accessories and outerwear for maximum effect. Suffice to say that things just got very interesting in the trousers department.
Identify your style clique
The best drop-crotch trousers outfit ideas will be those that are informed by your personal style clique: the crowd you spend time with and the areas of town you frequent. This could align with a more streetwear vibe in the manner of Rick Owens trousers, for example, or it might be a sophisticated approach as seen on the runway at Thom Browne.
Once you identify your style clique, wearing these trousers then becomes a matter of reflecting that most natural aesthetic direction. Bearing in mind exactly where you’ll likely be wearing the look can also be helpful here – given that frequent visits to The Everleigh cocktail bar will call for more evening-appropriate textures than Sunday brunch in Bondi, for example.
Streamline on top
Once you’ve got your crowd and locale sorted, then you can start to work on how to style the pièce de résistance in a way that reflects your personal lifestyle. Of course, this will work best when informed by the specific style of your chosen trousers, but a general rule of thumb is that it’s good to balance out the bold proportions down below with a slightly more streamlined approach on top.
Teaming your tailored low-crotch trousers with a classic white T-shirt makes for a perfectly compelling outfit. However, if you’re opting for a more utilitarian mood, then you could look to Balmain AW16 and consider tucking a brightly coloured knit into a military-inspired pair. Either way, keeping things slim and streamlined on top means that you can offset the sense of volume in style.
Anchor the look
How to style drop-crotch trousers is as much a matter of proportion play, though, as it is about styling. While the extra roominess through the crotch adds interest to your outfit, this is best maximised when it is well balanced through to your footwear. A sturdy pair of ankle boots, for instance, can make for a great way to anchor the tapered leg of your new trousers. The more solid the style, the greater impact they will have, so brands like Givenchy are a great place to start.
If your style is more casual (or you just want to keep the look pared back for daytime), then Maison Margiela sneakers might be just the answer for striking the right balance of street and fashion. Consider a relaxed style of the trousers, pairing them with boldly coloured sneakers for running around during the day.
Add a jacket for evening
Finally, adding some structured tailoring can tie your whole look together, so why not consider your ideal outerwear approach before committing to a particular pair of drop-crotch trousers for men? A more structured style in traditional suiting can work perfectly with a sharply tailored blazer for evening, for example, while tough leather jackets lend attitude to a more relaxed style.
That said, the multitude of interpretations by street style icons prove that sometimes the best rules are no rules – one minute worn with a blazer and Breton; a trench coat and button-down the next. Whichever approach you lean towards, it's a good idea to balance the proportions of yours in order to avoid the oversized nappy look. With just the right tailoring, you’ll find that wearing low-crotch trousers can feel both natural and yet refreshingly contemporary at the same time.