13 On-Trend Ways to Wear Leather Pants in 2024 (Plus One Look to Definitely Avoid)

One of the easiest and most foolproof ways to rock leather pants is to pair straight-leg styles of any color with a classic white button-down and some sleek ankle boots. Even better if your boots are also in a contrasting hue, like the white snakeskin booties and black pants above.

We love this combo because it will keep you nice and warm without piling on too many layers or thick materials. The denim also helps balance any potential rockstar vibes leather may give off, especially if you’re wearing a patent finish. Keep your accessories simple and err on the side of casual over glamorous and you’ll be good to go.

Another way to ground glam leather is with a tailored black or navy blazer for a more professional finish. A button-down or blouse and heels can amp up the office vibes, while a T-shirt and comfortable sneakers give you a more weekend-ready look.

Green, red or purple leathers (or other even other hues) can feel really bold—especially for those who stick to more muted palettes—but you can easily tone them down by wearing them with matching knitwear or even a plain tee. If your pant legs fit more loosely, try tucking in your top to maintain some shape. On the flip side, if they’re slimmer in cut, try a French tuck or just leave it loose for a better balance.

If your leather has some texture to it, opt for a textured sweater as well to really amp up the effect of each. Patterned shoes in a leopard print, stripe or floral will also help emphasize a rib knit or croc-embossed trouser.

We wouldn’t typically recommend wearing multiple oversize pieces at once, but if you opt for luxe materials like leather and cashmere, the look can actually be incredibly chic. Two caveats: First, make sure you show either a little ankle with a cropped hem or roll your sleeves above your wrists to show some skin and maintain some semblance of your figure; and second, opt for a structured shoe, like penny loafers, to add some polish to the look.

We’ll be honest, we feel very confident styling a camel coat or sweater with other pieces in our wardrobe. But camel-colored leather pants somehow feel trickier to pin down. Luckily, one of the top trends of the past few months—quiet luxury—has given us an incredibly easy fix. Stick with luxe-looking basics like wool wrap coats, oversize cashmere knits or simple black loafers to ensure your light brown leather trousers look as posh as can be.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the colors above, dark neutrals—like black, brown or navy—serve as a perfect base to highlight brighter tops, shoes and accessories. We love this unexpected combo of chocolate brown, pistachio green and hot pink, which helps the heavy leather fabric feel much more appropriate for spring or even summer.

Give your olive green or lilac purple pants room to really shine by keeping all the other elements of your outfit super simple in light, solid hues. We also suggest sticking to more tailored silhouettes—trench coats, crewneck tees, simple flats—rather than loose boho styles or overly tight pieces.

Another way to tone down the “look at me!” vibes of colorful leather? By wearing it with athletic pieces, like varsity sweaters, rugby shirts, hooded sweatshirts and true workout sneakers. Even better if you can repeat the color of your pants in a graphic somewhere else, like the blue A on the sweater pictured above.

Like lots of ’90s trends, grunge is having something of a comeback, albeit with a more polished edge this time around. Rather than rock a truly disheveled sweater or flannel, try an artfully distressed knit in a cropped cut. As for footwear, swap the Dr. Martens for sporty sneakers to complete your look.

When in doubt, simply grab all the poshest black pieces in your wardrobe, tie your hair back in a slick bun and prepare to channel your inner Olsen twin.

You don’t have to actually be on route to a holiday party to wear this festive combo—it works just as well for drinks or dancing out on the town, even after New Year’s. Silver, gold and bronze will likely be easier to mix in with your existing wardrobe, but don’t let that stop you from embracing Barbie pink or vibrant teal if you want to.

We’ve seen versions of this work, but overall, it’s just too difficult to get that perfect match without veering into full biker mode or like you’re the Cruella De Vil of cattle. Leather blazers, pants, trench coats and midi skirts are all trending this fall, but we highly suggest picking just one leather piece to wear at a time rather than attempting to pair them together. If you really want to try head-to-toe leather, choose a jacket with a much less expected design, like a shacket, blazer or even a safari jacket.