An unlikely wardrobe hero: hiking pants

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Unlikely wardrobe hero: Outdoor Voices Rectrek zip-off pants, $118

Thesis: March is a liminal month, which makes getting dressed pretty awkward. It’s not warm at all but it is brighter out and that makes the fruit of a winter wardrobe look like they’re starting to rot. It’s too soon to put on real spring clothes (actually, what even are spring clothes?), and often a pretty bad time to shop (too soon to really know what you want), but one unconventional add, like a pair of hiking pants, could refresh some of the rotting fruit and even carry you through to the days that are warmer.

How’s that? Consider what happens when an unexpected variable enters a predictable outline. What happens to the parts that are predictable?

Idk, why are you talking to me like I’m not you again? Because you’re asking me questions as if a hypothetical reader, so I am treating you like one and answering. I thought we were clear on this arrangement.

Our Gemini rising is showing too much, can we go back to the predictable parts?

Can you just show me how to wear them? Okay, that works. Here for the first look is how you could pair the hiking pants, which are also three-tier zip-off pants with knee-high boots.

Ply-knits shirt, OV pants, The Row boots (I do like these from Legres too. Or you can also just get a pair of Hunters; these are all basically glorified gardening boots…), Jil Sander bag (not the same, but kind of close? Even closer.)

You could add a shirt that creates a cool textural story (so you’ve got your nylon, your cotton, and your leather) and contrast (delicate top with rigid boots and the pants are just like, “What am I doing here?”).

Then when it’s a little warmer, but not like summer, they look pretty good with sandals too.

Toteme sweater, Gabriela Hearst sandals

And the color story doesn’t change that much either (but I did take off the belt that went through the pant loops so they’d slouch a bit more to offset the bow tie on this cardigan’s vague uptightness). Alternatively, there is a look like the below, for an occasion where you are trying to show personality while maintaining a level of pragmatism:

Here’s a good white button, the sweater’s from Closed; Gucci slingbacks — and truly, not no (maybe an even bigger yes?) to these sandals from Nina.

This one below (same conceit) features a zip-off:

New Arrivals jacket, Toteme loafers (it turns out, btw, this style of shoe — like a kitten heel loafer — may have been the answer we were looking for all winter to the question of what the hell to wear with pants; we can discuss it next season lest you want to get into it now?)

And in otherwise capri-length news, you can even (maybe especially) wear these hiking pants like you’re Carrie Bradshaw in 2002.

Dries van Noten tulle top — see also: this, Gap tank, Roger Vivier sandals — found these on The Real Real, or actually these are great too. You can search “pink sandals” then refine to your size (or add in “satin”) from there if you’re interested. From the realm of what’s new: these from The Attico are v similar, ditto that these for a PVC vibe.

And finally, because this story has mostly stuck to a neutral palette of tones, here is proof that color is not at all off-limits:

Yali Tribe jacket

And that concludes today’s edition of how to get dressed.

Sincerely yours,

Leandra