Palazzo Pants – How to Wear Them With Pizazz!
There’s something glamorous about swishing around in a pair of silky, wide-leg pants. They’re feminine and comfy, making your legs look lovely, long, and lean. Here’s how to wear Palazzo pants with style.
1. Balance With Skinny on Top
Palazzo pants are flowy and very wide on the bottom, so staying fitted and short up top is important. Otherwise, you’ll look out of balance, and your outfit becomes one big, baggy mess.
You have two options: a fitted top -You can wear a semi-fitted/fitted tee, tank, or shirt. Tuck your tank/tee in to show off your waist and highlight the angle at which the pants flare out. (A belt can look fabulous with this look.) Or, if you prefer, you can half-tuck in.
2. Choose Color and Print
You’ll find many Palazzo pants for women in bold, vivid colors and prints. Pairing these with a neutral-colored top like white, black, or gray would be best. Your other choice is to wear a solid-colored top in one of the colors found in the pants. A quiet color looks good with loud pants.
If you are bottom-heavy, there may be better choices than palazzo pants with a busy print or bright or contrasting colors. A dark pattern with less contrast is a good solution if you are short or heavy.
3. Finish with Show-Stopping Shoes
The key to pulling off the palazzo look is all in the shoes. There are a couple of ways to go.
If your pants are very long and full, you will need some lift to counter the fullness of the pants and make you look tall and slim, especially if you are not so tall. But don’t worry, you don’t have to wear towering stilettos. With flowy palazzo pants, wedge sandals are a natural choice. They fit in perfectly with the casual, bohemian feel.
You may not need a wedge if you are of average to tall height. You can go for flat slides or sandals. Make sure they are adorable because your shoes will be at the front and center of all that swishing around.
4. Don’t Skimp on Length
Length is also key to getting the look right. Too short, and you’ll look chunky; too long, and you’ll look sloppy. Yes, your pants should be long, but the billowy bottoms should barely touch the floor. Your pants should swish as you walk, but you shouldn’t tripping over them or fraying the bottoms.
5. Add Soft/Slouchy Accessories
Silk palazzo pants demand accessories with the same relaxed look and feel. Your best choice is a soft bag with a slouchy shape that echoes the silhouette of your pants. Avoid anything stiff and boxy.
The same goes for jewelry. Make it long, loose, dangly, and fun if you can incorporate some boho texture into your look, like leather, suede, fringe beading, or embroidery, all the better to go with this fashion theme. A big floppy hat is a perfect topper for the palazzo pants style.
There’s my chic Palazzo pants look! Now check out this post on how to wear CROPPED wide-leg pants.
Can you suggest what style of top I can wear with navy blue palazzo pants?
I’ve been invited to a christening and would like to wear something dressy.
Thank you
Regards, Luana
Hi Luana, you have so many choices..something lacy or silky is pretty and dressy for a Christening. You could also wear a camisole with a lovely formal jacket. Since you are wearing wide on the bottom, go narrow on the top; otherwise, you will look wide all over – boxy. Have a great time!
I will be picking up a pair and wearing them with a couple of light blue Nine West platforms that I bought last year…I even like the idea of sewing a team instead of buying!
Unfortunately, I think cropped palazzo pants are a crime against humanity. Long palazzo trousers look alright during summer p, but only on the correct figure.
Being 5’6 1/2, 100 pounds, my arms are well defined but skinny; I do not have wide hips, but my derriere is a little ample for my weight. I wonder if I can wear Palazzo Pants. Please help.
Hi Maria, You can’t be 100 pounds at that height and have a significant anything! Did you perhaps write down the wrong weight? For bottom-heavy women, I’d suggest trying dark solid palazzo pants black, for example, a, see how you look. I hope that helps. Cheers! Deborah
Some people think if you are skinny, you have a flat derriere and no bubbies, but in my case is the contrary. I don’t mean my bottom is vast like the fake bottom of Kim Kardashian; of course not. However, a large base runs in my genes as I am Latina from the Caribbean. I feel uncomfortable wearing something inappropriate for my age or body type. At least I do not have wide hips. Perhaps that helps when I wear palazzo pants.
Thanks for your help
I love the style and just got my first pair of wide-leg trousers. As I am 5’4, I wear them with high heels and love them!
Annette | Lady of Style
I love the look of these pants, but being 5′ 2 and with a short waist which makes buying “the right length top” difficult, they are NOT ever going to look good on me!! UNLESS you can show me some options for us short girls????
I just bought my first pair of Palazzo Pants, and I LOVE them!!! The only thing I didn’t care for about them is that if you’re not toned in your thigh area, they tend to accentuate the “jiggle”! So I wore a pair of thin, fitted leggings which took care of the problem! I love getting your emails!
Pam Rhodes
You are going to laugh! I teach pattern making and sewing, and I recently had a pants class where students learned how to draft pants that fit using their measurements and sew them. One of the projects was a pair of palazzo pants. They looked at me like I had two heads! Then they started researching and found that palazzo pants are the “in” thing this year; suffice it to say, they made the pants for the class, and once they tried them on, the students were sold and made several other pairs!
I LOVE my palazzo pants and wear them with a specific top for another class demonstration. They can be used for any occasion and are incredibly comfortable, not to mention a great teaching tool to fit the top part of the pants and start tapering the leg. My class benefitted from the recycled look that I am so glad is back!
I love my wide-leg Palazzo Pants and will wear a pair tomorrow for Casual Fri-Yay!
Palazzo pants don’t work unless you are tall and willowy. At 5’4″ and thin, I would be overwhelmed by all that fabric and look frumpy.
Hi Dina, I’m afraid I have to disagree with your assessment of palazzo pants. They look good on many body shapes and add height because they should be long (1cm above the floor with heels). The fabric should be something with a drape, and they should also be high-waisted. Worn with a fitted top, they are very slimming. I would not recommend using a cotton twill or anything in a similar hand, but with a jersey or charmeuse drape nicely, the result will be very flattering. I know my students love them!
I agree, Dina! I am slightly shorter than you, and despite the drape or fabric of the pant, getting the combination right is a bit too tricky for me. I find the length of tops a challenge. I am, however, considering learning to sew……in what spare time!!!? :D
I love those pants! They look so fun and spirited, not to mention comfortable!
Where do we buy these palazzo pants? I do not see any links. I love both the blueprints you show here!
I m very much confused. I’m 5.1 feet. I have a tummy too. Kindly suggest a palazzo for me.