How to Style Corduroy Pants for Fall

Like clockwork, corduroy pants make their initial cameo in the early fall. This year, however, they’re also having a moment on the runway—and in the latest street style. A mainstay at The Row—available in a variety of pant shapes—this season featured a handful looks built around the pant, starting off with a bright white pair and a little black jacket, following a light brown pant with sharp tailoring. At Tory Burch, a low-slung trouser with wide whale in a mustard hue stole the show, teamed up with light blue shirting and a wool sweater. At Isabel Marant, corduroys got a striking update in cobalt blue.

Throughout fashion month, we saw various sightings of corduroy—at times as a pant alone, other times as a full set. What makes the textured pant so compelling is its ability to straddle various sensibilities: classic yet of the moment; polished yet unpretentious, textural yet easy to style. As far as choosing your own pair goes, you can lean into fall’s playful mood by experimenting with bold hues or stay seasonally on theme with an earthy shade. We’ll show you it works with both, below.

The Minimalist’s Take

Inspired by The Row’s runway, pair white corduroy pants with a cropped black jacket. Ground the look with white booties, and keep jewelry to a minimum.

The Tory Way

The second look of Tory Burch’s fall collection featured corduroys, inspired by those her father wore. Follow the runway’s styling and pair it with a colored button-up, woven belt, and chunky wool knit. Bonus points for a playful tote.

A Tonal Moment

Go all in on color, taking cues from the Celine runway, by pairing a red sweater with burgundy corduroys for a bold color story. Finish with a tan bag and a pair of black leather wedge boots.

The Fall Uniform

Put all your essentials to work in one streamlined look; the addition of black corduroy pants gives it welcome contrast.

Way Out West

Add a bit of western flair to your fall corduroys by pairing them with a plaid shirt, a vintage-inspired belt, and some cowboy boots.

A Night Out

Dress up dark cords with a blazer and brooch for a Thursday dinner—your choice of loafers or boots to complete the look.

A Casual Sunday

For a weekend spent wandering museums, the corduroy trouser can take you from 9 to 9. Style yours with a grey sweater, then add fresh accessories like a silver pendant and a little white shoe.

The Cool-Girl Formula

Why not make blue corduroy pants your denim alternative? Toughen them up as you would any pair of jeans with a leather jacket, snakeskin boots, and shield sunglasses.