Grandpa Trousers: The Latest "Ugly" Trend to Come for Your Jeans

While spring definitely feels like the time to embrace all things pretty à la florals and eyelet, there's an underlying "ugly-cool" aesthetic on the rise—and we have an unlikely style star to thank for it: our grandparents. We've shared before just how popular the "grandma" dressing trend is, but it's about time that grandpa fashion started to steal the spotlight, too, and after reporting on the "grandpa" jeans trend, we noticed fashion people embracing a similar style that we're dubbing "grandpa" trousers.

What are "grandpa" trousers exactly, you ask? They're defined by a loose-fitting shape, and usually feature a high-rise and come in a number of "boring" color schemes like tweed, plaid, grey, brown, and beige. So basically, they're the epitome of practical dressing and fashion people are doubling down on that vibe by wearing them with other closet staples like cardigans, blazers, sneakers, and ankle boots. To see how the trend is being worn by the stylish set and shop our favorite pairs on the market, just keep scrolling.

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(Image credit: @sorayabakhtiar)

Style Tip: A brightly hued knit livens-up the look.

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(Image credit: @filis_pina)

Style Tip: Let your pant hems pool around your ankles like so for a look that couldn't be more current.

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(Image credit: @danie.sierra)

Style Tip: Pair tailored trousers with crisp white sneakers and a graphic tee for a cool ideal off-duty vibe.

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(Image credit: @anoukyve)

Style Tip: You can't go wrong by keeping things clean and classic.

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(Image credit: @ada_oguntodu)

Style Tip: To add polish to the ensemble, wear the trousers with a structured blazer and sleek pumps.

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(Image credit: @evemeetswest)

Style Tip: Lean into the cozy vibes that these roomy trousers give off. A crew-neck sweatshirt and fun sneakers do the trick.

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(Image credit: @fongminliao)

Style Tip: Looking to dress them up a bit? We love the idea of pairing the trousers with a pretty bra top (another big spring trend) and a boxy blazer.

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(Image credit: @anna__laplaca)

Style Tip: I embraced the "grandpa" vibe at full-force and wore mine with a checkered waistcoat.

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(Image credit: @greceghanem)

Style Tip: Another grandpa-adjacent trend we love is cardigans. Take a cue from Grece here and wear yours with the bottom few buttons undone.

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(Image credit: @laurenegg)

Style Tip: A chain-link belt and structured handbag immediately take the trousers into the modern-day.

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(Image credit: @eniswardrobe)

Style Tip: The all-neutral-everything palette works especially well with loosely tailored trousers.

Next up, the seven spring trends with the best and worst cost per wear.

Senior Editor

Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.