Fancy pants

Up your leg game and show everyone who really wears the trousers. Follow these three trends that are anything but boring and you’ll be top of the style ladder in no time

Give your plain black slacks a rest and make a pair of these trendy trews the star of the show. No longer the bland building blocks of an outfit, trousers have come into their own recently, with interesting cuts, colours and embellishments giving the humble slack a new lease of life.

And as summer begins to fade (sigh), these next-level separates are crying out to be the star of an outfit, for days when it’s too cold for bare legs but too warm for thick tights.

These are the trouser trends that will give your late-summer wardrobe a stylish leg up...

Split leg trousers

A truly transitional fashion hero, split leg trousers offer a smart and subtle way to show a bit of leg. For the office, pair wide-leg culottes with a boho blouse and blazer, or take things up a notch for evening with full-length trousers, a Bardot top and heels – the hem should just graze the floor.

– Nasty Gal Snap Out Of It tear-away pants, £35. – Madeleine culottes, £89. – Jane Norman black wide split leg trousers, £35.

Ruffled trousers

Sad to say goodbye to summer’s sensational Cuban fashion trend? Ruffled trousers are one way to make it last that little bit longer.

From flamenco flared hems to frilled seams, these are serious statementmaking separates.

Keep things simple on your top half with a block colour cami or tucked-in tee.

– Nasty Gal Play the Game ruffle pants, £25. – Closet slim trousers with frill, £55 – Style Maffia ruffle hem trousers, £149.99, OwntheLook.com

Paper bag waist trousers

To the untrained eye, these cinchedwaist trousers with their tapered legs may look unflattering, but actually, the high waist means they help to elongate your legs – as long as you don’t choose a very cropped pair.

Wide-leg styles are even more forgiving, particularly when worn with heels and a fitted top to emphasise your waist.

– Topshop ruffle waist Mensy trousers, £39.

– Oliver Bonas sulphur paper bag trousers, £65.

– Cubic tie-waist cropped trousers, £54.99, OwntheLook.com

Clockwise from left: a model wears the Jane Norman black wide split leg trousers; a model wears Oliver Bonas sulphur paper bag trousers; Nasty Gal Play the Game ruffle pants, from nastygal.com; Style Maffia ruffle hem trousers, from OwntheLook. com; Topshop ruffle waist Mensy trousers; and a model wears the Nasty Gal Snap Out of It tear-away pants.