How to recognise it
The legs are wide and straight, from knee to mid-calf length. The waist is often high, pleated or with a side zip. Standing, culottes look like a skirt; walking, you see they are trousers.
Where it comes from
The name comes from the French culotte, the knee breeches of 18th-century aristocrats. In the late 19th century women cycled in divided skirts, the ancestor of modern culottes.
Who and when it suits
Comfortable and feminine, they suit the office, summer and travel. With loafers or mules they look businesslike, with sandals relaxed.
Variations and look-alikes
They come in linen or cotton for summer, wool or crepe for winter, pleated, side-zipped or elasticated, from knee to mid-calf. Denim culottes suit weekends. They differ from a midi skirt in being trousers, and from capris in their width.
How to style it
- Shoes that show the top of the foot lengthen the leg.
- Keep the top short or tucked in.
- In winter, with ankle boots and tights.
- In autumn pair them with a fine knit and leather loafers for a finished look.
Similar styles
Frequently asked
01Are culottes office-appropriate?
Yes, in wool or crepe, a quiet colour, with a blouse and loafers.
02How do culottes differ from palazzo pants?
Culottes are cut at the calf; palazzos run to the floor.