Shed your statement jacket, surrender your skinny jeans (well, maybe not all of them), for this is the season of the trophy trouser. Like a trophy jacket for your bottom half, this trend requires confidence and careful styling. Yet it is also a twist on the typical, and a way to make an impact with a type of garment which rarely gets a second glance.

Before we turn to the current trend, a brief history of women in trousers: every time the modern woman leaves skirts and dresses in the wardrobe, she is taking advantage of a liberty she didn’t have until almost a century ago. Coco Chanel was one of the first designers to include women’s trousers in her collection during the 1920s, but they didn’t become part of casual wear for the average woman until the 1950s.

Women had worn their husbands’ clothes while they were away during the Second World War, realising just how practical they were. When their spouses’ clothing wore out, these women would order new pairs for themselves, causing exponential growth in the female market for trousers, and leading the way for one of the most popular pieces of clothing today.

“Statement trousers should be paired with a minimalist top and jacket, although chunky necklaces or a pair of oversized earrings would earn extra kudos”

Even today, trousers retain a political resonance for women in the workplace and in the public eye. On the red carpet, a female celebrity in a suit is a rare sight, and when they do wear one it is often perceived as a feminist statement. In the 1970s, actress Jane Fonda declared she was no longer “dressing for men”, and since then, she has frequented the red carpet in a suit far more often than most.

Still, at least there’s no rule against women wearing what they want on the red carpet: certain employees of British Airways had to wait until 2016 for their prohibition of wearing trousers as part of their uniform to be lifted, and it’s not uncommon for school uniform requirements to stipulate that female pupils wear skirts all year round either. 

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Making skirts compulsory is unlikely to be as damaging to health as the workplace dress codes which stipulate women must wear high heels, but can we really consider ourselves a society which promotes freedom of choice when women are far more restricted in the workplace than their male counterparts?

Putting politics and religion aside, women in trousers in a casual context are no longer a cause of controversy, and the trophy trouser trend is something to get excited about. This year, culottes have evolved from last year’s micro-pleat, straight leg varieties into a multitude of floaty, wide leg designs, which are comfortable, feminine, and a powerful statement piece.

Plain black trousers have been given a twist with a frilly or tasselled hem, or a straight leg, rather than a cigarette cut. Print-wise, there are floral fabrics with enough blossoms to rival a botanical garden, or monochrome motifs of houndstooth, check, and especially gingham.

The high street is currently saturated with a plethora of different styles, following on from designer collections over the past two seasons (and possibly foreshadowing the big trends for AW17 too, according to Topshop), so there should be something for everyone.

To avoid overkill though, statement trousers should be paired with a comparatively minimalist top and jacket, although one of this season’s chunky necklaces or a pair of oversized earrings would earn extra kudos.

Trophy trousers are practical, powerful, and as of now, very in vogue. If you fancy pushing your boundaries, and changing the stereotypes of female fashion while doing so, seize the opportunity and let your trousers do the talking