Best Tips to Style Leather Pants for Work

When you love leather and your work dress code permits wearing the hide, read how you can style leather pants for work.

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How to wear leather pants to work

Yes, you can look posh in leather over 40. When your work dress code allows wearing leather, try these outfit ideas. They illustrate how to wear leather pants to work and look professional business casual. Chose a neutral color for your pants so they stay in basics territory just having a statement material. Then pair them with classic work-appropriate pieces like a blazer with button-down shirt or cashmere sweater or a twinset with necklace. Go for a dress pants like cut, i.e. not tight like motorcycle pants or skinny jeans.

Leather pants with classic tops and jackets for Casual Friday. #styleadvice Click To Tweet

Pleated Leather Dress Pants with Sweater and Scarf

Pleated dress pants are a Business Casual style classic. If your leather pants are pleated, going for a classic of trousers, scarf, necklace and cashmere sweater is work appropriate. This examples shows you to style the work outfit around the blue, black and white color shades to achieve a professional look despite wearing leather dress pants.

 

 

Plaid Blazer with Leather Trousers Outfit Idea

This classic blazer and cashmere sweater as shown in the inspiration photo above and below. Also make sure that your booties or shoes stay office appropriate and out of the street style or Rock’n Roll territory.

Style your leather pants work appropriate by pairing them with a classic blazer and cashmere sweater. #styletip Click To Tweet

Nappa trousers styled with a twinset

Instead of a blazer, another possibility is to pair them with a classic twinset or variations of a twinset. The outfit idea in the photos below shows a monochromatic look with a faux twinset. Of course, you can go for a pop of color. The post at the link, for instance, is and example of white leather trousers paired with a faux twinset with in navy and pink.

 

This example outfit is a mix of trends (cheap) and essentials. I got the silver leather pants on sale, while the cashmere sweater and cardigan are essentials that I spent comparatively more on. With both I look for a good price performance ratio. That means the longer I expect to wear an item the more I would be willing to spend on it. If I go for trendy items and have in mind to wear them for a season, let’s say 20 times, the price per wear should go down to at least less than $2. Why would I buy silver leather pants? Well I am a ballroom dancer which means I have lots of opportunities to wear silver leather pants. This means that a great trend item for one person will not be a great deal for another. The price-per-wear for these silver leather pants would never go down to $2 per wear for someone who is not a dancer. The take home message:
Buy the trendy items for the life you live. #styletip Click To Tweet

More on styling glam casual silver leather pants.

Try an American Classic look

Yes, you can wear leather in summer. In a casual work environment, your may even wear leather capris when you style them like Jackie Kennedy wore her fabric capris.

The most important thing when wearing leather at work is to

Style your leather powerful, not provocative. #dress4success #officestyle Click To Tweet

More on American Classic style.

Doubling on the Statement Pieces: Red Blazer plus Leather Pants

This outfit suggestion incorporates two statement pieces: A red blazer and leather pants. This look reads serious and professional because it uses the rule of repeating the major colors three times. Brown occurs with the belt, pants and layering top, while the blazer, booties and makeup (lips) repeat the red.

Pro tip: Go for two colors and repeat them for best style. #effortlessstyle Click To Tweet

Red and chocolate together are safer to wear at work than the classic red and black color combination. The red-chocolate brown pairing also adds a modern and interesting twist that is chic and posh.

 

What outerwear works with leather pants?

When wearing leather pants, try a pea coat. This example uses the same concept of repeating colors. All have brown shades and added red gloves and a red floral scarf to tie the red booties into the outfit. See here again the red repeats in the outerwear. More on styling your outerwear.

Especially, when your job involves meeting clients outside of your office pay attention to your outerwear. In this case, your outerwear is not just for insulation and style, but must also be a work-appropriate business look. When your job involves meeting customers/clients outside the office, you will need to build a capsule coat wardrobe.

When you meet with clients outside, your outerwear becomes part of your work wear. #dress4Success Click To Tweet

 

 

The next example shows the indoor outfit and an inspiration what to wear over a pair of trousers in a statement hue.

 

 

Wrap-up on How You Can Style Leather Pants for Work

When your work dress code allows wearing leather go for a dress pants cut. Style them like you would style trousers by adding classic pieces like a twinset or blazer. Go with a neutral color for the pants like cream, chocolate brown or even silver. Black can fast read motorcycle chic.

When you want to jump the bandwagon on the leather pants trend, but are new to leather, you can find what to look for when shopping for leather clothes in the guide at the link.

Does your office dress code allow wearing leather? If so, do you wear leather at the office?

If you are interested in further readings on styling leather, check, for instance, how to style a black leather look or even a trendy black leather suit, as well as gold leather shorts, and a maxi leather skirt.

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Photos: G. Kramm

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