How to Do Something Your Don Know: How to Wear Chiffon Pants

Chiffon pants are elegant, stylish, and timeless. While chiffon pants do tend to be on the dressier side, you can style the rest of your outfit to be either more casual or more formal, depending on where you’re going. Because chiffon is a light, floaty fabric, it's often used to make wide-legged palazzo pants, although you can occasionally find chiffon dress pants in a slim cut as well. In addition, chiffon pants come in a variety of colors and prints, so pick your favorite and have fun with this style!

EditSteps

EditFinding the Right Fit

Choose high-cut palazzo pants for a flattering, relaxed fit. Typically, chiffon pants are made into a palazzo style, which feature a wide leg with a lot of fabric around the ankles. Since this is a very voluminous style, you’ll get a more flattering silhouette if you opt for a higher-cut style that emphasizes the narrowest part of your waist.^[1]
- If you have a long, rectangular torso, a low-rise pant might be more flattering.
Opt for slim-fitting pants if you don't want to wear palazzo pants. Although anyone can pull off chiffon pants in a palazzo cut, if that’s not your style or you’re concerned it won’t look right on you, you may be able to find chiffon pants in a trouser style. While they aren’t common, they can sometimes be found at formal clothing shops and high-end department stores.^[2]
Choose pants that skim the top of your shoe to lengthen your legs. To make your legs look their absolute longest, choose pants that just barely touch the tops of your shoes. If they’re too short, you run the risk of making your legs look stumpy, but any longer and you’ll look like you’re too short for the pants.
- Remember that you can usually have the length of your pants adjusted by taking them to a tailor.
Look for pants that stop above your ankle for a modern take on this style. An intentionally-cropped pair of chiffon palazzo pants can be very flattering. However, if the hem of the pants hits you mid-ankle, it may just look like your pants are too short. To avoid this, make sure your entire ankle is exposed below the hem of the pants.^[3]
- Cropped palazzo pants might stop anywhere from the top of your calf to the top of your ankle.
Stick with slightly narrower palazzo pants if you’re curvy. Wide-legged pants can add a lot of volume, making your bottom half look boxy and disproportionately large. However, that doesn't mean you have to totally avoid this style! Just look for chiffon pants that hug your hips, then flare out starting about mid-thigh or lower. This will create more of a mermaid shape that will emphasize and flatter your curves.^[4]
- If you have wide hips, you may also want to avoid pants made of pleated chiffon, since the pleats add a lot of extra fabric.
Consider vertically-striped pants if you’re short. It can be hard to pull off a wide-legged style if you’re on the short side, but it’s definitely possible. Create the illusion of height by opting for a breezy pair of chiffon pants in a vertical stripe print. The stripes will make your legs look longer, so you’ll look taller overall.^[5]
- Pair this look with heels to look even taller.
- You may also prefer a narrower leg when you’re choosing your chiffon pants.

EditCreating a Casual Look

Mix and match colors to create a fun outfit. If you wear all one color from head to toe, it tends to look a little dressy. Since chiffon pants are already on the dressy side, if you want your outfit to look more casual, try playing around with different colors and prints.^[6]
- Chiffon pants are available in a wide range of colors, from basic neutrals like white, cream, navy, and black, to bold shades like fuschia, mustard, and teal. In addition, you can often find chiffon pants featuring stripes, florals, and other prints.
- For example, you might wear yellow chiffon palazzo pants with a fitted navy blue top, gold hoop earrings, and stacked wedges for a bold look that’s perfect for any season.
Wear a tucked-in, fitted T-shirt for a look that’s comfortable and casual. Although they look dressy, chiffon pants are also extremely comfortable, so they’re a natural match for a buttery-soft T-shirt. However, with that much fabric on the bottom, you need to keep your look sleek on top, so opt for a slim-fitting T-shirt, and tuck it in to show off your waist.^[7]
- If the weather is cool, you could wear a slim-fitting sweater or turtleneck instead.^[8]
- A bodysuit is great for this look, because it won’t come untucked throughout the day.
- You can also wear your shirt tied at your waist.^[9]
Toss on a cropped tank top for an effortlessly cool warm-weather outfit. A cropped tank top and a pair of high-waisted chiffon palazzo pants is as cool and easy as it gets. Depending on how you style it, you can take this look anywhere from a day at the beach to a nice date. To dress it down, keep your hair and makeup simple, and opt for sneakers, flats, or casual sandals.^[10]
- Wear a one-shoulder cropped tank and a smokey eye to add a little extra glam.
- Take this look to the beach with sunglasses, a topknot, sandals, and bronzy makeup.
Wear a silky top and a relaxed blazer for a business-casual look. If your style is laid-back and comfortable but you still want to look office-ready, style your chiffon pants with a silky tank, T-shirt, or button-down. Then, toss on a relaxed blazer and a sensible pair of shoes and you’ll be ready to take on the day!^[11]
- A structured blazer may clash with your flowy pants, although it can also provide a nice contrast. Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what you like!
Keep your shoes casual. If you’re trying to dress down your chiffon pants, look for casual shoes, like strappy sandals, wedges, loafers or flats. You can also wear boots or ankle boots with your chiffon pants, but most of the detail will be lost unless you’re wearing cropped pants.^[12]
- If you want to wear sneakers, opt for a low-profile style.
- Try the pants on with the same type of shoe you’re planning on wearing to make sure the length is right
Opt for chunky, casual jewelry if you wear any. To give off that relaxed, casual vibe, stick to colorful, bold, or chunky pieces, or skip the jewelry altogether. Cuff bracelets, long necklaces, big earrings, and wide belts are all great accessories for a casual look featuring chiffon pants.^[13]
- For example, if you’re wearing a tucked-in T-shirt and palazzo pants, you might wear a long beaded necklace, a bold watch, or a pair of statement earrings.
- Avoid wearing any jewelry with sharp or pointed edges, as they might snag your chiffon pants.

EditStyling a Dressy Outfit

Wear high-waisted chiffon pants and a silky tank top for a sophisticated outfit. Dressing up doesn’t have to be difficult, and it doesn’t get much easier than high-waisted chiffon palazzo pants and a silky tank. You can tuck the shirt in or leave it untucked, depending on the style of the tank.^[14]
- If the tank is cut to fit a little boxy, it’s probably best to tuck it in, as this will emphasize your waist.
- If the tank is relatively short and is nipped in at the waist, it’s fine to leave it untucked, if you want.
- You can wear a short cardigan or jacket with this look if the weather is cool.
Create a daring night-time look by wearing a bustier with your chiffon pants. Bustiers are strapless tops that are made to fit tight around your body, and they’re often cropped to show a little midriff. When you pair a bustier with flowy chiffon pants, you help soften the look, leaving you with an edgy style that’s still tasteful.^[15]
- Try this with cropped palazzo pants, stiletto heels, and a statement choker.
Choose a sheer button-down blouse for a soft, sweet look. A sheer button-down blouse and chiffon pants will create the type of breezy, romantic look that’s perfect for brunch with your friends, a date, or pretty much anywhere you feel like going. By opting for a sheer fabric, you’ll be showing your figure underneath the top, which tends to create a more flattering silhouette than hiding yourself under layers of fabric.^[16]
- Wear a cami underneath the blouse if you don’t want to show too much skin.
Opt for a blousy tank and a jacket with slim-fitting chiffon pants. Slim-cut pants look great when they’re balanced by a flowy tank top. To make the outfit look more dressy, top it with a fitted jacket or blazer.^[17]
- Finish this look with a pair of heels or ankle boots.
Opt for solid-colored pants for most dressy occasions. Chiffon pants can be found in a wide array of beautiful prints. However, these prints can often make your look seem more casual, so if you’re dressing up for a special occasion, you might want to stick to one color.^[18]
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with some of the bold hues available! For example, if you’re going on a date, you might wear fuschia pants with a black top and black heels
Consider a monochrome look for formal events. If you’re attending a formal event, it’s more common to wear a head-to-toe look in a single color. This can be a neutral shade, like black or white, or you can opt for a bold color if that’s more your style.^[19]
- For instance, if you’re attending a formal dinner, you might opt to wear all black.
- If you want to wear chiffon pants as part of a wedding pantsuit, look for an embellished or lacy top that’s the same color as your pants. These can be traditional wedding colors, such as ivory or cream, or you can choose your favorite color, instead.
Opt for simple, bold jewelry. Since an outfit featuring chiffon pants tends to be somewhat minimal, it’s best to stick to simple, graphic jewelry. Big, solid pieces, like collar-style necklaces, statement earrings, and wide bracelets, tend to suit this style better than intricate pieces.^[20]
- It’s easy to snag chiffon, so avoid jewelry with sharp edges.