STYLE AND CULTURE

LOOSEN UP – HERE ARE 3 WAYS TO STYLE BALLOON PANTS

By Lizzie Griffin, 29 September 2025

Looking for ways to reset your autumn look this season? Balloon pants might just be your new sartorial hero. Yohji Yamamoto and Dior Men both put voluminous trousers down their AW25 catwalks, and thus, the runway consensus was clear: oversized is in. Yes, the inflated proportions of the balloon trousers might seem a little intimidating, but actually it’s an invitation enjoy a roomy fit, experiment with silhouettes and even put your styling know-how to work. If you were wondering where to begin, start here.

EVERYDAY EASE

Man wearing balloon-style jeans outfit | ASOS Style Feed

Instagram: @shyneeez

Looking to dip your toes into a wide-leg silhouette – @shyneeez has the formula. Start with the foundations: light-wash jeans and a plain white tee will do all the hard work. From there, layer on the colour. Pick a quarter-zip sweatshirt and a cap in the same shade to create cohesion. Push your colour story with a pair of bold boots that add some personality, and the final detail? Some keys threaded through the belt loops of your jeans. This could easily be the blueprint for your everyday uniform.

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GOING TONAL

Instagram: @styledbyrahul

Blue denim isn't the only style in town. @styledbyrahul gives us a lesson in tonal dressing with these brown balloon pants. He’s teamed them with a mauve oversized tee and brown trainers. Perhaps the best about this outfit: the gilet. Not only do the seemingly endless pockets give function, but the hike-worthy style adds a cool-guy gorpcore aesthetic to an otherwise simple ‘fit. Proof that the right piece can completely transform a look.

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EXTREME SILHOUETTES

Instagram: @prraaaz

The sheer scale of these balloon pants should be criminal, yet they demand attention. And @prraaaz really did something here – he got the proportions just right. The white tee and boxy checked shirt cuts just high enough to give the jeans room to breathe. And the black Docs ground the look, keeping it sharp from top to bottom. These pants are the antithesis of the skinny jeans – and a reason to put that indie sleaze era to bed.