It's not just Beyoncé

What has sparked the return of silver strides to the spotlight and how do you actually wear them?

The mercury is rising… finally. And as thoughts turn to sparking up our wardrobes (out damned black trousers!), there is a surprising new trouser trend on the block. Whether metallic glazed denim jeans, gleaming foiled leather motocross trousers, or molten sequin palazzo pants à la Maye Musk at Cannes; the cult strides of the season have one thing in common: they’re silver.

Metallic silver trousers have been practically de rigueur among audiences attending Beyonce's Renaissance concert dates in London, probably channelling Bey herself, who sports several silver couture looks during the show; they’ve been spotted on scads of effortlessly chic Copenhagen Fashion Week attendees. I recently clocked Trinny Woodall rocking a full silver shirt and pants ensemble, paired with trainers, for The Female QuotientXLinkedin gala, confidently claiming the look for mid-lifers. On a personal note, I have been drooling over Jigsaw's impeccably cool silver leather jeans for weeks now (all stirred in with a diverting reverie that I am about to pack for a trip to Ibiza, rather than being housebound with a teen revising for his GCSEs).

Still, the question remains, what has sparked the return of silver strides to the spotlight and how do you actually wear them without looking like you’re road testing a Tin Man costume ahead of Halloween ‘23, or auditioning as a Strictly backing dancer?

For the origins of the trend I turn to Professor Iain R Webb, the fashion writer, academic and curator, whose latest exhibition ‘The Fashion Show: Everything But The Clothes’ opens at V&A Dundee on June 3rd. "The silver trouser references images of ‘90s urban glamour - think Helmut Lang, Emma Balfour and Rosemary Ferguson - with a touch of ‘70s glitz via Iggy Pop," says Webb.

He's right, of course. Looking at designers’ offerings for Spring/Summer, those ‘90s references are there in abundance. And no show is more influential than Helmut Lang's iconic AW99 collection, in which models like Stella Tennant stalked the runway in tomboyish silvered leather motocross jeans and simple white t-shirts: The epitome of grunge minimalist nonchalance.

You can see this attitude distilled in Isabel Marant's fabulous collection for Spring/Summer 23, in which the reigning queen of insouciant French tomboy cool showed silver, balloon-shaped, high-shine utility pants, worn with an ethereal white top and wicked, barely-there strappy heels. This particular look was anointed by American Vogue as the trouser of the summer.

Jo Sykes, Creative Director of Jigsaw, who is bringing her own effortlessly cool sensibility to the British High Street explains why this mood feels relevant now: "The way people are wearing silver reminds me of how Helmut Lang showed silver on the runway in the late 90s, nonchalant and easy, with a high-low street style feel and worn with strappy kitten heels or flats and a jersey rib vests. Silver has a mineral quality that is both humble and dazzling at the same time and that feels wearable right now. It's not too over the top."

There's a vast array of silver trouser options out there to shop from - spanning high end to high street price points. Of the real leather jeans options, the Jigsaw Leather Straight Leg Jean (£350) has a ‘90s high waist and loose leg shape (a flattering, tomboyish cut). I also love the Arket silver Cropped Stretch Leather Trouser (£299), which has a cute kicky flare and a soft, hidden waistband which doesn't dig into the skin. Just as pleasing, the leather has been treated in a chrome-free tanning process, so its environmental credentials are as cool as its looks.

On the faux front, the Warehouse Crackle Faux Leather Straight Leg Trouser (PU) has a flattering cropped leg and is currently reduced (from £95 to £57), while Gap's High Rise Faux-Leather Cheeky Straight Jeans (£65), made from 100 % Polyester in high-shine silver is testament to the ubiquity of the trend.

In theory at least, silver trousers are easier to wear than all those sequin-encrusted pants that were around last winter (the latter being more of a definitive going out-out statement, truly only suited to standing around sipping cocktails, also apt to leaving sparkly detritus on sofas and train seats). But, as ever, styling is everything.

If you are actually going to a concert or festival this summer, please be my guest and wear a one-sleeved leotard top, or a bralet under your jacket with maximum aplomb. But for day outings, say a smart lunch with the girls, or an exhibition? I call in some advice from stylist Sarah Clark, who is also the founder of Douceur.com, for her wise words on taking a potentially tricky piece and making it look softer, grown-up and chic.

"For me, the trick to wearing silver trousers is to play them down. Depending on the season and temperature, I would wear them with a white cotton oversized shirt tucked half-in, a slub-linen slouchy fit crew-neck tee, or either an oversized chunky knit or a cashmere crew-neck in cream, navy or grey," she says. "Chic, simple footwear and accessories, and more oversized pieces on the top will make the trousers feel more effortless, less of a try-hard statement. Think more The Row, less Ziggy Stardust."

From left to right: Jeans, £79, Aligne aligne.co; Crackle faux leather, £89, Warehouse warehouse.com; Rotate Birger Christensen Faux leather croc effect, £230, Harvey Nichols harveynichols.com; PU, £75, Amy Lynn amylynn.co.uk

From left to right: Faux leather, £65, Gap gap.co.uk; Cropper leather, £299, Arket arket.com; Leather, £479, Maje maje.com

The oversized top point is the game-changer here. I must admit to having been somewhat afraid of sausaging my thighs into a high-shine material, but it turns out that Bodycon is not what this silver trousers renaissance is all about, unless that is what you are specifically going for. As Jo Sykes says, "I love the silver jean with a boyish white linen blazer, classic white tee or ribbed vest and chunky slides for a day look."

Having tried a few pairs of silver trews over the weekend, I’d caution against the cheaper PU pairs - the high-shine and lack of breathability were apt to make me feel like a sachet of microwavable popcorn about to burst. If you feel wary of investing in a pricier pair, I can share this: Silver is not going away any time soon.

My former boss, the legendary ex-Editor-In-Chief of Harper's Bazaar US, Glenda Bailey often opined that metallics have been on the runway every year since 9/11 (in our troubled times, they are a kind of sartorial and psychological armour). After the Autumn/Winter ‘23 runway collections showed this year, the shopping app Lyst reported a 24 % uptick in searches for metallic fashion. Stride on silver ladies!

Would you wear silver trousers? Join the conversation in the comments section below