Why the corduroy wide-leg trouser works

Wide-leg corduroy trousers are apparently the thing American Gen Z is wearing this fall, and Korean brands are already on it, with corduroy barrel-leg pants showing up in this season's lines. The shape is simple: high waist, a straight wide leg that falls all the way onto the shoe, in brown or a dark rust. What makes it work is the fabric doing the job a print would. The wale catches light, so a plain brown trouser still has texture, and the width keeps it from looking like someone's dad's cords from 1998. Keep the top fitted, a fine knit or a striped sweater, add loafers, and that's the outfit. The one rule is the hem. It has to touch the shoe, otherwise it starts to look like a costume.