Utility Trousers are One of the Easiest Street-Style Trends to Copy and Paste Into Your Wardrobe

You don't fancy jeans (for once) but similarly aren't in the mood for anything tailored. What's a woman to do? At least in Paris, Milan and London, the answer was simple: reach for utility trousers.

At London Fashion Week, Alexa Chung wore a combination that was very Carrie Bradshaw-coded: khaki utility trousers paired with hot pink sandals. The former's relaxed nature—her pants were just baggy enough without dragging on the pavement—balanced out the shoe's after-dark dressiness, giving the look an ease that was totally SATC.

This doesn't mean they can't be a smart proposition, however. Outside Tod's at Milan Fashion Week, Nikki Ogunnaike, editor in chief of Marie Claire US, demonstrated how to style them up (though not too up), with a baby pink shirt, perfectly calibrated to contrast with an olive khaki pant, and pointed white heels, an "impractical" shoe that feels right with such a practical trouser.

They're also something of an off-duty model signature, comfortable enough for long-haul flights—especially if they're looser with a drawstring or elasticated waist—but able to be easily nudged towards "evening" with a halter-neck top and mesh ballet flats, for example.

If you want to be able to wear yours well into Summer, look for pure cotton fabrications (St Agni's looks particularly lightweight and might just prop up your entire office wardrobe come June). If, however, you want something that won't be as susceptible to creases, Skall Studio's Garden pant, made of 100% organic cotton twill for a slightly heavier gauge, fits the bill.

Bradshaw would style hers simply—a linen shirt with a single button fastened and peep-toe silver Manolos, for example. Effortless is a word that might get overused, but it truly sums up the character of utility trousers—not just easy but so unfussy—that, in this case, we'll make an exception.

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