While shorts and skirts might have a storied history with summer fashion, we’re championing women’s trousers - and more specifically - cropped trousers this season due to their ability to ready your wardrobe for summer’s (hopefully) warmer temperatures.

Cropped trousers have been rendered in everything from lightweight linens and cotton to polished tailoring and denim, so there’s something to suit tastes that err on the side of casual and ones that adopt a more-is-more approach. And what about print or colour? Think checks and pinstripes created from muted shades, neutral tones and colour-pop hues; explore every side of your sartorial personality with this summer staple.

So allow your ankles time to shine this summer as we explore all the reasons to invest in a cropped trouser. 

A perfectly fitted cropped trouser should fall to the narrowest point of your leg, showing off your ankle to create the most flattering finish.

If the pair you’re pulling on falls a little longer, turn up the cuffs to shorten the length or visit a trusted tailor to take them up a centimetre or two.

In contrast, our pairs with deep cuffs can be lengthened if you find the crop creeping a little further up your calves than you’d like. In cotton tailoring that wouldn’t look out of place on Savile Row, our Summer Tweed Tapered Trouser is fitted with deep cuffs that can be lengthened or shortened, or simply turned up if needed to create a smart crop.

As for more fitted silhouettes - otherwise known as Capri trousers - they were invented because their creator, fashion designer Sonja de Lennart, was walking along a beach on the style’s namesake Italian island in the ‘40s and the cuffs of her trousers got wet in the surf. She realised they needed to be shorter and the rest, as they say, is history. 

The fact that this was a time when women could be barred from reputable restaurants for wearing trousers proves de Lennart’s pioneering spirit and ability to judge women’s needs while also providing a chic solution - our kind of woman. By the ‘50s, silver-screen starlets championed Capri fashion and the trousers that leave your ankles tantalisingly on display while retaining a decidedly on-trend look.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that summer brings with it the arrival of a packed diary - we’re not sure what the connection is between a blue-sky day and the impulse to socialise, but it’s undeniable.

So, versatile summer trousers that can be dressed up and down will really prove their essential status throughout the season. Whether you’re hosting a barbecue or attending a wedding,  a cropped trouser can play multiple roles in your wardrobe.

For a day-to-night approach, opt for solid colours styled with a round-neck tee tucked into the waistband and ensure the option of a matching blazer is to hand if the office climate or the weather calls for it. This same look can also translate to occasionwear settings through warmer months when the T-shirt is swapped for a silky blouse.

For a more casual (yet equally considered) ensemble, team a round-neck jumper with a cropped trouser in a classic print. Shrug on a structured jacket to add a luxe touch when dinner or drinks in more formal settings are in the diary.

What’s more, a tailored cropped trouser complements an array of footwear choices to suit your styling penchant - from low-top trainers and sandals to stilettos and block heels… even boots if there’s any unseasonal chill.

Whether you’re pulling on a wide-leg or tapered pair, by nature cropped trousers keep you cool thanks to their shorter length.

A wide-leg combined with breezy cotton defines summer cropped trousers that carry with them a more casual aesthetic for laid-back weekends at home as well as lazy holiday lunches and balmy dinners alfresco. Choose styles in monotone shades to shore up your AM-PM wardrobe as they can be complemented by smart shirting as well as simple staples such as T-shirts and camis. Our Textured Twill Wide-Leg Crop Trouser combines breathable cotton with lightweight linen that actually works to conduct heat away from your body, resulting in a pair that is guaranteed to keep you feeling fresh.

Double layered to minimise transparency, our Pull-On Ankle-Grazer Cheesecloth Pant in a refreshing white hue is crafted from pure cotton with a natural texture that keeps you cool not only due to its bright shade, but its soft fabric, too. Even after a day out in the sunshine, it holds its natural texture, never needs to be ironed and when the time comes to wash them, they’re easy to throw in the washing machine.

Not only suited to the subtle changes in temperature through the summer, the right pair of cropped trousers shores up your trans-seasonal and year-round wardrobe too. To satisfy this portion of your trouser edit, turn to denim in your pick of washes and tones that can handle summer prints as well as autumnal layering and winter knits. 

For a more relaxed aesthetic, we’re championing wide-leg cropped jeans in neutral shades. Finding the sweet spot just above your ankles, our Wide-Leg Crop Jean in Ecru borrows cues from tailored trousers, like contrasting tobacco stitching that outlines the pair for definition.

A wide-leg cropped silhouette combined with light-blue denim brings together a shade that complements summer’s warm-weather styling and penchant for print with the trans-seasonal versatility of jeans. Our Wide-Leg Crop Jean features a wash designed to hold spring and summer brights well and grants the pair a ‘90s-inflected, vintage feel that also complements trench coats and ankle boots in the cold.