Anne Hathaway's Leather Pants Are the Fashion Editor Secret Weapon for Chic Fall Dressing

Anne Hathaway attends the Clooney Foundation For Justice's "The Albies" on September 28, 2023 in New York City. — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The phrase "wardrobe staple" is one that generally conjures up images of plain white tees, khaki trench coats, and the perfect pair of worn-in jeans. But there's one cold-weather must-have that's largely slept on: leather pants.

Six months out of the year, these babies do most of the heavy-lifting in my closet. They're responsible for some of my favorite outfits of all time and are always a fixture in my New York Fashion Week lineup.

Given that it's fashion week right now, the editor-approved style is guaranteed to make several appearances, on both streets and runways. The chicest example of this didn't come from a fellow fashion editor, however. It came from a woman who plays one on screen: Anne Hathaway.

The Devil Wears Prada star popped out on Sept. 9 for an art show at the Levy Gorvy Dayan gallery in New York City. Though she wasn't attending a fashion week event, she still dressed the part, wearing elevated workwear that popped.

anne hathaway wears a striped button-up with leather pants and a red heart bag — Anne Hathaway styles a striped button-up with leather pants and a red heart Alaïa bag.

Hathaway was outfitted in a simple striped button-up and leather pants that featured moto-inspired quilted pockets. Once it came time for accessories, the actor amped up the style factor tenfold.

She paired her black-and-white look with wine-colored Gucci Signoria 105mm Pumps and a crimson heart-shaped bag—Alaïa's viral Le Coeur Crossbody, specifically. Another editor favorite, the campy design is a fashion month fixture, boasting celeb supporters like Selena Gomez.

Alaïa Le Coeur Crossbody Bag in Lux Leather

Everlane The Supima Cotton Boyfriend Shirt

Gucci Signoria 105mm Pumps

Bailey Rose Quilted Leather Pants

Hathaway's clashing shades of red might look jarring to your average passerby, but the color combination has actually become an industry favorite in recent years. It's been seen on the runways of Chanel, Blumarine, and Puppets & Puppets, and, most recently, was exhibited by Jenna Ortega, while promoting Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Jenna Ortega attends the photocall for "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" at One Marylebone on August 30, 2024 in London, England wearing a maroon blazer dress and bright red tights — Jenna Ortega attends photocall for *Beetlejuice 2* on Aug. 30 wearing a maroon blazer dress and bright red tights.

All this to say: Hathaway's look was right on cue. Once a pretend fashion editor, always a pretend fashion editor.

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Kelsey (she/her) is a freelance fashion editor and writer. At Marie Claire, she provides witty celeb style commentary, unpacking the style choices of stars like Zoë Kravitz, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, and her fashion superhero, Rihanna. When she’s not tracking the personal style of Hollywood’s elite, Kelsey also covers designer collabs and industry news.

Before taking her talents to Marie Claire, Kelsey was the Senior Fashion Editor at Bustle, where she oversaw the site’s fashion coverage. Prior to Bustle, she came from a six-year stint at Seventeen. In her freelance era, Kelsey contributes to publications like InStyle, Cosmopolitan,and more. Follow @klstieg on Instagram for 'fit pics and travel recommendations.