I Never Wore My “Indoor” Pants Outside—Until I Tried This Trend

As someone who grew up in an Eastern European household—and now lives in a city like New York, where the streets aren’t exactly pristine—I am a firm believer in indoor clothes. The second I get home, my outdoor clothing comes off, and I change into the softest, loosest thing I own. Drawstring pants have long been a key part of that rotation: comfortable, unfussy, and, at least in my mind, firmly intended for the couch, not the outside world.

But over the past few years, the fashion world has made a very convincing case for taking them to the streets. As drawstring and pull-on cotton pants have become a bona fide trend, celebrities like Gigi Hadid, Anne Hathaway, and Laura Harrier have laid the groundwork, styling them in intentionally relaxed ways that don’t scream “I just ran out for coffee.” Paired with button-downs, blazers, ballet flats, designer bags, and other pieces I’d normally save for actual trousers or jeans, the humble bottoms suddenly looked surprisingly put-together.

So, I decided it was time to test my own fashion prejudice. Could the pants I associate most with staying in actually become something I’d wear out? This week, I’m finding out.

Drawstring Pants Are Leaving the Couch

Over the past few years, as relaxed silhouettes have displaced rigid tailoring on the runways, pull-on pants have moved beyond their loungewear associations and into everyday wardrobes. No longer reserved solely for lounging, these loose, breathable styles are now getting the dressed-up treatment with new fabrications (see: satin and taffeta), silhouettes (barrel-leg, cargo), and every color imaginable.

On the street style circuit, celebrities have helped push the trend even further, turning drawstring pants into a certifiable It-girl uniform. Kaia Gerber paired blue drawstring trousers with ballet flats and a Balenciaga City bag at the end of 2024, while Jennifer Lawrence wore wide-leg black pull-on pants with a trench and Loewe sneakers a few months later. This summer, Hadid made beige drawstring pants feel airport-ready with suede loafers and a Miu Miu bag, while Sofia Richie Grainge styled a pair with knitwear and slim trainers for a recent trip to Tokyo.

How I Style It

Perhaps no brand is more synonymous with drawstring pants right now than celebrity favorite Leset. The L.A.-based label, whose pants feature elasticized waists only, released its Kyoto Pants years before the trend took over. Since then, everyone from Gerber and Lawrence to Katie Holmes has worn the style.

For a day of work meetings, I styled Gerber’s exact pair. To balance the bright cobalt color and the relaxed barrel-leg silhouette, I leaned into a more corporate uniform on top with a button-front shirt and blazer. The cropped fit of the TWP shirt solved the tuck-it-in-or-leave-it-out dilemma, while the drawcord detail on the Smythe blazer subtly echoed the waist ties. For this look, I traded my soft loafers for even softer (and trendier) Derby-style jazz shoes from the also-Gerber-approved brand Repetto. I finished the workwear look with a purse from another A-lister-endorsed name Cuyana and silver hoop earrings from my go-to affordable jewelry brand Jenny Bird.

For nighttime, I contrasted the utilitarian silhouette of the pant with a form-fitting going-out top. I then doubled down on the dressiness with heeled shoes from Nomasei. A wedge flip-flop or sandal would also be a fun alternative, playing up the Y2K, Rachel Green-esque look of the cargos. I’ve been loving this season’s colorblocking trend, so I added a Prada handbag (a reissue model which further winked to the 2000s) in red to contrast graphically with the cobalt blue. Statement earrings and cocktail rings finished off the outfit that could go from dinner to late-night drinks.

After a day and night of wearing drawstring pants out, I’m officially reconsidering my indoor pants as outerwear. You still won’t catch me wearing my outside clothes at home, though.