You may be asking, what in the name of fashion are palazzo pants? In a word or two, you could say they are the more fashionable, upgraded version of gaucho pants. They are flowy bottoms that are light, airy, and back in style this spring season (not gauchos — we can leave them in our elementary school days!).

Moreover, palazzo pants are longer and more suave. They can be a solid color, striped, paisley, animal print, floral, denim, you name it! The tricky part is how to style them. With any solid color palazzo pant, you could easily pair them with a white linen shirt, tucked in for a formal look or let loose. Or, depending on the color and print, you could pair them with a solid, colored shirt. If the pants are a solid neutral color, you could pair them with a floral printed top, or even animal print, if you’re planning to take a walk on the wild side (no pun intended). Of course, lighter colored palazzo pants are more in tune with the upcoming summer season, but dark, neutral colors could possibly name you “best dressed” in the classroom! When spring becomes warmer, you can most certainly pair them with a tank top for a summery vibe. 

Since palazzo pants are so wide (and definitely have a large bell-bottom type look to them), it can be difficult to find the right pair of shoes to wear with them. I recommend a heel or a wedge because it gives you that elongated leg look. But, if you want to be comfy, you can pair them with a flat shoe, like a t-strap sandal, or a pointed-toe ballet flat. Flip-flops? They’re definitely a possibility, but not a shoe that provides as much protection as the rest (and probably not with the most style, either).

You could also pair the pants with a cute, springy off the shoulder top in any solid or neutral color. A jean jacket would be adorable with them, too, especially an oversized one for a street style look. Denim is timeless, so even a chambray denim shirt that you can tie in the front would look really country/boho-chic with them. In fact, you can tie any button-down shirt and still achieve that same trendy style.