‘I’m a Stylist & You Can’t Go Wrong With These Kinds of Tops if You’re Wearing Wide Leg Pants’

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As someone with a long torso and short legs, I appreciate all that wide-leg pants do to create the illusion of longer legs and a more proportionate figure. Plus, they’re a nice way to lean into the baggy pants trend without losing shape altogether. Whether it’s my favorite pair of Colette pants from Anthropologie or the wide-leg Madewell jeans that I cannot stop wearing, I reach for this pants style the most. 

What Tops to Wear With Wide Leg Pants, at a Glance 

• Best Cap-Sleeve T-Shirt: Free People Ever Had Cap Sleeve Cotton T-Shirt, $19+ (was $38)
• Best Fitted T-Shirt: Mott & Bow Second Skin Crew Tee, $50
• Best Sweater Top: Quince Brushed Cashmere Tee, $90
• Best Halter Top: Cotton On All Day V Neck Halter, $20
• Best V-Neck Top: Edikted Balentina V Neck Tank Top, $27
• Best Short-Sleeve Button-Down: Universal Thread Short-Sleeve Collared Button-Up Shirt, $25
• Best Long-Sleeve Button Down: Wild Fable Slim Fit Bell Long Sleeve Collared Button-Down Shirt, $15 (was $30)
• Best Muscle Tank: Buck Mason Heirloom Rib Muscle Tank, $68
• Best Tank Top: Reformation Calie Tank, $38
• Best Blouse: Damson Madder Everly Ruffle Puff Sleeve Peplum Top, $93 (was $155) 

“Wide leg jeans and pants can elevate a wardrobe by adding a new proportion, particularly for someone who wears a more fitted silhouette,” says celebrity stylist Samantha Brown. “A wider leg helps to elongate the legs and define a waistline, creating a nice balance between the two.” 

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As much as I love this style, figuring out what tops to wear with wide-leg pants isn’t always easy. While I tend to play it safe with a fitted or cropped boxy t-shirt, there are so many other styles to tap into when putting an outfit together. 

How to Style Wide Leg Pants

Since wide-leg pants have more material around the calves and ankles, styling them can feel a bit daunting—but it’s actually quite simple. “On most frames, a more fitted or structured top is flattering with wide-leg pants,” says Brown. This helps prevent the overall amount of fabric from overwhelming the body and looking more disheveled than put-together. 

When buying tops to wear with wide-leg pants, look for options such as a fitted t-shirt or tank top, a more structured button-down, or a boxy but cropped silhouette. Blouses with more shape—such as ones with puff sleeves—can also look more balanced when worn with wide-leg jeans. And, if you want to go the baggier route and wear an oversized blazer or slouchy sweater, Brown says to add “a visual touch point, like a belt that defines the waist or a long necklace to create length through the torso.” 

Stylist and fashion creator Chloe Xandria agrees with Brown. “I love balancing the volume and bagginess of a wide-leg jean with a tucked or fitted top, or even anything belted at the waist,” she notes. “The more baggy the bottom, the more defined I like my top half to be.” If you have a short torso, Xandria says to avoid the boxier fits and instead go for a halter or V-neck top to “draw the eye up” while elongating the waist. 

If you’re feeling stuck on how to style wide-leg pants, we’ve got you! Here are the best t-shirts, tank tops, blouses, and button-downs to pair with the beloved pant style. 

T-Shirts

Best Cap-Sleeve T-Shirt

Free People Ever Had Cap Sleeve Cotton T-Shirt

On Sale 50% off

$19+ Buy Now at Free People

$38 Buy Now at Free People

Instead of a boxy or oversized t-shirt, Brown says to go with a more fitted style, such as the Free People Ever Had Cap Sleeve Cotton T-Shirt. This fitted t-shirt is a fun take on a classic top style, thanks to its cap sleeves and exterior stitching, which makes it feel a little more relaxed and would go well with a pair of slouchy, wide-leg pants for a casual ensemble. 

Sizes Available: XS-XL
Colorways: 10

Best Fitted T-Shirt

Mott & Bow Second Skin Crew Tee

$50 Buy Now at Mott & Bow

If you like the look of a classic tee but want to stick with that fitted silhouette, go with the Mott & Bow Second Skin Crew Tee. This t-shirt is designed to form-fit the body, ensuring that the wide leg pants stand out. It’s an excellent option for a dressier wide-leg pants style, including trousers. 

“Most of the t-shirts in my wardrobe are from Mott & Bow. While I don’t have this exact style—I’m not usually a fitted tee girl—the quality and comfortable texture of Mott & Bow t-shirts always keep me coming back for more.”—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster Contributing Writer 

Sizes Available: XS-XL
Colorways: 5

Best Sweater Top

Quince Brushed Cashmere Tee

$90 Buy Now at Quince

For a cozier t-shirt style, go with the Quince Brushed Cashmere Tee. This top is part sweater, part t-shirt, and the ideal top for transitional weather in the spring or fall. While it is a little more relaxed, the fitted waistband and slightly puffed sleeves give it plenty of structure to balance out a wide-leg pant. 

Sizes Available: XS-XL
Colorways: 3

Halter & V-Neck Tops

Best Halter Top

Cotton On All Day V Neck Halter

$20 Buy Now at Nordstrom

$20 (or 2 for $30; 4 for $45) Buy Now at Cotton On

The Cotton On All Day V Neck Halter is a classic halter silhouette that is fitted with a V-neckline to draw the eye up. If you have a short torso and are wondering what to wear with wide-leg pants (especially wide-leg denim), this is it. 

Sizes Available: 3XS-L
Colorways: 7

Edikted Beaded Sequin Open Back Halter Top

On Sale 24% off

$41 Buy Now at nordstrom

Lean into the going-out trend with this fun Beaded Sequin Open Back Halter Top from Edikted. The top is a great choice for styling down with a pair of wide-leg jeans, but would also work well as part of a vacation outfit, styled with wide-leg linen pants. 

Sizes Available: XS-XL
Colorways: 1

Princess Polly Stripe Cotton Cross Strap Halter Top

$55 Buy Now at nordstrom

$55  Buy Now at princess polly

For a more unique halter style, go with the Princess Polly Stripe Cotton Cross Strap Halter Top. This top features a high-neck lime with an open tie front that looks cute with high-waisted wide-leg denim styles that are more fitted in the waist before flaring out. 

Sizes Available: 0-12
Colorways: 3

Best V-Neck Top

Edikted Balentina V Neck Tank Top

$27 Buy Now at urban outfitters

$22 Buy Now at tillys

For a classic V-neck tank, consider the Edikted Balentina V Neck Tank Top. This is a fabulous top to wear with baggy wide-leg jeans, and it also looks so chic with high-waisted wide-leg jeans in a dark denim wash. 

Sizes Available: XS-XL
Colorways: 1

Button-Down Shirts

Best Short-Sleeve Button-Down

Universal Thread Short-Sleeve Collared Button-Up Shirt

$25 Buy Now at Target

Unless worn open with a fitted t-shirt or tank underneath, classic button-down shirts aren’t ideal for wide-leg pants. However, there are plenty of other button-down tops to choose from that create balance, including this Universal Thread Short Sleeve Collared Button-Up Shirt from Target. The top is more of a t-shirt blouse with a cute Peter Pan collar and ruffle detail. Tuck it into a pair of high-waisted, wide-leg jeans in a dark wash and wear flats for a comfortable office look, or go for a French-tuck moment with loose, wide-leg linen pants for a casual summer style. 

Sizes Available: XS-4XL
Colorways: 2

Best Long-Sleeve Button-Down

Wild Fable Slim Fit Bell Long Sleeve Collared Button-Down Shirt

On Sale 50% off

$15 Buy Now at Target

If you love the classic button-down aesthetic but want something more fitted—and with a little more detail—consider this fun Wild Fable Slim Fit Bell Long Sleeve Collared Button-Down Shirt. The top is inspired by a classic silhouette, only with bell sleeves and cinching along the sides to create a more fitted style that goes well with wide-leg pants (especially trousers). 

Sizes Available: 2XS-4XL
Colorways: 4

Old Navy Button-Down Linen Blend Top

On Sale 40% off

$24 Buy Now at old navy

This Old Navy Button-Down Linen Blend Top is proof that button-down tops aren’t always what you envision. The tank top features a corset-inspired silhouette with a slight peplum detail, with a back tie that allows you to customize the fit. 

Sizes Available: XS-4XL
Colorways: 4

Tank Tops

Best Muscle Tank

Buck Mason Heirloom Rib Muscle Tank

$68 Buy Now at Buck Mason

Buck Mason makes some of the best garments, especially if you’re shopping for those pieces you’ll wear over and over again, like a classic cotton tank top. The Heirloom Rib Muscle Tank is one of the best tank silhouettes to wear with wide-leg pants because the high neckline creates a nice balance with the extra material around the ankles. 

Sizes Available: XS-2XL
Colorways: 3

Best Tank Top

Reformation Calie Tank

$38 Buy Now at reformation

Spaghetti straps are back, baby! And the Reformation Calie Tank is one you’ll want to live in all spring and summer (it even works well under cardigans and barn jackets for fall styling). This tank features a fitted silhouette that looks great with wide-leg pants, especially those made from linen or flowy cotton, for a laidback approach to warm-weather outfitting. 

Sizes Available: 2XS-XL
Colorways: 7

Old Navy Tie-Front Cami Tank Top

$35 Buy Now at old navy

If you’re stuck on what to wear with wide-leg pants, a matching set is a great place to start. This Old Navy Tie-Front Cami Tank Top looks so good with the matching wide-leg pants and proves that a boxy top is possible when cropped. 

Sizes Available: XS-4XL
Colorways: 2

Blouses

Best Blouse

Damson Madder Everly Ruffle Puff Sleeve Peplum Top

On Sale 40% off

$93 Buy Now at nordstrom

$109 Buy Now at revolve

$90 Buy Now at anthropologie

$180 Buy Now at damson madder

Blouses with some shape and texture such as the Damson Madder Everly Ruffle Puff Sleeve Peplum Top also work well with wide-leg pants. And this one is convertible, with detachable puff sleeves, so you get two tops in one. 

“I have a Damson Madder blouse that is similar to this style (sadly, it’s sold out) and almost always wear it with wide-leg pants. I love the way the puff sleeves and peplum hem mirror the extra fabric on the pants and always feel like my look is balanced when I wear it.”—Quinn  

Sizes Available: 2-20
Colorways: 3

Athropologie 100% European Linen Zip Front Blouse

$108+ Buy Now at Anthropologie

If you love a flowy blouse and want to wear it with wide-leg pants, the trick is to go with either a boxy and cropped style or something that cinches at the hemline and sleeves—like this European Linen Zip Front Blouse from Anthro. Because the top has some shape to it, it actually balances out wide-leg pants well. 

Sizes Available: 2XS-XL
Colorways: 3

Free People Day Dreamer Top

$98 Buy Now at free people

$98 Buy Now at zappos

$98 Buy Now at bloomingdale’s

The Free People Day Dreamer Top is another example of how you can wear a blouse with wide-leg pants. At its core, it’s a cropped, boxy top. But the cinched waist detail gives it some additional shape with a slightly peplum silhouette that feels just loose enough to work well with this pants style (especially if the pants are more relaxed). 

Sizes Available: XS-XL
Colorways: 4