by Christian Allaire-Vogue
Fashion is cyclical, and what was once outré is bound to become a new trend once again. Let us specifically revisit the 1980s for a second, where the stirrup pant—originally a style used for horse racing, where an elastic band is secured underneath the foot to keep the pants from riding up—became all of the rage. They came striped, in bright candy colors, even in metallics. The fad eventually fell out of fashion when 1990s minimalism swept in—but leave it to Victoria Beckham to bring back the tricky trend in a way that feels entirely fresh.
The British designer was seen out in New York City today in a pair of stirrup pant, her version a skin-tight black style that was chicly wrapped around her black stiletto. The look is one we’ve seen in recent times: Demna Gvasalia revived them for his first Balenciaga show a couple of years back; he also showed them with heels. To add some more cool factor to her look, Beckham paired the pants with a camouflage jacket—another departure for the usually-minimal designer—and oversized sunglasses, while a sporty cross-body bag drove the overall streetwear vibe further. Beckham loves herself a fashion challenge: she’s also braved the culotte silhouette in the past, and now with the foray into stirrups, it’s only a matter of time before those take off, too.