When it comes to subtlety, wearing ankle trousers is the ultimate power move. Italian men are renowned for the look and various subcultures have been inspired to follow suit across the decades, which proves that sometimes the best style can be found in the details – abbreviated hemlines being chief among them.
Of course, one of the greatest benefits behind ankle trousers for men is that they’re a little less formal than full-length trousers and allow you to update your outfits while maintaining a sense of nonchalance.
Looking back at the subcultures from which this style has derived, it becomes clear that men’s ankle-length trousers are really more of a timeless wardrobe staple than a fleeting trend. This is because they offer a twist on traditional suiting, while also flattering the form overall. Inspired by those various different cultural approaches then, it’s evident there are a number of ways to wear these trousers. From the distressed, cropped denim of punks in the 1970s, to the shrunken suiting of the Beatniks to the rebelliously cuffed versions like those of the 1950s Teddy Boys.
Over the years, these various incarnations of the style have served as inspiration for progressive designers like Kris Van Assche at Dior, Thom Browne and Hedi Slimane. These creative directors have each reinvented cropped trousers for the runway – usually with a nod to the original subcultural roots, but with a firm footing in contemporary menswear tailoring. This is what’s so exciting about ankle-baring trousers: they have the power to transform with the individual and never truly go out of style.
Brief like the Beatniks
Beatniks of the 1950s favoured relaxed suiting with a shortened hem, especially when paired with striped Bretons and casual footwear. Today, this look remains just as attractive as ever, particularly for a more casual setting. The brief length of trousers by Pence can easily sort out all of your stylish weekend barbecue needs. Of course, the mankle trend does demand contemplation of what’s happening below the ankles, where a no-sock approach can be completed with a pair of leather Gucci loafers.
At the Dior Homme AW17 presentation, designer Kris Van Assche debuted trousers that the Beatniks certainly would have approved of. The styles were fluid in form and cropped in length, which lent a fresh perspective on suiting for men, and were delivered in solid black as well as a fine pinstripe. If loafers aren’t your thing, however, then this look can also be styled with a pair of streamlined sneakers.
Imperfect like the punks
Emerging as part of the rock-music scene in the 70s, punks were renowned for their abbreviated hems in the denim department. Frayed, ankle-baring outfits have now become reminiscent of bands like The Clash, which means that they also tend to look best when paired with a distressed T-shirt and a worn-in leather jacket. Perhaps just hold the safety pins in order to avoid looking too much like a caricature.
It makes sense that a house with such long-standing relationships with the music world as Saint Laurent would be the one to keep this tendency for wearing ankle trousers stylish in a contemporary context. For AW16, the Saint Laurent menswear collection was dominated by cropped black denim with raw edges. As Hedi Slimane’s final menswear collection on behalf of Saint Laurent, the rock-and-roll spirit was well and truly alive in his shrunken and shorn hemlines on the runway.
Cuffed like the Teddy Boys
The Teddy Boy subculture first emerged in 1950s London and saw young men adopt Edwardian fashions, including the cropped-trouser style. Teamed with a mismatched suit jacket and a coiffed hairstyle, the aesthetic was pulled together with just a hint of rebellion. This balanced approach means you can work with what you already own, making wearing ankle trousers a very compelling proposition. The same countercultural spirit of the Teddy Boys has been seen on the menswear runways of late, too.
Designer Thom Browne has long been a proponent of the men's ankle-length trousers trend and his brand’s AW16 collection was no exception. This particular presentation saw Thom Browne trousers updated on the trend with a cuffed-hem approach. When teamed with a pair of Oxford shoes or lace-up ankle boots, the look epitomises 50s London. With a rich history and a modern touch then, the cropped trouser has become a stylish and timeless staple for men across the years.