There is no trouser more divisive — or more current — than the capri. For years it lived in fashion's awkward middle ground, too short for a trouser and too long for a short, forever associated with the early 2000s. And then the coolest women in fashion picked it back up, styled it with a sharp heel and a fitted top, and made it the single most photographed trouser of the season. The capri is back, and the modern version looks almost nothing like the one you remember. It is sleek, high-waisted, confident, and unmistakably chic.
This is the ESVRA guide to the capri: why the coolest women in fashion are wearing it again, the houses cutting it best, and — most importantly — the one styling decision that separates a chic capri from a dated one. Because the secret to the capri is not the trouser itself. It is exactly how you wear it.
The It-Girl Revival
The capri's return was not a quiet one. It was led, very publicly, by the coolest women in fashion — the models and style figures whose every outfit is photographed and copied within the hour. They wore slim black capris with fitted tops, sharp heels, and an air of complete unbothered confidence, and almost overnight the trouser that everyone had written off became the silhouette everyone wanted. What had been a punchline became, suddenly, the chicest thing a woman could wear.
The runways confirmed it. For Spring/Summer 2026, the capri appeared in clean, polished, thoroughly modern forms at Saint Laurent, Carolina Herrera, Versace, Ralph Lauren, Isabel Marant, Proenza Schouler and more — reworked with sharper tailoring and higher rises, stripped of every dated association. This is not nostalgia. It is a genuine reinvention, and it has the runway credibility, the celebrity co-signs, and the search numbers to prove it. The capri is not coming back. It is already here.
The Shoe Decides Everything
If there is a single secret to wearing the capri well, it is this: the shoe decides the decade. A capri worn with a chunky sneaker reads as 2003. The very same capri worn with a pointed slingback, a kitten heel, or a strappy sandal with a slim heel reads as 2026. That one swap changes the entire mood of the outfit — and it is the difference between looking dated and looking like a fashion person.
The reasoning is simple: a shoe that reveals the front of the foot — a slingback, a thong sandal, a pointed mule — visually extends the leg exactly where the capri hem cuts off, keeping the line long and elegant. Chunky or covered shoes do the opposite, chopping the leg at its widest point. Get the shoe right, and everything else falls into place.
The Tailored Black Capri
The structured core — sharp, polished capris in wool and crepe. The most elegant, grown-up way to wear the trend.
The most sophisticated capri is the tailored one, cut from wool or crepe with a sharp, structured line — the grown-up answer to the trend. The Row leads with its Omero silk plissé capris, the quietest of luxuries, while Saint Laurent's wool straight-leg capris bring sleek Parisian polish. Chloé's buckle-embellished wool-crepe capris add a touch of hardware.
Carolina Herrera's Camila wool-blend capris — from one of the houses that put the capri back on the runway — are pure elegance, while Magda Butrym's crepe straight-leg capris, Colleen Allen's stretch-crepe straight-leg capris, and Dorothee Schumacher's Emotional Essence capris complete the tailored field.
The Tailored Black Capri
Sharp, structured capris in wool and crepe — the most elegant, grown-up way to wear the trend.
- The RowOmero silk plissé capris, black
- Saint LaurentWool straight-leg capri pants, black
- ChloéBuckle-embellished wool-crepe straight-leg capri pants, black
- Carolina HerreraCamila wool-blend capri pants, black
- Magda ButrymCrepe straight-leg capri pants, black
- Colleen AllenTheatre cropped stretch-crepe straight-leg capri pants, black
- Dorothee SchumacherEmotional Essence capri pants, black
The Slim Black Capri
The it-girl cut — sleek, body-skimming jersey and crepe. The one the coolest women are actually wearing.
This is the capri the it-girls actually wear: slim, body-skimming, cut from jersey or stretch-crepe, worn with a fitted top and a sharp heel. Toteme's jersey capris are the minimalist's choice, while Jacquemus's Le Pantalon Arlesien skinny capris bring a sleek, sculptural cut.
Magda Butrym's stretch-jersey skinny capris, Rohe's slim-leg capris, The Park's Allison scuba capris, Mugler's pierced capris, and Maria McManus's stretch-knit capri leggings round out the sleek, body-skimming end of the edit.
The Slim Black Capri
Sleek, body-skimming jersey and crepe — the cut the coolest women are actually wearing.
- TotemeJersey capri pants, black
- JacquemusLe Pantalon Arlesien crepe skinny capri pants, black
- Magda ButrymStretch-jersey skinny capri pants, black
- RoheSlim-leg capri pants, black
- The ParkAllison capri scuba pants, black
- MuglerPierced capri pants, black
- Maria McManusStretch-knit capri leggings, black
The Capri
Every capri in this edit, gathered in one place — tap any to shop the piece.
Beyond Black
The softer take — cropped capris in blue, cream and knit. The same chic silhouette, in a brighter, more summery key.
Once you have mastered the black capri, the trend opens up. A cropped capri in blue, cream or soft knit delivers the same sleek silhouette in a brighter, more summery register — perfect for warmer days and lighter dressing. The Row's Karsten cropped cotton pants in blue are the effortless heroes, while Chloé's knitted capris and Tove's Drew capris bring a soft, neutral elegance to the silhouette.
Beyond Black
Cropped capris in blue, cream and knit — the same chic silhouette, in a brighter key.
How to Wear the Capri
A few simple rules separate the chic capri from the dated one — and make the modern silhouette look effortless.
Start With the Shoe
It bears repeating because it matters most: the shoe makes the capri. Reach for a pointed slingback, a kitten heel, a sleek mule, or a strappy sandal with a slim heel — anything that shows the front of the foot and elongates the leg. Avoid chunky sneakers, flat round-toe shoes, or anything that cuts the leg short. The right shoe is the entire difference between modern and dated.
Keep the Top Fitted
The modern capri is all about proportion: a slim, cropped trouser wants a neat, fitted top to balance it. A tucked tank, a fitted tee, a slim knit, or a sleek camisole keeps the silhouette sharp. If you want a looser layer, add it on top — an oversized blazer or a trench draped over the shoulders — so the line stays long beneath. The formula is fitted-on-fitted, or fitted-with-one-oversized-layer; never loose all over.
Go High-Waisted
The single biggest upgrade from the dated capri is the rise. Where the early-2000s version sat low, the modern capri sits high — at the natural waist — which lengthens the leg, defines the figure, and instantly reads current. When choosing a pair, the higher the rise, the more flattering and contemporary the result.
Layer With an Oversized Piece
The most current proportion in fashion right now is length on top, cropped below — a slim capri with an oversized blazer, a boxy leather jacket, or a long trench. The contrast between the short trouser and the long layer is what makes the look feel deliberate and editorial rather than simply minimal. One elevated layering piece transforms a basic capri-and-tank into a complete, considered outfit.
The Capri for Every Occasion
The capri is far more versatile than its reputation suggests. For day, a tailored black pair with a fitted tee, a structured tote and a pointed flat or slingback is sharp, polished, and entirely modern — equally at home at the office or out in the city. For warmer, lighter days, a cream or blue cropped capri with a simple knit and a strappy sandal captures that easy, sun-drenched ease.
For evening, the capri turns sultry: a slim black pair with a sleek camisole, a sharp heel, and a small clutch is the cool, going-out alternative to a dress. And for off-duty weekends, a capri with a tank and a draped jacket — length on top, ankle below — is the exact look the coolest women in fashion have made their uniform. One trouser, endless registers.
The Last Word
The capri's return is the best kind of fashion story: a piece everyone had dismissed, rediscovered and reworked into something genuinely chic. The lesson is that no silhouette is ever truly finished — it simply waits for the right styling, the right rise, and above all the right shoe. Find a sleek, high-waisted pair you love, style it with a fitted top and a sharp heel, and you will understand exactly why the coolest women in fashion can't stop wearing it. The capri is back, and worn well, it is one of the most confident, modern things you can put on.
For more, see our edits on the wide-leg trouser and the white shirt.
The Capri
Every capri in this edit, in one place — tap any to shop the piece.