What do Germany, Audrey Hepburn and Y2K have in common? The answer, rather unexpectedly, is a pair of trousers. Specifically: the capri pant which is arguably one of the most iconic silhouettes in fashion history, and very much having its moment again right now.
From Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner to Dua Lipa, Anne Hathaway and Hailey Bieber, the stars are firmly back on the three-quarter-length trouser. And if you've been spotting them more and more on the street too, you're not imagining things. The capri pant is well and truly back in the game.
But before we get into how to wear them this summer, let's talk about where they came from. Because the history of the capri pant is genuinely fascinating.
The Origin Story: The Scandalous Idea of a German Designer & the Island of Capri
Capri pants are often associated with Italian style - and with Italian designer Emilio Pucci specifically - but the story actually starts with a German designer named Sonja de Lennart.
Born in Prussia in 1920, de Lennart studied textiles in Berlin before launching her first boutique, Salon Sonja, in Munich after the war. In 1948, while walking along the beach on the island of Capri, she improvised something that would change fashion history: she rolled up her long trousers to mid-calf to escape the heat, and noticed how the silhouette completely transformed the look. She went home, refined the cut by slimming the leg and adding a small vent at the hem, and named the style after the island that inspired the impromptu design. And so, the Capri pant was born.
While the Capri pant deals with its fair share of critique nowadays, being called 'vulgar' or 'scandalous' aren't any of them. But that's exactly what the fitted pant was referred to back in the 1940s. For that, one needs to understand the social context - a post-war society with a more traditional mindset and women who, after years of rationing and utility dressing, found taste in more feminine silhouettes again.
Fun fact: in 1947, meaning just one year prior to de Lennart's invention, Christian Dior had unveiled his iconic 'New Look' - a silhouette defined by nipped waists, padded hips, and long, sweeping skirts that swept the floor. Not only was it the polar opposite of de Lennart's cropped trouser, but it was also very much in-line with the zeitgeist, making the arrival of the Capri pants all the more controversial. But not for too long...
The 1950s: How Capri Pants Became a Fashion Icon
Enter Emilio Pucci. In 1949 - just a year after de Lennart's invention - the Italian designer opened his boutique Emilio of Capri on the island, selling tapered trousers alongside his vibrant silk shirts and resort wear to the international jet set. It was Pucci who helped bring the capri pant to the luxury market and, by extension, into the wardrobes of the social elite, which is why his name became so closely linked with the style.
But it was Hollywood that truly sealed the deal. Audrey Hepburn was among the first major stars to embrace the capri pant, after first wearing it on set for 'Sabrina' in 1954. After that, the cropped trousers became part of her signature look, paired with ballet flats, and a striped top. Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot followed suit, and just like that, what had once been considered scandalous became an absolute wardrobe staple. By the late 1950s, capris were everywhere: on film sets, on the streets of Paris, on the beaches of the Riviera.
The Y2K Era & the Long Road Back
Like most great (and less great) things in fashion, capri pants cycled through periods of stardom and relative quiet. Their biggest cultural moment post-1950s came in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the Y2K aesthetic sent them stratospheric again - think Destiny's Child, early Paris Hilton, and every high street shop from London to New York stocking them in every colour under the sun.
Then came the 2010s, and capris quietly stepped back. Low-rise jeans arrived, wide-leg trousers had their decade, and for a while it seemed like the capri might have had its time.
It hadn't - but before we dive deeper into their resurrection: have you ever wondered about how trends come about? Because we recently wrote about it - check out our blog post on how fashion trends are born.
The 2026 Revival: Who's Wearing Them Now
After that shameless self-promo, let's dive back into the capri pants' 2026 comeback. To be exact, it's been building for a couple of years, but now, the capri pants have officially claimed their spot at the top again.
Again, celebrities are leading the charge. Bella Hadid has been one of the earliest and most consistent advocates, pairing capris with matching bomber jackets and leather mules for a head-to-toe elevated look. Kendall Jenner, Dua Lipa, Anne Hathaway (who reportedly swapped her Met Gala gown for a capri-powered after-party look — now that's a commitment to the trend) and Hailey Bieber have all been spotted in them, too.
The consensus? The capri pant is hot commodity again.
How to Style Capri Pants in 2026
Here's the thing about capris: the secret to nailing them almost always comes down to an unexpected detail. Whether that's the shoes, an accessory, or the way you layer, a little surprise is all it takes to make the look truly fashion-forward this season.
Take a classic legging-style capri paired with a windbreaker or an oversized long-sleeve polo. The obvious shoe choice would be trainers, and yes, that looks great. But swap in a pair of heeled sandals or mules and the whole outfit shifts from casual to effortlessly elevated. It's one of those combinations that shouldn't work, but it does... 100%!
For a more understated look, an oversized blazer with capris and ballet flats or polished loafers is a quietly polished combination. The contrast between the fitted crop and the oversized top creates that proportion play that makes an outfit look considered without you having to try.
If you want to show a little more and still look put-together, try leaving your overshirt or windbreaker open over a bandeau or crop top. The layering does the heavy lifting stylistically, so you don't need to overthink the rest.
A wide, flowy shirt, worn open over a capri pant, with classic black sandals or trainers is one of the easiest everyday combinations. Tuck the shirt in slightly at the front for a more polished finish, or leave it loose for a relaxed, thrown-together feel that somehow always looks intentional.
The common thread across all of these? The outfits look like you know exactly what you're doing, even when you very much don't.
Shop the Look
We've included our own take on the capri in the Dolce Vita Edit - shop them now and see how they pair with the rest of the collection.
