I've had a year to adjust to the black capri leggings trend, yet I still haven't tried it. The more designers from Ferragamo and Rotate to Tory Burch and Coperni pushed pedal pushers on their runways, the more I resisted. I couldn't shake the associations with the early 2000s and recession fashion, even when mood boards displayed references like Brigette Bardot and Audrey Hepburn. Then came Hailey Bieber's outfit for a trip to Sushi Park on April 17—and the evidence that I shouldn't hold out on capri leggings after all.
The Rhode Skin founder built an outfit around her knee-grazing pants that made them a lot less intimidating and entirely modern. Bieber swapped her previous night's bubble hem coat-dress for a sweeping khaki trench by Mango. Underneath, she added a pair of high-rise, black capri leggings by Magda Butrym with a split hem and a white T-shirt. Her go-to To-Go tote by The Row was nowhere in sight, replaced by Saint Laurent's Y Tote. She also swapped her Coachella belt buckle flip-flops for strappy sandal kitten heels.
Dani Michelle, Bieber's longtime stylist, hadn't revealed which brand made Bieber's capri leggings at press time. By the time H&M collaborator Madga Butrym was credited, I understood exactly how the duo made capris look so much more appealing—and wanted to shop my own, ASAP.
Hailey Bieber has always been a proud supporter of understated leather accessories, clean lines, and neutral tones. Here, they work together to balance the knee-jerk, "Is it 2007 again?" reactions capri pants like hers can earn. The delicate sandal heels complement the capris' more retro side; the oversize trench coat and large black tote bag give the look some welcome weight. Minus the capri leggings I don't own (yet), I can build this entire outfit with pieces I already have.
Hailey Bieber is my personal tipping point for revisiting black capri leggings, but she's not the first to cement its trend status. Her close pal Bella Hadid has been leading the capri revival charge since last spring, when she alternated between runway capris by Ferragamo and an athletic style by TankAir. The Orêbella founder also teamed hers with kitten heels and a black tote bag—though her styling was slightly more avant-garde, with a skintight black jacket one day and a ruffled white Guizio top the next. (Those are pieces I don't quite own yet.)
Countless runway collections and offhand street style moments have advocated for black capri leggings' rebrand, too. Reporting from Copenhagen Fashion Week last summer, I saw dozens of show-goers pairing their cropped pants with oversize button-ups and Cecilie Bahnsen-esque taffeta tops. Back in New York City, the bottoms are a frequent companion to Adidas Tokyo sneakers and laid-back jackets. But it's Hailey Bieber's minimal outfit for a night in Los Angeles that won over my spring outfit strategy. So I've already gone ahead and shopped out pairs for everyone to embrace the black capri leggings trend, ahead.
