Claudia Winkleman says 'culottes are back' and we couldn't agree more

Winter is Claudia Winkleman’s ultimate style season. She loves knitwear, long coats and boots - so when she finds a spring/summer staple she loves, we can’t help paying attention.

The Traitors host has now declared that "culottes are back" for 2025 as she was photographed in a beautiful pair by Jaeger in her role as an M&S Ambassador. These white culottes are a gorgeous option when you want the comfort of jeans, but need something smarter.

Smart-casual outfits can sometimes be trickier to put together than you think. So having some key pieces like this in your spring capsule wardrobe that feel a bit more elevated is an easy place to start.

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Culotte designs can vary and Claudia’s Jaeger ones are voluminous enough to look like a skirt if you didn’t know any different. The dramatic wide-leg shape is so flowy and beautiful for the warmer months and also makes them feel quite feminine and elegant.

Digital Fashion Ecommerce Editor for woman&home, Caroline Parr, agrees with Claudia’s caption that "culottes are back" and she particularly loves this wide style.

"I tend to agree with everything Claudia Winkleman says, but she's definitely right about culottes. You'll have heard a lot of talk about skinny jeans being back this year, which is all well and good, but sometimes what you need is a loose, flowy silhouette, especially when the weather is sunny but still a little chilly," she says.

Caroline adds, "For me, the wider the cut, the better. I want them to almost look like a skirt for a really fresh and fluid silhouette. These are spot on."

We find wider pieces so comfortable as there’s nothing worse than being out for the day and your jeans or trousers digging into your legs. Some culottes are less billowy and more trouser-like, but whichever style you look at, they’re so chic.

Claudia Winkleman’s culottes are made with a touch of wool and are cropped. The deep box pleats help to give them plenty of movement and there’s a handy waistband adjuster at the side.

Pockets are another practical detail and the TV star chose to balance the smartness of her culottes by wearing them with a slouchy grey Jaeger knit. Her lace-up brogues added extra structure to contrast against her trousers.

This was a very Claudia way to wear them, but it’s not the only option. A fitted top or shirt would work well too, and ballet flats or your best white trainers can dress them up or down.

Ultimately, because of the volume and silhouette, you can style culottes as you would a midi skirt or tailored trousers. It’s lovely to see the presenter embracing them for spring 2025 - especially as Claudia Winkleman tends to prefer more tapered trousers or leggings, like the Spanx Seamless leggings she wore so much on The Traitors.

Culottes are a different look for her and she’s not the only one to step out in them recently either. Queen Mary of Denmark wore tailored culottes in Paris and we wouldn’t be surprised if more people agreed with them - and us - that culottes are well worth trying.