Key facts
- Zara's £25.99 wide-leg trousers have been nicknamed 'death pants' on social media.
- Numerous videos show wearers tripping and sustaining injuries, including fractured knees and broken bones.
- A physiotherapist stated that fashion pieces causing difficulty in movement and balance are common culprits for injuries.
- The wide-leg trouser style is popular across various brands and is seeing increased search interest.
- Tailors suggest that the length of high-street trousers is often disproportionate to the average woman's height.
- Historical examples of impractical and hazardous fashion include the 1920s hobble skirt and catwalk injuries sustained by models.
Zara's popular £25.99 wide-legged trousers have earned the social media moniker 'Zara death pants' due to numerous videos of wearers tripping and sustaining injuries. TikTok users have shared clips of themselves facing-planting, suffering fractured knees, and experiencing other injuries after tripping over the excessively long fabric.
Lucy McDonald, a spokesperson for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, stated that she has treated fractures and ligament tears caused by fashion items that impede movement and balance, with long trousers being a common culprit alongside high heels. Despite these warnings, the trousers remain a bestseller.
The wide-leg style is not exclusive to Zara, appearing in collections from brands like M&S, Mango, and Next, with searches for the style significantly increasing year-on-year. Catwalk designers, including Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney, have also featured long-fit trousers.
Ruby Slevin, a tailor, explained that the tripping issue often stems from the trousers' length, which can be disproportionate to the average wearer's height. She noted that some brands use stationary mannequins instead of fit models during design, leading to impractical sizing. Slevin advised shoppers to have trousers adjusted by a tailor for safety.
Fashion historian Virginia Hill pointed out a historical precedent for impractical fashion, citing the 1920s hobble skirt and the tragic death of dancer Isadora Duncan due to her scarf. Models have also experienced career-impacting injuries on the catwalk, such as Lindsey Wixson, who took a year off work in 2017 due to injuries sustained while modelling high heels.