Wide-legged trousers from Zara, priced at £25.99, have earned the nickname "Zara death pants" after social media videos showed wearers tripping and injuring themselves. One TikTok user wrote: "These Zara pants need to come with a warning because now I have a fractured knee." Videos depict face-planting on pavements, bloodied knees and elbows, bruised limbs, and broken fingernails.
Physio warns of movement and balance issues
Lucy McDonald, a spokesperson for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and a physiotherapist at Restart, said she has treated injuries including fractures and ligament tears caused by "fashion pieces that cause difficulty in movement and balance." The most common culprits are high heels, but long trousers also feature. Despite the warnings, the trousers remain a bestseller.
Wide-leg style widespread
The wide-leg style is also sold by M&S, Mango, and Next. At John Lewis, searches for the style are up 61% year on year, with linen versions up 225%. Designers including Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney have shown long fits on the catwalk. Zara describes the trousers as "longer than usual" with "a loose fit," and images show fabric pooling around the model's feet. The total length of a size small is 108cm, while a large measures 109cm.
Tailor explains fit issues
Ruby Slevin, a tailor and founder of Banshee of Savile Row, said the trip problem stems from the in-seam length. Most high street brands use a "fit model" with specific proportions, but some use stationary mannequins to cut costs. The national average height for women in the UK is 162.5cm (5ft 4in), but most fit models are around 178cm. "Fit models are not an accurate indication of an everyday woman," Slevin said. She suggested using the hip measurement as a guide for trouser width and recommended taking trousers to a tailor for adjustment.
Historical context of hazardous fashion
Virginia Hill, a fashion historian, noted that wide-legged trousers became popular in the 1920s with house pyjamas. She pointed to other hazardous trends, such as the hobble skirt introduced by Paul Poiret in 1910, which had a tight hem that restricted movement. In 1927, dancer Isadora Duncan died when her silk scarf got caught in a car wheel. Model Abbey Lee Kershaw tore a ligament in 2009 while wearing high heels on the Rodarte catwalk, and Lindsey Wixson took a year off in 2017 due to multiple catwalk injuries.
Common injuries and recovery
McDonald said the most common fall injury is a fractured wrist, as people put their hands out to break the impact. A foot caught in fabric can lead to torn ligaments, and hip issues are also common. Recovery can take six weeks to nine months or more. "At the very least you will end up with a whopping big bruise," she said. "My advice is very simple: do not wear anything that could increase your risk of falling."
