3 ways with the same, studded pants

3 ways with the same, studded pants

With thoughts on deriving confidence

Leandra Medine Cohen

Oct 27, 2026

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A portion of this letter is brought to you by La Ligne

I keep making outfits in my head then remembering I’m pregnant when I go to put them on and this thing happens where what I imagined (and was excited to execute on) looks nothing like it does in practice. Often this brings with it a feeling of defeat that sucks out like, 60% of the thrill of getting out the door.

I know this is a pretty common experience with getting dressed more broadly, and so much of the reason so many of us turn away from fashion: say it’s not our thing, or write it off as an unnecessary headache that gets in the way.

Even I find myself going back and forth on the possibility that maybe I’m done here: we had a good run, it’s time for the next thing — but when I can nail an outfit that both accommodates my present physical condition and the mental conception of how I want to look, I say to myself, Who am I kidding?

At a wedding last weekend — 10/10 would and will again wear this dress (

Ilkyaz Ozel

, and soooo hot on the

feather scarf

/

this top

for a later life stage) when the bb is out. The rhinestone wave detailing really makes me feel a way. Bag is

So-le Studio

; I’m all about

this one

rn.

This is my version of meditation!

What I mean by this is that when I succeed in getting dressed (defining this as liking what I put on), it sets me up for a better day. It doesn’t make the day better, but it does brush the first stroke of it, and that gives me enough energy to run with. Call it a nervous system reset — it just takes much more trial and error (time) these days.

It takes standing in front of the mirror and observing what looks back, and being honest but not critical about what parts I like and want to accentuate and all that, and what parts I know I’m not comfortable flaunting.

One thing I realize about when I can’t get the clothes right is that my follow up instinct is to disappear. To put something on that makes me feel like I don’t exist. But not in good way. Sometimes its powerful to feel like you’re invisible, there’s an intimate quality of observing your surrounding with such a potency and healthy detachment that your presence doesn’t impact what occurs within it.

But the invisibility I’m talking about is more like, I don’t know, a sort of self-erasure. Subconsciously I ask myself: how can I make myself so energetically tiny that I can move under my life’s radar in such a way that even I don’t feel like I’m here. When I realize it within these terms, I get mad about it because what the fuck?

The goal with getting dressed (after you’ve covered your person) is always, ultimately, singular: to feel confident. Achieving such confidence is subtle and precise. To my earlier point, it takes blending what you love about your appearance, with a kind but realistic acceptance of what you don’t. I don’t believe that touching into benevolent acceptance requires an extroverted flaunt of everything you’ve got. That there is a quality of empowerment even in saying: I’d rather cover my ass up today.

Step 3 in the the process of checking out someone else’s look that you love.

Coat

and

pants

are La Ligne, distressed leather sandals are

Dries

(but if I were doing it again, I’d get

these

).

And when you can achieve the kind of clothes-confidence that gets you excited to leave home, things start to change. You bring that energy: big and true!, with you and it snowballs — into this encounter, that opportunity. Before you know it, the qualities that define what and who can enter your field really do shift in your favor.

You’ve heard me say this, but I still believe that it can be life changing to discover, display, embody a version of yourself you’ve only lightly dreamed of until now, that you may not even know exists. (But if you can think it, 100% you can be it.) So it’s work worth exploring — this getting dressed business — if only to get closer to who you are without the disclaimers.

Here are three outfits, broken up by proposed occasion for wearing, that employ one pair of pants: elastic waist, wide leg, studded on the sides. They helped me challenge the negative desire towards invisibility last week —

On a week day:

La Ligne

brown suede coat

and

studded ‘Ivo’ pants

— they’re a slightly wider leg/heavier weight version of

the Colby

— a tried and true good guy, but these also have a drawstring, which I love

, St. Agni

waist belt (fancy fanny pack, rly, but something

suede-on-suede w this

could be cute) and

Dries van Noten

sandals.

Marisa Klass

pearls

Think the key with

the jacket

is that it has feel thin enough to feel like it could be

as a shirt

, no matter the length. And works best if boxy if

you’re going to belt

because it makes slouching it much easier. Would try w

something denim

like

this

too. Think the necklace should be long, but you can do something like

this

or

this

.

This!

For another use case (jacket unbuttoned half way with flaps flipped out to create an open-chest v-neck with

another kind of belt

,

skinnier flare pants

perhaps and

heels

. Yes, I rly mean those!!)

Tried to make this one applicable for work or whatever you do during the week. Maybe not the ideal desk job outfit — but the idea of a soft suede coat as a shirt instead of a coat feels great, and not so far fetched given that

suede shirts

are a tried and true

thing

.

The pearls add the whimsy that ties back to the pants, and the shoes are a last-hurrah nod to these days of in-between season weather. Love how the sun hits the hardware — and how that comes back to the pearls and the studs.

Wore this one to a lunch meeting last week, then walked 25 blocks into midtown to get a non-caffeinated, iced milky beverage. In case you care!

On the weekend:

Liberowe

plaid jacket (she comes cropped like

this

, or solid like

this

— I think

she’s

worth looking at too. But

an alt slouchy option

that’s not so similar but will look great here is

this

);

Matteau

plaid shirt (so many color options these days,

this

is my second best),

same pants

,

St. Agni

fit-everything tote and

Converse

sneakers.

Pink

would be cool too.

A better look at the studs on the side of the pants. You know,

this

one-two

punch

could be good here too. Maybe w

a simpler jacket

though. And kick-you-in-the-face

red

for the shoes. Better view of the bag too.

Here

are

a great alt

for the sunglasses

What to wear when your day is not planned but relatively predictable/kid-centered to the extent that you’ll probably spend some time in the park, have to be comfortable enough to walk and crouch. Might see friends, so want to look cool and feel like yourself (wtvr that means! It’s the combo of plaids and the fringe jacket for me), will probably spend multiple hours out, so it’s a one and done outfit kind of day.

Proof of crouchability with one more sneaker option

here

. Unrelated but also not: is it okay that I like

these

?

Out at night:

Delia Wade

cropped jacket. You could replace her with

this cropped cardigan

,

this bolero

, or this

jacket

(I’d size up for boxiness),

La Ligne

pants,

Versace

sandals (to date, I have found no shoe silhouette more reliable than a strappy, metallic,

sling back sandal

that is reasonably narrow at the toe. My favorites include

these

from Valentino,

these

from Gucci, the above Versaces and more recently for something more walkable, I love

these

from Loeffler Randall — they’re the backless version of

the above-linked wedge

, and break the rule because backless but still such a good everyday option for

high waist flare pants

)

Roxanne Assoulin

gold chain belt

(she has to remake it, I’m working on it!),

Rabanne

waist belt, the jewelry is all my own — some of it’s

here

. Or you can just

DM me

and ORDER DIRECT! A nice satin something to hold your lipstick right

here

, a fun one

here

.

This

is a porcupine!

Last in stock of

the pearl choker

too, but I’m ready for

this

!!! Who else?

This is the one that reminded me what a difference feeling good in an outfit can make. And also that I’d been dressing to make myself feel invisible in the bad way. Sometimes it feels sooooo good to get a little weird — and that’s almost always how it feels when concoctions like two chain belts find their way into the same outfit: like I’m going off script, losing control, blacking out and just letting what comes, come. Try not to talk yourself out of it the next time you feel that sensation! Could be the difference between a boring night in and a really fun (soulful) night out.

Have a great week,

Leandra

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