Cargo pants looked terrible in the 90s, this is the ONLY way to wear them now if you’re over 50: How to Dress Like an Adult with SHANE WATSON

Pinstripe is something I’ve definitely mentioned in this column, and not too long ago. But since then, pinstripe pants have become the one thing that, if you add to your wardrobe, will instantly make many of your own clothes look spring 2024.

They’re not exactly a must-have – even if we weren’t too old for that prescribed approach to clothing – more of a one-step look-changer, if you’re into tailored trousers.

A pair of high or mid-rise pinstripe stripes with loose legs are the sartorial equivalent of the new rug that will instantly make your room look more modern; or that hairstyle that somehow freshens up your entire face and takes ten years off.

And since this is the kind of fashion magic we all appreciate – buy one pair of pants and breathe new life into your entire wardrobe – pinstripes are everywhere.

Duty requires me to start with the new look of the block, because it will be catnip for some, but not for me. I’m of course talking about cargo pants: pants with large square pockets mid-thigh, which are currently at the top of the pants list.

There’s no reason to miss them based on age – I’ve never been keen on them, even during the first wave in the 1990s – and they can be flattering. If you’re in doubt, Me+Em has a beautifully cut pair (£250, meandem.com) in navy blue with a pinstripe with ventilated (side split) hems – all the better to show off your boots, trainers or sling block heels at the back – and I would snap them in if the flap pockets weren’t there.

The label also has a narrow fit cropped pinstripe (£195), which might work better if you’re petite, otherwise I’d opt for the classic flowy shape with pleat at the front and pay as much as you can afford, because these are the LBD of pants and you’ll have them forever. Forget the black pants for now: the smart money is all on pinstripe and denim.

The ones the fashion front row is drooling over are gray Italian wool with a pinstripe from Jigsaw (£220, jigsaw-online.com). They are not cheap, but they are well cut, long and slim, with two pleats in the front and perfectly draped. For trousers with pleats it is important that you hardly notice the pleats and that they should lie flat.

Me+Em’s Relaxed Straight Cargo Trousers cost £250

This pair has a matching jacket (€350), which these days we have to think of not as part of a suit, but as part of a matching set, which can be worn separately or together.

For my money, navy is the smarter option and Marks & Spencer has a more affordable navy pair, less flowy but still the right shape (£79, marksandspencer.com) with a matching jacket (£119) and Zara has a good, slim style with mid-rise (£69.99, zara.com). If you wear your pinstripe pants on their own, and most of us will, the real appeal is that they can be dressed up or down (though they’re always dressier than jeans).

You can dress them down with a denim shirt, a button-down cardigan in one color, or a lightly tucked-in gray or black turtleneck (very Phoebe Philo, the chic designer the fashion set loves).

They also look good with a fitted sweater. And don’t be afraid to wear something with a pattern, like a horizontal striped knit; if it is graphic and simple, in two or three colors, it will work.

Pinstripes are tailor-made for the office, but you don’t have to wear them with a boyfriend shirt and shiny black loafers. A navy blue sleeveless tank top over a crew neck blouse is an easy everyday work look and pinstripes look great with navy blue and cream sneakers.

Sienna Miller leaves the Today show in New York in 2019 in head-to-toe red and white pinstripes

For an extra chic office look, wear any plain cropped jacket over a fitted white T-shirt, or a four-pocket bouclé jacket over a narrow polo collar.

These trousers are just as easy to dress up for the evening if you wear them with a nice white blouse with long sleeves (in summer up to the elbow) or a silk shirt with an open neck, plus jewelry and heels.

Or you can wear them with a lace-trimmed layered top under a matching jacket, although this will feel a bit wintry until well after Easter.

Finally, a word about the fit: a sleeveless vest with pinstripe trousers is a stylish summer evening look for those who are not afraid to expose their upper arms.

I’m not into the Taylor Swift look, but give it a try if you have Jennifer Aniston’s arm definition.