These $35 Pants Make Me Feel Like I’m in Saturday Night Fever

This summer, I’m basing my entire wardrobe off the opening credits of Saturday Night Fever. If you’ve never taken in this cinematic masterpiece, John Travolta plays Tony Manero, a young Italian American who escapes life’s woes on the dance floor of the local disco. The opening scene is seared into my brain: Tony struts down the street in Brooklyn wearing the swaggiest ’70s look ever, including heeled Oxford shoes, black flared pants, a big-collared red shirt, and a black leather jacket—don’t forget his gold chain necklaces, either. 

I’ve always thought of Tony’s opening look as one of the coolest Hollywood outfits I’ve ever seen. And considering the ’70s are having a major revival right now—thank you, Harry Styles—I’ve decided that my summer look is going to be totally modeled off of it. I landed on this new fashion direction a few weeks ago, while I was rewatching the classic movie. The only problem? I realized I didn’t own a single pair of flared pants. They are a crucial aspect of the retro-cool look—a must for channeling Tony Manero realness—so my hunt for new bell-bottoms began. 

Just as I started researching where I could find a sleek, tailored black trouser with a slight flare, TikTok then came to the rescue. My “for you page” began suggesting the same pair of flares to me over and over again. It seems Gen Z has rediscovered Wrangler’s Wrancher dress jeans—which are sleek, flared, only $35, and have been around for ages—and dubbed them cool again. Seeing them styled in new, modern ways, I knew I had to have them. I ordered them immediately. What did I have to lose if they didn’t work? They cost less than two salads at Sweetgreen! 

I ordered my usual size, and when they arrived, I was sad to see that they fit too small. Like, way too small. Determined, however, I sized up two sizes larger than usual and entered my credit card info once again. When they arrived, they fit to perfection (so, if ordering, size up!). The legs were just slim enough, the high-waist cut surprisingly very flattering on my awkward, giraffe-long legs. And more importantly, the flare was not too obscene, either—they flare out just enough to have a retro vibe, without looking like a Halloween costume.