Zara wide-leg trousers and fall injuries

Zara wide-leg trousers linked to fall injuries on social media

7 reported

A pair of wide-legged trousers from Zara has drawn attention on social media after videos showed wearers tripping and injuring themselves. The trousers, priced at £25.99, have been nicknamed “Zara death pants” by some users. One TikTok user posted a video from a wheelchair, stating they had a fractured knee. Other videos show face-planting on pavements, bloodied knees and elbows, bruised limbs, and broken fingernails. Despite the posts, the trousers remain a bestseller. Zara did not respond to a request for comment. The style is also sold by other retailers including M&S, Mango, and Next, and has appeared on catwalks from designers such as Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney.

What’s reported

The trousers are described on Zara’s website as “longer than usual” with “a loose fit.”

The total length of a size small is 108cm, and a large is 109cm.

Lucy McDonald, a physiotherapist and spokesperson for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said she has treated injuries including fractures and ligament tears from fashion items that cause difficulty in movement and balance.

Tailor Ruby Slevin said the trip issue stems from the in-seam length and that fit models used by brands are often around 178cm tall, while the UK national average height for women is 162.5cm.

Fashion historian Virginia Hill noted that wide-legged trousers became popular in the 1920s and that impractical or hazardous clothing has a long history, including the hobble skirt from 1910.

In 2009, model Abbey Lee Kershaw tore a ligament falling in high heels on the Rodarte catwalk; in 2017, model Lindsey Wixson said catwalk injuries forced her to take a year off work.

McDonald said the most common fall injury is a fractured wrist, and that injuries can take six weeks to nine months or more to heal.