When Amal Clooney stepped out at the 2018 Met Gala, it was a moment. Not just because the lawyer and humanitarian was co-hosting fashion’s biggest calendar event for the museum’s Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination, but because she chose to walk the red carpet in cigarette pants. Amid the opulent and gilded gowns, Clooney stood out. Heaven sent.

Granted, it was a full Richard Quinn look; she wore a metallic silver corset with a floral overskirt and train that parted to reveal the structured, skinny blue satin trousers—it’s a style of pant that is synonymous with Clooney’s compendium of style, and an easy one to replicate this season.

Over the years, Amal Clooney has established a refined, sophisticated fashion formula. Think: striking vintage gowns from Galliano-era Dior for dinner in Lake Como or to walk the Cannes Film Festival red carpet, shoulder-grazing earrings and statement big hats, always finished with an impeccable blow-out. She’s an expert in dramatic silhouettes and knowing what works for her body. Clooney’s shoe game is also like no other, often sporting some satin-y Jimmy Choo mules, Prada pumps, and classic Manolo Blahnik heels.

All of that combined, and Clooney has one particular go-to look: the cigarette pant (or jean) and high heel combo. She might wear it more relaxed, strolling the streets of New York in a pair of blue cigarette jeans with a knit turtleneck and a heeled boot. Sometimes, it’s dressed up avec a sparkly crop top, blazer, and strappy sandals or a classic Chanel ballet flat.

Photo: Getty Images

Photo: Getty Images

Cigarette jeans have been part of the aesthetic discourse since the ’80s, when Lady Diana, Cindy Crawford, and Farrah Fawcett were among the biggest advocates of shimmying into the skinnier shape. Princess Di did it with trainers, while Sarah Jessica Parker cuffed hers and added an oversized blazer. Of recent, even Bella Hadid has given the pant a go, and slimmer fitting silhouettes continue to make their presence known on the runways: from indie sleaze-leaning skinny jeans at McQueen and Balenciaga, to the more Parisian chic straight leg and cropped trousers of Chanel. But those loved by Amal and co-signed by the likes of Dakota Johnson (who wears hers with loafers) represent the perfect hybrid between the skinny and straight cut.

Applying the lessons of Amal Clooney to wear your own set of cigarette jeans is pretty simple—pair them with a neutral-toned blouse or delicate knit with a statement heel, like an animal print ankle boot or some Manolos.