I own more silk pants than jeans now, which is not something I planned, and it started with one printed pair too odd to leave in the shop. Prints are the fun part of buying secondhand, and this edit runs from a blue floral Prada pair to a sheer Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford jaguar print from spring 2002, with two Emilio Pucci pairs from the 1960s in between. A printed pant does all the talking, so the rule is to keep the top boring and let one strong print carry the whole outfit. A black turtleneck with a bold op art pair is a complete look on its own. Adding a printed blouse on top is how a strong pant ends up reading as wallpaper instead of an outfit.

Wide-leg silk is the easiest shape to wear and the hardest to get right in the wrong fabric, since a thin silk clings while a heavier or lined silk hangs straight and moves when you walk. When shopping secondhand, look for the word lined in the listing, or photos that show the fabric falling straight on a form. For fall, a wide silk pant works well with a chunky knit tucked in and a boot with a slight heel so the hem does not drag, close to how the Valentino black chiffon palazzo pants here want to be worn. The Todd Oldham 1993 palazzo pants in ochre and rust are the pair I would reach for first, since that print already looks like October. Skip a very long hem you will not get altered, since silk pooling on a wet sidewalk turns into a dry cleaning bill.

If prints feel like too much, pick one strong colour and let the silk do the rest, since a solid silk pant with a plain top reads calmer than the colour alone suggests. The Gucci by Tom Ford hot pink silk pants from fall 2001 worn with a navy sweater is one of the strongest single outfits in this kind of shopping. The Emanuel Ungaro purple silk chiffon pants from spring 2001 would sit well under a camel coat instead of anything busier. Two care notes matter with pieces this old: check the listing for water marks and discoloration, and look closely at the seams at the waistband and crotch, which take the most strain. Hand wash cold or use a cleaner you trust, and hang the pants by the waistband rather than folding them over a bar.

Silk pants are a small, easy pleasure to buy secondhand, because designer pairs that would be out of reach new turn up in resale in real numbers. If you take one thing away, let it be this: buy the pair you would actually wear with the sweaters you already own. A print you love beats a neutral you feel lukewarm about, but only if it works with at least three things already in your closet. Check the measurements twice, since vintage waists tend to run small compared to modern sizing. If a pair is perfect except for the length, get it hemmed rather than letting it sit folded in a drawer. I would rather own three pairs I wear constantly than ten that wait for a special occasion that never comes. Silk pants are at their best on ordinary days, worn with a sweater, flat shoes and a coat thrown over the top.