The love/hate relationship with the popular trends … wide leg pant and the skinny jean! | Angela Wolf

The wide leg pant …

Well, as you have probably noticed the wide leg pant is very popular for spring/summer and even into fall/winter for 2011.  I often hear women say, "I can never wear those pants, they make me look short and wide!"  Just the effect we want our clothing to have, right?  I don't think so!  Although every trend is not for everyone, I can give you a few tips on how to pull off this look.  First, consider your overall proportion when coordinating tops and jackets – keep the rule 1/3 – 2/3 or 2/3 – 1/3.   That means never cut your body in half.  You will see this rule come to fruition here.  The pants will end up covering 2/3 of your body and your shorter jacket will cover the remaining 1/3.  (If you have questions on this, let me know and I can explain further).

Keep the jackets and tops short, ending at your natural waistline.  The hem can be the magic trick here, especially if you wear heels.  Hem the pants 1/4th of an inch from the floor, unless the pants are white or a very light color, then go with 1/2″ from the floor so the bottom edge doesn't get dirty.

So what's the big deal about heels?  With the hem so close to the floor, you are covering up your heels giving the illusion of longer legs.  I must admit, I have a bit of a shoe fetish … or is there a term "shoe-aholic"?  I love my three-inch heels, and with the longer pant hem; I visually gain 2 and ¾ inches in leg.  Not too shabby!

Another thing you can do is taper the legs a little from the hip to the knee and then back out to the hem, creating a little more of an exaggerated boot leg style. 

In all actuality, be realistic about your own figure and remember not every trend flatters everyone.  If you try on the wide leg pants and all you see are short, wide legs … bag this trend!  I have to admit, I bought a pair of brown linen, wide legged pants three years ago.  Every time I try them on I HATE the look, and the pants go right back into the closet.  Those pants make me feel like I gained ten pounds overnight, despite the fact I have very long legs AND wear the major heels!  I realized it was the linen that ruined the look for me.  I have since designed a pair made of wool gabardine and I live in them all winter.  It is amazing that fabric can make such a difference;  keep that in mind.

 

The Skinny Jean …

Now take a 180 degree turn to the skinny jean and jeggings.  Did I hit another nerve?  It is amazing that the two hardest trends to pull off are in a marriage for the next year.  So, if you attempt this trend, think totally opposite of what I just told you:

Hem to the ankle.  It is even more fashionable if the hem scrunches at the ankle like the picture above This look goes great with flats or heels! Wear longer, loose tops and try layering those longer tops Share this: Facebook