Wide Leg Pants: An Easy, Katherine Hepburn-Glamorous Look
Ladies, we have a fabulous Spring trend that I think will bring the perfect freshness to your wardrobe!
When was the last time you tried wearing wide-legged pants or trousers? How did that go? Let me tell you, I understand… wide leg pants can be TRICKY.
So, if you tried a pair and said “Let’s forget it,” I’d like to take a moment to change your mind because these days you might just LOVE this trend.
I’m a huge fan of wide leg pants for two reasons:
1. Comfort (of course!!!) - Who needs suffocating fabric around your legs?! Especially if you see the seam from your tight/stretch pants indented into your calf… I mean how depressing is THAT?!
2. They feel more feminine! Wide leg pants have a flowy nature that more closely resembles the way a skirt fits and moves. It’s just a vibe I sense while wearing them and I think you’ll feel the same!
I wear mine cropped with white sneakers so I’m ready to move and groove all day!
Okay, so … let’s get down to styling. How the HEY do we make these puppies look good!?!
Here below are my 5 tips to styling Wide leg pants
Highlight the waistline! In order not to feel like a box, you’ll have to have some definition at your waistline. By tucking in your shirt, you can easily make this happen. Depending on the shirt, you may want to do just a front tuck (play around with it and see what works best).
Get the right draping! Complement the pants with a similarly flattering fabric in your top. The way a fabric moves is a huge component to how flattering it will look on you. You’ll mostly want to contrast your fabrics. So, if the fabric has structure on the bottom, your most complimentary fabric on top will drape and fall more fluidly… and vice versa (read more about fabrics in my book!).
Pick the right shoe! Once you slip on the shoe and you think your outfit feels “off,” it might not be the pants -- try a few different shoe or boot styles first. After doing often enough, you’ll start to know your trouser shoe ‘go-to’s.
Notice volume! Sometimes with a more bell-bottomed or flowing lower half, you’ll either have to add or subtract volume on your shoulders. Stand in front of the mirror and put your shoulders to your side. Does it look balanced? If not, perhaps a simple adding or subtracting of a puff sleeve or jacket could do the trick!
Not all wide legs are cut from the same cloth. Just because you tried one, doesn’t mean you tried them all! There’s a ton of variation, so make sure you have a pant that has the perfect width circumference you feel you need and in the right places!
I’ve picked out below a few examples that I really suggest you try.
I hope you will find that wide leg trousers this season can offer the freshness to your closet that you’re looking for -- just like a young Spring flower brings a “pop” to dreary winter fields!