Although you think it’s only you, the truth is that everyone has trouble finding the perfect jeans. And the recent trend for the low waist & the skinny leg has done little to flatter those of us the wrong side of twenty-one!
Let’s face it, anyone with a mere suggestion of muffin-top should run screaming from the low waists, and those of us with short or curvy legs should resist the temptation to go ‘daschund’ in skinny jeans. How the famously short-legged Kate Moss has managed to pull the look off so successfully for so long is anyone’s guess. I suppose it goes to show style is just as much about attitude as ‘getting it right’!
But the good news is that changes are afoot. Last winter saw the resurgence of wide-bottomed jeans & high waisted trousers. This manifested itself with lots of nautical-themed fashion shoots, with skinny models looking fabulous (as ever…) in, quite frankly, ridiculous outfits. And with the level-headed amongst us saying:
‘I wouldn’t be seen dead…’
But it’s been a year now, ample time for these changes to be assimilated by the High Street chains, so this autumn/winter will see more jeans and trousers that sit on the waist, as well legs that are wider at the hem than the knee. ‘Hurray!’ I hear you cry. We’ll get many variations on the style: the aforementioned nautical theme, bell-bottomed jeans, wide-legged jeans, a gentle flare, even our old friend the boot-cut.
The overall style is very easy to wear, and most body shapes will find something on this list to suit them. A word of warning to petite ladies though: avoid styles with too much fabric or you could end up looking swamped. Many of you will be pleased to hear that the traditional British pear shape, in particular, is flattered by a wider hem: you will easily be able to lengthen and balance your silhouette by choosing the right style (fitted along the thighs, boot-cut or gentle flare at the hem).
I doubt few of us would look becoming in the full sailor-boy look, or donning the hippy beads to complement the bell-bottoms, but if you can avoid ripping off the fashion shoots, you’ll find this new shape imminently wearable & flattering.
Copyright August 2008 by Nicola Franklin
