Over-Sized Flare Jeans: Road Test (PHOTOS)
Let me tell you a secret: I have three pairs of the same pants. They're black, cropped trousers from the Gap. Heck, while I'm airing my dirty laundry - one pair is a size larger than the other two, reserved for those days I feel bloated.
These black pants have become a part of my uniform - comfortable and loyal wardrobe staples.
But each time I browse the racks of Barneys NY or scroll through Net-a-Porter for fall purchases, my gaze wanders towards the high-waisted denim with exaggerated flares, a foreign and mysterious garment I fantasize about wearing, but never act upon.
I have tried many outrageous trends - rose gold hair, turbans and nude underwear, to name a few - but nothing prepared me for the morning I dared to wear flared denim.
I'll save you the details - but as I left for work (a full half an hour late, mind you) the contents of my closet laid in piles on my floor. Before, when I put on my black Gap pants I had an entire stock of ensembles to choose from, but standing there in my new J Brand Jeans, I suddenly felt as though I had nothing to wear.
Even in NYC, people took notice - my bus stop BFF told me I looked nice (typically, we just nod at one another) and coworkers applauded my styling. (I looked up photos of Rachel Zoe for inspiration, natch!) I even spoke to Wayne Shulick, President of Denim Habit, and he revealed (after taking notice of my flares) that, "wide-legs are definitely coming back," listing J Brand, Hudson and Rag & Bone as brands that are getting it right.
While I loved the overall slimming effect of the flared jeans, every time I looked down I felt like a clydesdale horse. And with Halloween around the corner, I feared others would mistake me for wearing a '70s-era costume. The trick with this trend is to know how to wear it - sure it looked amazing on the models at Chloe, Derek Lam and Pucci, but I am a size 6 and hippy. These J Brand Jeans are perfect for those days when I want to show off my curves - I'm always proud to have them - but sometimes I just want to keep it simple in my black slacks.
Meanwhile, check out trendsetters who have rocked the look.
All photos by Bobby Doherty
http://www.danielfootwear.co.uk
http://somefashionclout.blogspot.com
there are a couple of bad things going on at the bottom of those jeans which are giving you the clydesdale effect (perfect description!) first, that hem looks over two inches wide, and the pants are STILL too long... no no! ..decide on the heel height you'll be wearing, CUT the bottoms till they're an inch or so shorter, and hem no more than half an inch... finally, you appear to be wearing clunky, chunky shoes which add weight to a style that is already visually bottom heavy... while you could get away with a delicate sandal in summer, cooler weather requires you to don a shoe that balances the leg without adding weight... try a wedge, a stacked heel, or an ankle boot with an oval (not round) or pointed toe.... most of all, keep trying new things...