THE ’70S ARE BACK, BABY
The flared trouser trend, here for fall, has legs,
Change, in addition to an autumnal chill, is in the air.
This fall has a decidedly ’70s vibe and brings a marked departure from the ubiquitous skinny pant. Highwaisted trousers, with a wide, flowing leg might become your go-to pant this season — and for the next few.
The trend re-emerged for fall/winter 2016 with designers, including Alice & Olivia, Derick Lam and Ralph Lauren, showing the pants in embroidered denim, prints and classic wool at New York Fashion Week.
Last month, tailored flared trousers were again on display in New York at the spring 2017 collections, suggesting this trend has legs. For designer Gabriela Hearst it was part of the pantsuit, perfect for the office. New York-based designer Brandon Maxwell took the look to sexy new heights for evening wear.
Regardless of how they were worn, high-waisted, wide-legged pants made their mark as the pant of the season.
American designer Ralph Lauren showed a western take, complete with cowgirl embroidery, pleated in white. Maxwell’s silky cream jumpsuit was in homage to the late David Bowie. Uruguay-born Hearst’s highwaisted trouser was part of a baby blue windowpane plaid suit. While Tommy Hilfiger’s denim sailor pant was embellished with gold buttons.
“With endless seasons of the skinny leg behind us, a longer, wider-leg pant just feels fresh.” SUSIE SHEFFMAN TORONTO STYLIST
Diane Von Furstenberg’s cuffed trouser featured a waistline so high it folded over itself.
As fresh as the silhouette looks, it certainly isn’t its first time around.
The look tends to come back into style every few decades since being popularized in the 1930s by the style greats Katharine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich.
In the years following the Second World War, women continued to embrace the look, often altering men’s trousers.
The ’50s ushered in the cigarette pant, which is closer in cut to the narrow-leg skinny pant we’re all wearing, but pant legs got wider throughout the ’60s and by the end of the decade, groovy bell-bottoms were in.
The wide-leg pant stayed strong in the ’70s, before being nudged out of vogue by the skinny pant in the ’80s.
The latest wide-leg incarnation, trickling into stores across Canada in a range of fabrics and price points, is tailored and sexy, still feminine, but still borrowed from the boys.
Toronto stylist and creative director Susie Sheffman eagerly awaited the return of the wide-leg trouser.
“As with all trends, once our eye gets used to a shape or proportion, we crave a change. With endless seasons of the skinny leg behind us, a longer, wider-leg pant just feels fresh,” says Sheffman, who offers a few styling tips.
If trying the look for work or evening, keep it curveconscious and feminine.
“A slim turtleneck or a pussycat-bow blouse tucked in will do the trick.” If opting to layer a blazer overtop, Sheffman points to fitted or cropped jackets to keep the proportions balanced, without being overwhelmed by fabric.
Or, play up the nod to menswear and pair your pant with aslouchy sweater for a sporty look.
She recommends shopping around for the perfect pant as it is easy to get swallowed up by an ill-fitting pair, so make sure they are well-tailored.
Sheffman’s final words of advice are to not underestimate the power of a beautiful shoe to complete the look.
“The right pant length can be challenging to determine, so bring a few shoe options with you before you hem,” she cautions, recommending a heel or bootie to elongate the leg.