Trust me, loose fit CAN be flattering
HOW TO DRESS LIKE A GROWN UP
BEFOrE we get any further into 2023, we need to talk about trouser shapes, jeans styles, the cut of the bottom halves of suits. And we not only need to talk about this all-important silhouette update, we need to act on it. Because if there’s one thing that marks the shift from the recent past to now, it is the wider trouser.
roomy, relaxed, wide, call it what you like — maybe not flared, which I still think of as clingy on the thigh and bell- shaped from the knee — what the new shape boils down to is wider through the leg. repeat after me. Then breathe.
You may already be wearing wide trousers, in which case well done and you can skip to the next part.
Just as likely you’ve got the message and ignored it: you think wide equals fattening and you’re alarmed at the thought of hiding your legs under baggy trousers.
Who can blame you? But these trousers do not have to be Al Capone swaggery with deep front pleats. Forget about ‘ boyfriend’ jeans and low-slung crotches.
Yes, there are an awful lot of very wide trousers in the shops, ranging from Annie Hall tailored bags to denim flares that look like something you wore with a smock in 1976. But for our purposes, we’re talking about a straight leg with room to breathe or a smooth, gradual flaring.
THEWider Through The Leg look (WTTL) is all part of looking more relaxed and easy in our clothes, which also happens to be the best fashion advice a midlife woman can give herself.
I’m fairly happy with my legs, but what looks old now — and correspondingly ageing — are trousers or jeans that are fitted anywhere but on the bum and hips.
The message finally cut through on Bottega Veneta’s S/S 2023 catwalk, when Kate Moss — the woman who put skinny jeans on the map and kept them there for so long — emerged wearing a pair of roomy leather trousers made to look like loose-fit denim.
There’s been a major silhouette shift and, if there’s one thing we need to change, it’s the cut of our trousers.
The entry level WTTL trouser is flat- fronted with an elasticated waist to give you a
smooth, lean just- wideenough look. The uncontested expert in elevated track pants — for drape and shape and quality of fabric — is Me+Em, which this season has done a super- smart version in pinstripe ponte-jersey (£135, meandem.com).
I’d also take a look at Marks & Spencer’s side-stripe, wide leg trousers (£ 35, marks andspencer.com), especially in navy with an orange and white stripe. With an elasticated waist you want to semi disguise it, either with a tugged out shirt or a sweater just long enough to cover it, and any old stretch fabric will not do — it needs to be non- cling, thick
enough to hold its shape, but not too thick.
Me+Em’s viscose wide-flared man pant (£185) is the smarter option. The higher waist and pockets placed slightly to the front give a leg-lengthening effect and the grosgrain ribbon down the outside leg adds a bit of luxury. Go for navy, plus a neck-tie blouse and low heel and you’ve got your officewear sorted.
And Other Stories does two tailored styles, both with elasticated waists: one with front and back press creases in black (£65, stories.com); or navy with side slit pockets (£75). A flat front and a wide leg like this ankle-grazing style looks nautical and lends itself to a half-tucked-in blouse or a striped sweater, plus narrowfit ankle boots or kitten heels.
Talking of nautical, a sailor cut, straight down from the hip, is surprisingly flattering. I like Sezane’s high-waisted marino trousers with a straight wide leg in navy (£140, sezane. com), or in deep-blue denim (£125), both come with the full gold buttons down the front pocket line and look extra smart with one of this season’s navy cropped jackets.
I love the more relaxed jeans styles out there, but for smart, the best bet is the gloomily named barrel-leg style (essentially tapered) in a dark wash (£95, whistles.com). I wouldn’t go too wide in denim as it can look stiff and bulky. But jeans are a whole other story.