This is always an awkward time for the retail industry, for stores and consumers alike. While the temperatures are still sweltering, it’s hardly comfortable to be shopping for turtlenecks and wool pants. On the other hand, who wants to go shopping and see a bunch of cutoff jean shorts and barely there tops, knowing that the most stylish season of the year is less than a month away? Summer to fall is always the hardest transition for me, but there’s one fall trend that I just have to have now, no matter how hot it is outside.
One of the main reason I love fall fashion is because I really enjoy pants of all kinds. As the story goes, I really, really, enjoy the fact that wide legs and bell bottoms are back for fall. I never really fully recovered from Halloween circa 1998, when I dressed up as a Flower Child. I wore my mother’s long, vintage floral frock, complete with peace signs hanging from my ears. I know I acquired an awesome pair of woven leather sandals with a wooden platform from my aunt around this time as well, but I can’t quite remember if these topped off this particular look. {Note to self: Never, ever, throw away ridiculously trendy fashion items that are only in style for a minute. You might need them for a possible future fashionable daughter and/or niece.} Needless to say, I have been secretly hoping for this major hippie fashion comeback for quite some time now.
I know most people have seemingly recently purchased stock in the “skinny jean” trend that was so major the past few seasons. I’m not saying to get rid of these completely, because they can look cute when worn properly, and I certainly don’t recommend throwing away an entire stockpile of jeans no matter how large that fall wardrobe budget may be. Please don’t be fooled, however, the skinny jean does not actually make anyone look skinny, unless you happen to be a supermodel. A jean that sits low on the waist and tapers at the ankle does one thing for your shape: draws more attention to your hips, which is what most women try to camouflage. I’m just as guilty as everyone else who wore this trend, but my point is, we should be dancing in the streets that the time to have your cake (or ice cream, in my case) and eat it too has arrived. Hip and waist minimizing silhouettes are back!
Bell bottoms and wide legs with a higher waist line are flattering on so many more body types (all of them, actually) that everyone should be just as overjoyed as I am. Wide legs, unlike skinny jeans, draw a line directly from your hips to the floor, elongating your legs and creating a long, lean silhouette. Flare jeans, do a lot of the same, evening out your hips with a belled lower leg, but with a more fitted feel though the hips and thighs. They do not create quite the same lengthening effect, so I definitely recommend wearing a nice heel, wedge or platform to give you a little height advantage. If you’re not ready to do a full blown flare, start with a bootleg and go from there. Before you know it, the bootleg will seem like a walk in the park and you’ll be moving on to bigger and better belled bottoms.
A major thing to keep in mind when shopping for denim is the hem. If you choose denim that is the right length, the jean will do all the work, and you will be one sassy hippy lady. When shopping for the perfect pair of fall jeans, be sure to bring a pair of shoes that you plan to wear with your jeans to get the length right. My rule of thumb for jeans and heels is that only the toe of the shoe should be exposed, and the back of the jean shouldn’t be more than an inch off of the ground. If you need to get the jeans hemmed, you can ask for an “original hem” on the jeans, so that they don’t actually look hemmed. A good tailor should be able to make your jean hem look just like it did at the department store. Denim alterations are always my favorite thing to do at my store, because it’s always a challenge to recreate the sandblasted finish on the bottom of the jean leg. Another rule of thumb is to never wear your high heeled jeans with flats (unless you plan on doing some sort of rolling). This causes the hem to be stepped on and rip away from the jean, which is not a good look (even though it used to be cool in grade school). If you can swing it, look for a second pair of jeans to wear with your flat shoes. The same rule of thumb goes for the length. Keep the hemline a tad shorter, with just a slight break on the top of your foot. Again, the back of the jean should be about 1” off the ground to prevent stepping on the back of the hemline.
Now that I’ve given you the skivvy on saying goodbye to the skinny and hello to the hippie, check out some of the new fall denim styles that are a perfect to transition from summer to fall! For more style guides and more, follow me on twitter @goodnpretty.
1. 678 Chambray Trouser Jean, The Limited, $74.90
2. Women's Braided-Trim Trouser Jeans in Watercress, Old Navy, $39.94
3. Bongo Junior's Flare Leg Embellished Jeans, kmart, $25.00
4. Lover + Wide Leg Jeans, shopbop.com, $322.00
5. Flare Leg Stella Regular Fit Jean in black rinse, Express, $69.90
6. Women's Hi-Rise Retro Flare Jeans, Old Navy, $36.94
What a great post! Thanks for sharing---and of course, I would love the most expensive ones the most.
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