When I have a change of heart about a fashion item, I own up to it. If you’ve been with YLF since its inception, you might remember that I was challenged by skinny jeans when they first resurfaced over three years ago. I blogged about not liking the look and being unable to wear skinnies again after wearing them to death in the 80’s. But shortly after that, I was all over the silhouette and subsequently wrote about giving them a second chance. I’m grateful I did, because my wardrobe wouldn’t function without multiple pairs of skinny jeans.

I’ve had a similar change of heart about harem pants and it took a trip Israel to help me get the look. When I saw women wearing harem pants with sass in Tel Aviv, I felt silly and narrow-minded that I’d boxed the trend as a no-no. Shame on me. But I know better now. While I’m still not a fan of the styles with very low hanging crotches, the others look great. The harem and harem-esque style pants in jersey knit and denim that you see pictured here get my vote.  If I could find a woven silk pair, I’d definitely give them a try. The cropped versions remind me of pedal pushers and knickerbockers, which I loved wearing 25 years ago. I guess I got a little nostalgic on this one.

Silence & Noise Drawstring Harem PantAqua Jersey Harem PantsJai Ho Jeans

But the harem pants below don’t make it through my filter. They look like nappies gone wrong no matter how you wear them. I wonder if the trend will stick around? My guess is that the more wearable styles with regular fitting rises will become more mainstream while the others will fall away. Time will tell.

Solid Harem PantSilk Charmeuse Harem PantZimmermann Emmeline Diamond Harem Pant in Sand