I saw lots of wide leg trousers styled with flats coming down the runway this year, and Scandinavian COS has wasted no time incorporating the combination into its assortment. The examples below are a good representation of the vibe.
Notice the FULL length of the trousers and jeans. Most are floor scraping or longer. Flat oxfords, loafers, booties and sneakers with one inch heels are the choice for footwear. Leg widths are wider than bootcuts because there is volume all the way down the leg. Rises are mid or high and fits are tailored on the hips and waist. Some versions have pleats.
Tops run the gamut. Some are tailored and tucked. Some are fluid and tucked. Some are fluid and untucked, while others are long, oversized and untucked. You can create a high or low contrast with the top. A low contrast or tonal combination creates vertical integrity.
I’ve had some clients embrace the combination already. Generally, clients with long legs and narrow hips enjoy this look. They keep their tops fluid and untucked to prevent looking short in the waist, and have especially enjoyed the vibe with fashion sneakers, (much like the second example above.)
I’ve also had long-waisted clients wear the look with panache. Tailored tucked tops lengthen the leg line from the hips upward, and shorten the torso, creating flattering proportions. (Much like the first, fourth and eighth examples above.) Keeping the top and bottom tonal further streamlines the combination.
You have to be okay with the volume on the leg and around the feet. To my eye the long length is essential because it adds a luxurious integrity to the vibe and makes your legs look longer. You don’t need to sweep the floor with your trousers, but a length that almost scrapes the surface of the ground is dead right.
The part I find most appealing is the closed toe flats. Although full-length wide legs and bootcuts look stellar and elegant with heeled booties, oxfords and pumps at this floor-grazing length, the flats are a more comfortable option for people like me. The last time I tried full-length wide legs with flats, I felt dumpy, clumsy and unpolished. But those were slouchy trousers with an untucked top. I need to try a more tailored and streamlined version with a tucked top, or semi-tucked top to see if I feel differently. A style in crease-resistant fabric would be fab. I also like the fifth example above, which combines a roomy welted tunic with the trousers. A little 1920s, and just enough structure because the welt of the top tempers its volume.
Of course, no matter how you slice and dice it, you can’t wear floor-grazing wide legs in foul weather. It has to be dry, which is dicey in the Autumn and Winter in Seattle. Nevertheless, I’m sufficiently intrigued by the combination to try it because it’s DIFFERENT. I’m curious. How about you?
