We’ve seen wide pants and jeans in full and cropped lengths as a mainstream trend for a while now. Their soft and drapey cousins have an on-trend ‘90s integrity to them, and are also mainstream. They are very soft, flowing, lightweight and floppy. Some retailers call them palazzo pants. Rises vary from mid to high rise, and are often half or fully elasticated at the waist. Fabrics can be knitted or woven, using an assortment of natural and man-made fibres. Hem widths vary from wide to very wide. Looks are casual or dressier. The silkier fabrics tend to look dressier. Colours and patterns are aplenty. Although covered, the soft wide Summer pant is very breezy ventilating, and offers sun protection. It can take the place of a pair of shorts, if you don’t like wearing those. Easy to wear, comfy, practical, and swooshy. They can work well on a range of body types. They can make for a good bathing costume cover-up too.
Here are some examples.
Lengths vary from cropped to floor-sweeping. I’d watch out for those extra long lengths that are a treacherous tripping hazard. Make sure you don’t fall over them as you stride or walk up and down stairs. The hems can also slide under the heels of your feet if you wear sandals. Wear them at a safer slightly shorter length if you don’t fancy them cropped.
Make sure the rise lengths aren’t too long either. Although roomy and slouchy, which makes longer rises more forgiving because of a dropped crotch point, the silhouette can pouf out terribly when you sit down unless the rise is a little shorter.
Super short cropped tops are everywhere so you’ll see many soft wide Summer pants styled with them. If that’s not your thing, you can wear them with untucked fitted or fluid tank tops, shell tops, and tees if they aren’t too long. Or tuck them in. Boxy untucked and tiered tops can work well if you enjoy an unstructured look. Temper the boxiness of the top by wearing them a bit shorter. Banded tops, tie tops, and wrap tops are great because they add waist and hip definition. And last, wearing the patterned versions with a matching patterned blouse is another way to go. Leave the blouse tucked or untucked.
I wore these soft and floppy wide pants a lot in the ‘90s. For me, they were and are perfect hot-weather pants. I wore them with matching tops in the same solid or pattern, and usually quite casually. This time round it’s the dressier versions where the patterned bottoms have matching patterned tops that tickle my fancy. I’d have bought a set in a heartbeat if I wasn’t put off by the awfully cold and rainy Spring we’ve had in Seattle. And Summer has only just begun. At this stage I’m itching to wear my old and new dresses so a gorgeous soft set has not been a priority. I’m keeping it on my radar because I love the vibe.
Over to you. What do you think of the soft, wide and floppy pant for Summer?
