It’s the season for fun and fabulous bottoms. It’s extremely refreshing to see the skinny take a back seat in lieu of a far more varied assortment. Roomier, wider, longer pants and jeans are hitting retail in a big way after seasons of strutting down runway shows. It’s awfully fun to see a good runway trend finally filter through to mainstream retail.
Quality remains inconsistent across most brands these days, so you simply have to assess quality one item at a time from wherever you purchase it. When it comes to knitwear, it’s unfortunately the luck of the draw as there is little way of knowing whether it will pill or stay pristine. Despite my tenacious efforts, I certainly can’t guarantee whether a sweater will pill. On to the picks.
- Banana Republic Slim Wide-Leg Cropped Pant: SUBLIME fabric, drape, fit and quality that blew me away. Crisp and luxe. Works well on a straighter or curvier body type. Rise length is not too high. Side entry pockets lie flat.
- Banana Republic Slim Wide-Leg Cropped Pant: These are the best dressy and simple wide leg cropped pants I've seen all year. Lovely fabric, drape, fit and quality. Soft yet crisp to the touch. Works well on a straighter or curvier body type. Lots of structure in the waist, and room in the seat and thighs. Not as good on an apple-shaped or inverted triangle body type because of the defined waist. Those body types might need a straighter cut with a wider waistband. Rise length is not too high. I'm short in the rise, and these are not too high on me. Side entry pockets lie flat and are stitched down. Comes in three colours. The thighs stretch out a bit after a day of wear, but the waist, hips and butt do not bag out. Knees don't bag out either. I've committed to the red. Washes and irons well at home. The fabric of the black is a little more crisp than the red.
- Anthropologie | Anthropologie Blaise Mock Neck Sweater Jacket: A fluid and pretty cardigan with a bit of architectural drape. The orange is more earthy and rust in person. Comes in black.
- Anthropologie | Anthropologie Wide-Leg Trousers: Lightweight, soft, comfy and stretchy. Runs big so size down. The rise looks high, but they seem to mould into place without digging into you once they're on. Works quite well on a shorter waist. Works well on a straighter and curvier body type because of the nature of the fabric. Comes in three other neutrals.
- Harlyn | Anthropologie Graham Longline Plaid Blazer: A very lightweight KNIT topper that looks like a long jacket but feels like a breezy cardigan. It works on a range of body types because of the drape, stretch and boxy cut of the silhouette. Works well on a curvy petite.
- Boden Elodie Sweater: A great modern classic cabled pullover in a fun trendy earth tone. Fab fluid fit, not too chunky and boxy, lovely feeling against the skin, and machine washable. The mustard earned a place in my wardrobe.
- Old Navy Mid-Rise Slim Wide-Leg Chinos for Women: A nice Summer pant for Fall in hot weather. They work well on a straight body type, and aren't too wide. A slimmer wide crop but with ample room on the calves.
- Vince Camuto Floral Batwing Sleeve Blouse: This blouse is lined, and worked extremely well on my curvy size US12/14 client last week, who wore it semi-tucked and untucked with trendy cropped flares. Comes in five colours. Size down if you need a narrower fit.
- 1901 Basketweave Pattern Topper: A classic and crisp topper that works well on a pear-shaped body type. Streamlining. Can be worn indoors like a blazer. Very lightweight. Runs a size big.
- KUT from the Kloth Button Detail Raw Hem Bootcut Jeans: If you enjoy wearing KUT from the Kloth bootcuts, try these darlings with button detailing on the outside side seams. Fab on a curvy figure, and might need to size down.
- Nic + Zoe Champion Cardigan: This cardigan is magical with grey and salt/pepper hair. Gorgeous long line, and very streamlined. Lightweight and fab worn under a coat. Works well on an assortment of body types. It moulds beautifully to the body of a pear shape.
- Nic + Zoe The Perfect Ankle Pants: A crisp and luxe pair of cigarette pants that works best on a straighter hip and waist.
- Banana Republic Double-Faced Topcoat: A very lightweight and crisp topper that will not look odd worn as an indoor jacket. The fabric is luxe and the workmanship is lovely. It's boxy and versatile. The sleeves look fine cuffed if they are a little long. Comes in four colours.
- Nic + Zoe New Mix Jacket: This is the type of bouclé jacket that works as well in the Spring as it does in the Autumn. Soft, comfortable, and good on a curvy figure. Tailored in a relaxed way. Long sleeves that cannot be hemmed, but comes in petites.
- V-Neck Sweater: The photo does not do this fluid V-neck pullover justice. The V-neck is shallow and comes up quite high. The body is boxy, but has these wonderful statement side slits that make for a fun and architectural vibe. Looks like a COS piece, and comes in three colours. Might need to size down. Fab on apple-shaped body types, AND worked well on curvy pear-shaped body types.
- Vince Camuto Ponte Ankle Pants: These come in a shade of eggplant that are not pictured on the site. They're soft, generally full-length unless you're tall, and work well on a curvy body type. Room in the thighs.
- Banana Republic High-Rise Wide-Leg Jean: These flares look great on a curvier and straighter body type. The rise is long, but not too long for my shorter rise. The length that they are showing with the sneakers is fashion-forward and practical. Very roomy in the legs, and fitted on the midsection and seat. Stinking cute new trendy silhouette, which earned a place in my wardrobe. I LOVE these, and am wearing them a lot with a TUCKED top to showcase the structure on the midsection and bottom. I like how the fabric floats around my thighs instead of clinging to them. Fab with flat boots and chunky sneakers.
- Banana Republic High-Rise Wide-Leg Cropped Jean: Substantial fabric makes these drape really well. The uniform dark wash is dressy and streamlining. Soft, stretchy, and comfortable. The belt can be removed. The waist is wide with lots of room, so they work best on a straighter waist and hip. Great length, and not too wide in the hems. Size down.
- Anthropologie Block Letter Monogram Necklace: Some friends and clients sport these monogrammed necklaces, and they are very, very fun. Dainty, yet quite the statement. They only come in gold. I have the "A", and layer it with my pearls. I unexpectedly love it.
- Anthropologie | Anthropologie Petula Puff-Sleeved Moto Jacket: If you like puffy sleeves, this pleather jacket is fab. The vibe is neat and tidy. The fit is fluid on the torso, and not that tailored. The shoulder line though, is very tailored. Comes in burgundy.
- Maeve | Anthropologie Reverie Tiered Velvet Tunic: Cool-Toned Velvet Shirt Fabness. Swingy, fun, comfy, and fab for a casual holiday 'do with slim bottoms and bling. Might run a size big.
- Boden Twin Placket Coat: Well-made, quite lightweight, and yummy in either colour check. The fit is roomy all over, and especially in the sleeves. Lots of space for layering. Fun dark brown tortoiseshell buttons. Works on a range of body types.
- Boden Lena Denim Shirt Dress: This dress looks great FITTED. It might run a little big so maybe size down. It's elegant, comfy, well-made, and NOT stiff despite all the denim. Comes in three colours. Works well on a curvy body type.
- Boden Tipped Coat: Impeccable dressy, yet not too dressy coat. GORGEOUS quality. Check out how beautifully made the INSIDE is too. It's a classic with a fun nod to colour blocking. Versatile longer length. Comes in three colours. Tailored but not too tailored. Works on a range of body types but not good on a larger bust. The light blue was too grey for my complexion, or it would have been mine.
- Naturalizer NaturalizerCollette: Super cute and very comfy loafers with a trendy snip toe. Comes in black and in narrow and wide widths.
- Boden Stanhope Coat: A lightweight coat that you can pop over just about anything. Versatile, and a fluid fit that works over multiple light layers. It's casual in a dressy way, and comes in three colours. The petite is fab for petites.
Go to the collection page if you would like to see the images alongside my descriptions.
