Since flared jeans and trouser jeans are all the rage this season, I’ve put together a list of my top picks so far. We’ll probably see more great styles as the season unfolds.

The list covers a range of price points, styles and washes. I’ve had all the styles on myself and on clients. (Note: I have not included basic bootcut shapes in this list. Please go to the YLF Store for those recommendations).

1. Citizens of Humanity “Hutton” Mid-Rise Wide Leg Stretch Denim Trousers ($189): They are stunning. The front rise is a great length and the drape is flattering.  Fab front pocket detailing. Unfortunately they are not too kind to your wallet.
2. 7 For All Mankind “Ginger” Wide leg Stretch Denim Pants ($155): These are a little dressier than the Huttons and just as nice. They offer more of a trouser vibe.
3. David Kahn Wide Leg Stretch Jeans ($168): Mr. Kahn knows how to make a pair of jeans and these are no exception. The front and back rises are extra high and the inseams have extra length. Great for tall gals. My 70 year old client looks KILLER in these when she wears them with pumps and blazers.
4. Express Flare Leg Stella Regular Fit Jeans ($69.90): These look more like bell bottoms once they are on the body. The fit is tight to the knee and then flares out quite extensively to the hems. They are probably the most comfortable of the lot because the denim is super soft and stretchy.
5. Banana Republic Deep Blue Trouser jean ($89.50): Quite nice, but stay away if side entry pockets are not your thing.
6. Gap New Wide Leg Trouser Jeans (pintucked) ($79.50): Very long, very wide and very 70’s. These are the most dramatic of the bunch, so try them if you love 70’s fashion and have a daring fashion streak.
7. Gap New Wide Leg Trouser Jeans (faded dark wash) ($69.50): They fit well, are less dramatic than the pintucked style, and are good value for money.
8. Ann Taylor Loft Marisa Tanzanite Wash Trouser Jean ($69.50): Playful and fun. I really like the faded wash, front pocket placement and wider leg width. They look best when worn a little roomy all over.
9. Halogen “Taylor Cotton Sheen” Pants ($78): Super comfy and polished. No front pockets! They run at least a size big, so size down.
10. Jag Jeans “Maine” Trousers ($79): These look ten times better on the body than in the photograph. I swear my client looks so much better than the model. They run true to size and have length. Soft, stretchy and comfortable.
11. Lucky Charlie Flare Jeans ($129.00): For those who prefer a low rise, these are fab. Soft and stretchy.
12. Express Wide Waistband Editor Pant Jeans ($59.90): I love these. They are my top pick for my own wardrobe from this list. They look dressy and would absolutely pass for business casual – that’s how polished they look. I adore the broad waistband and how the hems drape over my pumps and boots. A great fit on both curvier and straight body types.
13. Not Your Daughter’s Jeans “Victoria” Plus sized Trouser Jeans ($118): I am generally not a fan of this brand because the denim stretches out like nobody’s business. But I must give credit where it’s due. These look sensational on the body and seem to retain their shape throughout the day.
14. Ann Taylor Denim Trousers ($88): Ann Taylor offers three fits of trouser jeans: modern, signature and curvy. The fabric is divine and it’s a question of trying on the fits to see which works best for you (the modern fit has the straightest cut).They run big so size down. The side entry pocket placement is not ideal, but they’ve added a cool little pocket magnet that prevents the pockets from gaping open. Clever.

Phew! I have tried on lots and lots of flared and trouser jeans this year – enough to last me for the season. I am still happiest in Gap’s Long & Leans because they aren’t too flared and the wash is perfect. I’ll probably add in the trouser jeans from Express because they are a dressier option. And then that will be it for jeans for a very long time.

Feel free to add to this list!

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I was recently tweeting about a Rachel Roy item when I realized that I have never mentioned her designs here on the blog. The Rachel Roy brand has been around for a while and her stuff always piques my interest. It’s colour-rich, unique and edgy in a happy way. I particularly like her blouses and dresses and have a few fun pieces. The quality is not impeccable, but it meets my (rather strict) bar.

I don’t buy Rachel Roy items directly from her site because Macy’s offers a good selection in stores. Macy’s is also often on sale AND you can use a discount coupon, so it’s an all-round better place to shop for the collection.

Unfortunately Macys online shopping leaves a lot to be desired. Few Rachel Roy items are represented so it’s best to get to stores for a fair impression of the range.  In the meantime, browse through Rachel Roy’s site to whet your appetite. I’ve selected a few of my current favourite pieces below.

I’ve fitted on these blouses and jackets and I liked every one of them.

If you’re interested in style and fashion, and post your outfits on the internet, chances are high that others will be inspired by your style in one way or another. They might try to recreate a similar outfit with their own wardrobe items, or purchase similar, if not exactly the same pieces.

You know how the saying goes, “imitation is the highest form of flattery”. But how do you really feel when someone copies your style, or purchases the same wardrobe items. Are you flattered? Or are you annoyed that what you thought was an exclusive item or outfit combination is suddenly not that unique anymore.

In my 20’s and early 30’s it was extremely important that my style felt special and unique. I would get annoyed and threatened when people asked me where I bought my wardrobe items in fear that they would copy my style and heaven forbid, wear the same clothes as me. I felt that I had to desperately hang onto my “unique style”, which wasn’t that unique in the first place, in order to continue feeling fab. In fact, I considered it a style failure when I saw someone else wearing the same thing because that meant that my look wasn’t special anymore.

Thank goodness I grew wiser and more secure in my style as the years passed by, because I’m a fashion stylist who is also a fashion and style blogger. I post weekly pictures of my outfits and recommend wardrobe items to our readership that I also incorporate into my own style. Between my clients, friends, strangers and our readership, I am asked almost daily where I’ve bought an item that I am wearing. So I have to be okay with people purchasing my wardrobe items or to some extent copying part of my ensemble.

I changed the way I thought about style imitation when I understood that style is from the inside out. Even when people wear the same wardrobe items as I do, they will wear them in ways that reflect who they are and not who I am. A dressing recipe may start off with the same ingredients, but the flavour changes because taste levels vary. Since no one can rob me of that level of uniqueness, there is no longer a need to guard it.

I admit that I still get a kick out of wearing an item or ensemble combination that people cannot easily replicate. It makes my style feel elevated in some small way, and that’s kind of a special feeling. Thing is, I also know that I have the power to make an item look and feel exclusive by adding my personal style stamp, and that feels even more special.

These days I’m flattered when people sport the same things as I do, or ask me where I purchased my wardrobe items. I am equally flattered when my ensemble inspires someone else’s ensemble. These imitations have become style compliments and are no longer threats.

Over to you. Are you flattered when someone copies your style? How do you feel when someone purchases “your” clothing, footwear or accessories? How important is for you to feel that what you are wearing is completely unique?

Fabulous forum member MaryK kindly offered to host a YLF clothing Swap in Pasedena, CA, last month. It looks and sounds like everyone had an absolute ball and I wish that I could have been there too! MaryK works in the legal field and is known for her Business Bombshell style, warmth and fab sense of humour on our forum. She had the swapping show on the road in no time.

On a sunny winter Sunday in Southern California, nine lovely YLF forum members and friends came together in a quiet neighborhood to share an abundance of fashion, fun and friendship.  I knew it would be a great fashion day, but I had no idea it would be such an amazing friendship day!

My friend Amanda came early, armed with cheese and crackers, homemade cookies and multiple bags of incredibly cute clothing!  As she was taking the last few things out of her car, forum member Marley arrived and they instantly hit it off, chatting away in the street outside the house!  I would have recognized Marley anywhere, with her sparkling bright blue eyes and gorgeous smile, looking incredibly chic yet ready for action in leans, flats, a soft gray sweater and pretty purple scarf.

The three of us hung up Amanda’s and Marley’s clothes on the racks I’d rented, put the finishing touches on the snack table, poured a round of mimosas, and declared the swap officially “on.”  No sooner had we done so when the doorbell started ringing, and in short order we had welcomed everyone in.

There was YLF forum member Zoelicious, whose striped top coordinated beautifully with skinny jeans tucked into fab cognac boots. Nico, a new member who looked fab in a floaty tiered top and the most fantastic sparkly silver sandals. Rae was next to arrive, rocking a pair of funky black boots, while her friend Stella sported a great 70s-inspired look.

My friend Isabel from work, who not only looked fab in her pink sweater and brought a bunch of great swap items (including an Anne Klein suit that fit Rae like it was made for her), but had carted a full-length mirror from her house to mine so we could all check out the merchandise with ease! Forum member Kira, with an amazing style all her own also graced us with her presence. She has the most fab mane of long, long red hair!

Amidst shrieks of delight as forum members met for the first time, the house was transformed into a beehive of activity as everyone got their clothes hung up and accessories laid out.  At first swappers were a little shy, saying things like “If nobody wants to try this on, I guess I will…”  But within minutes, caution was thrown to the wind and it was every woman for her (still very polite and considerate) self!

We used my bedroom, with its wall of mirrored closet doors, as a dressing room.  Modesty was thrown to the winds as the pile of clothes on my bed got higher and higher, along with the noise level!  Items were traded, suggestions were given, thumbs were turned up or down, combinations were tweaked, and the YLF sisterhood outdid itself in fashion savvy and just plain girly fun.  It was like having a whole houseful of personal shoppers and stylists ready to give advice and suggestions – all at no charge!

Some of the most magical moments:

• Everybody tried on the striped and ruffled J. Crew button down shirt, and everybody loved it, but the fit wasn’t exactly right on anybody — until Kira tried it.  Then the clouds parted and the angels started singing, because that shirt was obviously made just for her.
• Speaking of angels, Amanda definitely looked like one in Stella’s fun and funky fringed dress.
• Marley in the red cheongsam, took everybody’s breath away and brought the proceedings to a total (if momentary) standstill.
• Rae + jeans + beaded silk tank + matching shrug = perfection!
• Nico trying on my blue raincoat with the spring flowers at the very end, just as everyone was leaving.  It made me look dumpy and frumpy, but on her it was perfect in every way!

As the afternoon wound down, we gathered in the living room for “show and tell,” in which everybody displayed her finds to the group.  That was definitely the best part, because the original owners got to see where their pieces had ended up, and there was much oo-ing and ah-ing over just how amazing everybody looked in their newly-acquired loot and just how happy everybody was to see their closet orphans going to good homes!  And amazingly enough, everybody had at least half a dozen great items, with an average of twice that or more!

Quite simply, it was the Best. Day. Ever.  Money was saved, wardrobes were updated, and best of all, fantastic friendships were forged and strengthened.  We’re thinking it needs to be at least a semi-annual event.  Thank you, Angie and YLF, for bringing us together!