Now that flared leg jeans and trousers are all the rage for 2011, there has been apprehensive talk on our forum about whether skinnies and straight legs have become passé – especially from members who have only recently embraced the look. From my point of view, absolutely not. And here’s why:

• Slim cut jeans and trouser legs are basic mainstream silhouettes, and mainstream silhouettes do not die over night. Remember that bootcuts stayed mainstream when tapered legs took centre stage!
• NY Fashion Week 2011 showed as many tapered leg silhouettes as flared legs. The two styles live harmoniously side by side so that there is something for everyone. Love that.
• Even if designers stopped showing skinnies and straight legs all together, fashion buyers would keep on putting them in retail stores because consumers would buy them. Skinnies sell because they are extremely practical and easy to wear with boots in bad weather. Fashion Magazines told us that leggings were a fad. Well, here we are five years later and they are stronger than ever because the public took a liking to the silhouette. The trend continues.

So when Vogue and Elle tell you that skinnies and straight legs are dated, for what it’s worth, I’m telling you that they are not. I think the more important question is – how soon will wide leg jeans and bellbottoms look passé?

If you followed New York Fashion Week in September last year, you’ll know that we’re in for a resurgence of 70’s fashion in Spring and Summer 2011. Think Charlies Angels, Three’s Company, Welcome Back Kotter, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, One day at a Time, Love Story and The 70’s Show for a vivid impression of 70’s looks. Very fab!

Flared hems on jeans (and trousers) like bellbottoms and wide legs were huge in the 70’s. 90’s fashion introduced more modern interpretations of flared jeans: boot cuts and trouser jeans. Also very fab and definitely my favourite styles of flared denim.

The difference between different types of flared jeans are subtle yet important, and is achieved by changing two aspects of the design:

1. The width of the hem of the flare
2. The position on the leg where the flare begins

Here’s a rundown of the main flared styles:

• Wide Leg Jeans are cut wide from the thighs down and do not taper in on the knee. The hem widths are normally also very wide. See the Gap wide leg jeans with pintucks, and the “Ginger” wide leg jeans below.
• Bell Bottoms, also referred to as bell legs, are cut narrow from hip to thigh and flare out quite a bit from knee to hem, resembling the shape of a bell on the lower part of the leg. See the “Adriane” and “Martini” bell bottom jeans below.
• Bootcut Jeans taper in at the knee and are usually the least flared at the hem of all flared style jeans. As the name suggests, bootcut jeans are flared just enough so that you can comfortably fit a pair of boots underneath them. Some bootcuts are barely flared at all, whereas other styles are more flared.
• Trouser Jeans are more like a combination of wide leg and bell bottom jeans. They are fitted on top and flare out at the bottom, but aren’t as tapered at the knee as bellbottoms and not nearly as wide on the thigh as wide legs. See the Hudson Flare Leg and Banana Republic trouser jeans below.

Stores are already full of sorts of flared jeans. I’ve never been a passionate wide leg jeans or bell bottom girl so I won’t be rushing out to wear the silhouettes. First, I like the look best with really high heels and since I don’t wear those it seems silly to compromise the look. Second, I feel huge and uncomfortable in wide leg or super flared pants, like I’m going to take off and fly. There is just too much fabric swooshing around at my feet and I feel like I can’t get on with the tasks at hand. But I do like subtly flared jeans like bootcuts and trouser cuts, which I wear with low heels. And I never stopped wearing those styles, even when skinnies were at their peak and my preference was for a slim cut.

In the same breath, I have learnt to never say never when it comes to fashion and style. So if you see me sporting wide leg jeans or bell bottoms later this season, it won’t be the first time I’ve had to happily eat my words!

Over to you. Do you like flared leg jeans and will you wear the look?

Does anything about the model on the right strike you as different from the norm? Click the thumbnail to see a fullsize picture at the Telegraph.

At first glance I thought that this was a young female model in her late teens or early twenties. I was spot on about the age but wrong about the gender. The photo is of a 19 year old male model from Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the UK Telegraph, male model Andrej Pejic  is “enjoying great modeling success due to his womanly good looks”, so much so that he’s booked for the next Marc Jacobs advertising campaign.

Boys who look like girls, transsexuals and transvestites are being booked to pose for photo shoots, to represent great fashion houses like Givenchy, and to walk on runways to showcase women’s clothing – not men’s clothing.

I don’t quite know what to think about this. On the one hand, I find it strange that men would be modeling clothes that are marketed to me, but perhaps that is being too closed minded. Perhaps the bright line between men and women’s fashion is, well, old fashioned. I can easily imagine a future where individuals choose more effeminate or masculine looks quite independently of their sex.

Is the recent movement to blur gender boundaries a step in this direction, or are fashion houses using it to generate publicity?

Most of us are thinking about curbing our spending after an expensive holiday season. That means less shopping, more saving, and more time in your closet. Yes, spending time in your closet saves money. Here’s how.

1 – Edit

Regular closet sweeps eliminate unnecessary items, but they also help you to identify exactly what you already own, thereby preventing unnecessary duplication. I’ve written several posts on closet organization and this one offers a summary of what can be an extremely liberating, simple and painless process. If you’re unsure whether an item is dated, these tips might help. And if you still can’t bear to let go of an item, create a hidden holding zone and revisit these items later.

2 – Organize

How many times have you gone into your closet and thought: ”Oh! I forgot I had that top. That means I can layer underneath dresses”, or, “Oh! There they are. I knew I had a pair of straight leg black trousers. Now I can wear them with short dresses and create a totally different look”. If you can’t see it you can’t wear it. That’s why keeping your closet neat and organized multiplies your outfit possibilities.

3 – Remix

Wearing your clothes, footwear and accessories in new ways can prevent style boredom. I enjoy adding new items to my wardrobe mix, but remixing can be just as exciting.

Unfortunately, just staring at your wardrobe contents won’t do it. You have to get stuck in! Take a little time and experiment with new clothing combinations, actually trying on the remixed outfits. Take photos or make notes of your remixes, and remember to wear them. If you struggle with this creative process, post questions on forums (allow me to recommend the YLF forum) and check out daily outfit blogs for inspiration.

Just Do It

While this process is time consuming (there’s no free lunch I’m afraid), it’s infinitely more cost effective than buying new stuff to stave off feelings of wardrobe boredom. And if done in the right state of mind, it will be a fun, creative process. The more time you put into your wardrobe, the more you will get out of it.

Of course, lacking the inspiration to edit, organize and remix is understandable too. Solicit the support of a friend or family member and plan closet time together. Put on your favourite music, prep your favourite snacks and just do it!