Quiet checks (or plaids) are smaller in scale, neutral in colour, and low in contrast. Loud checks are the opposite. Some checks are as quiet as a mouse. So much so that you can barely see that they’re patterned. Those we call false plains. 

Onto some outfit inspiration.

1. Jacket

A pair of dark blue pleated wide leg jeans is paired with a short greyed-brown turtleneck. A short jacket in a quiet brown and blue check tops the pairing. White sneakers add a sporty touch. The short sweater and jacket works particularly well with the long wide bottoms, to my eye. Add a bag that matches the palette.

2. Skirt

A dark brown and cream box pleated A-line skirt in a quiet windowpane check is paired with a dark brown sweater. An oversized and short boxy aviator jacket is the trendy topper of choice. Black socks worn with black loafers create a pseudo boot-effect, and match the black jacket. Add a black or earth-toned bag.

3. Trousers

A pair of wide grey and black checked pants are combined with a black top. The check is as quiet as a mouse! You can barely see it’s patterned. Two toppers are layered over the pairing for warmth and an interesting effect. A longer black quilted vest is worn under a shorter chocolate brown leather jacket with furry black collar. Chunky black boots bookend the black hair of the model and match the black in the outfit. Add a brown or black bag.

Here are outfits with lighter brown quiet checked pants.

4. Coat

Last, here’s a quiet check worn in a louder way by remixing it with a bold pattern. A teal and brown geometrically pattered belted dress is combined a with quiet checked coat in the same colours. I like that the coat and dress are similar lengths, although that’s not essential. Teal high heeled Mary Janes match the teal in the patterns. Feel free to wear lower heels or flats. I see tall boots work well here too. Add jewellery, bag, eyewear and watch as desired.

Wider, bigger, roomier, relaxed, and slouchy jeans and pants silhouettes have dominated fashion trends for years. That said, skinny jeans and pants did not disappear. They simply took a back seat. They have been available at both first and second hand retail. 

Last year, slim straights were back as a fringe trend. Slim straights are also known as stovepipe, drainpipe, column, and cigarette pants, or simply “slim bottoms”. This year, slim straights are gaining momentum and I suspect they will go mainstream again soon. Interestingly, when skinnies resurfaced twenty years ago (and as I remember them back in the ’80s) they were slim straights with no stretch component as we know them today. As the skinny jeans and pants trend continued in the ‘00s, they became skinnier and stretchier. They were very tight and stretchy like leggings, and competed with leggings as a bottoms option.

To my eye, there are skinnies and super skinnies. Skinnies are slim straights, and super skinnies are even tighter. They are 100% body con like leggings with very narrow ankle openings, whereas slim straights have a bit of ease and a slightly wider ankle opening.

My preference is for wide, wider, flared, architectural, and relaxed bottom silhouettes. I wear relaxed straight rather than slim straight jeans and pants. That said, I have one very old pair of slim straight jeans. They are my least frequently worn pair of jeans because they’re very slim. I keep them because I love the dramatic blingy gold button trim and their high rise.

I will never again wear slim straights or super skinnies with a low rise. I will wear low rise, but with roomy and wide leg silhouettes. I will wear slim straights with a high rise but not super skinnies. That bit of ease with a high rise makes a remarkable difference to me visually and physically. As an ex-equestrian I have a soft spot for slim straights tucked into tall boots, and will re-visit the combination at some point.

Because slim straights count as skinnies in my style world, I’m wearing skinnies again. Very infrequently on this leg of my style journey, but I’m wearing them with specific stipulations. The jury is out as to whether skinnies of the slim straight variety will once again be a main player in my style. My guess is that they won’t, but who knows.

Over to you. Are you wearing slim straights or super skinnies? If not, do you think you will wear them again someday?

Fabber Janet recently posted about her collection of infrequently worn knee-high boots. She used to wear tall boots over skinnies many years ago, but stopped due to changing preferences in silhouettes. She passed on her skinnies, but was wondering what to with the tall boots.

Infrequently worn tall boots is something I address almost every time I help a client to review and edit their wardrobes. They ask what to do with their old pairs of tall boots that they haven’t worn over skinnies in years. These are my suggestions. 

Re-Fit Tall Boots

Dust off and try on all pairs of tall boots to reassess fit, comfort, and aesthetics. They may no longer be comfortable, or you’ve outgrown the way they look. They may not fit the orthotics you currently insert into footwear either. Pass on pairs that don’t serve your feet or style. Despite how great they looked on the outside, I passed on a pair of tall whiskey boots that had worn out on the inside and were therefore killing the balls of my feet.

Keep the Best Pairs

Tall boots are very hard to fit, and a comfy pair that you like the look of is even more elusive. KEEP the pairs that are comfortable, a good fit, and that suit your current sartorial preferences. If you like them after trying them on recently, don’t pass them on. It doesn’t matter that they are infrequently worn. You might wear them more frequently in future, and will be all too happy to reach for a great ready-to-go pair from your closet.

Remix into Outfits

If you’re not wearing tall boots over skinnies, wear them with skirts, dresses, jorts, shorts and longer knee-covering shorts (culottes). Tall boots that aren’t too tall and a little roomier can also be worn with joggers, slim straights, or more relaxed pants made of softer fabrics.

I’m down to one pair of tall cream boots that are knee-high, tailored, comfortable, and versatile. I wear them with some of my cool weather dresses and skirts, but not over jeans and pants. I’m in the market for another pair of tall tailored whiskey boots if they came my way because I’d probably wear over high rise slim straights, relaxed straights, or retro jodhpur-type pants. That’s different to when I wore tall boots over body con skinnies many years ago.

This outfit formula remixes a warm-toned neutral with a cool-toned neutral. The earthy toffees, tans and caramels are warmer, while their grey companions are cooler. Some outfits add other neutrals like cream, blue denim, black, chocolate, and white. If you wear stoney greys and earthy toffees, try combining them in an outfit. 

Onto some inspiration.

1. Volume

A very roomy soft toffee or tan cropped sweater is combined with a pair of grey, drapey and pleated puddle length trousers. White on trend low profile sneakers add a sporty and casual touch. A grey satchel matches the grey trousers. Another soft toffee sweater is draped over the model’s shoulders. 

You can create a similar look with a scarf, wrap, or toffee topper. The toffees do not need to be an exact match.

On the right is the inverse of the look above. A cropped grey boxy and architectural funnel neck top is combined with a pair of extremely wide equally architectural toffee pants. Black boots match the model’s dark hair, the black buttons of the top, and eyewear.

2. Layered

This outfit combines five neutrals of which toffee and grey are two of them. A dark denim pencil skirt is combined with a black tucked button down shirt. A grey sweater with brown tortoiseshell buttons is layered over the black shirt. Chocolate brown flats and belt match the buttons of the cardigan. A toffee puffer tops the visible layers. Add a bag that works with the palette.

1. Columned

A column of grey is created by combining a grey jacket with a flared grey skirt. The jacket is zipped through to function like a top. Tall black boots are the wintery shoes of choice. A dark caramel jacket tops the column. Feel free to create a column of grey with any two separates or a dress/jumpsuit, and pop a toffee topper over the lot. I see a black, brown or cream bag work with the quiet palette.

A couple more columns of grey with caramel toppers that might inspire you to create a similar look.

4. Patterned

Last, a pattern in caramelized grey is an easy way to wear the palette. Here a pair of dark wide leg jeans is combined with a cream top. A toffee and grey plaid wool coat tops the pairing. Black loafers and bag match the model’s hair, and the bits of black in the pattern. Add jewellery, watch and eyewear as desired.