The sky is falling down because I’m wearing ankle length pants. Granted, this is the only way I will sport the length and the styling is extremely deliberate. I continue to have a stormy relationship with pant lengths below the calf and above the ankle bone, but I am open to wearing the length this way.
These black cigarette pants are old and full length. They are thick, woven, a little stretchy and very comfortable. Perfect for business casual outfits with booties, especially in wet Seattle weather. No soggy hems. But I also like to wear these pants on a mild Summer day with Summer shoes — like my ankle strap pointy toe pumps. So I roll up the hems three times to showcase the ankle strap of the shoe as well as a little ankle skin. I’m okay with this combination because the pants are tapered at the hems, AND because the pants are the same colour as the straps of the shoe. The black straps visually elongate the length of the black pants. This would not have been the case if I’d worn my pointy toe pumps with tan ankle straps. That pairing would have created shorter pant lengths, which to my eye would not have looked right. I am that fussy about the lengths of my pants.
I could also have worn the pants unrolled to their full length with ankle scrunch, thereby covering up the ankle strap of the pumps. But the straps are what I like best about the shoes so I prefer showcasing them. Plus I like the extra outfit interest that the sliver of ankle skin between the strap and the hems of the pants adds to the outfit. It’s especially effective when the outfit is in motion.
Other than a formfitting turtleneck, my favourite pullover styles at the moment are high necked with raglan sleeves and a welt in a fluid fit. The magic of the raglan sleeve always fits my shoulder line. The welt adds structure and allows me to faux tuck when I belt trousers and jeans. The fluid fit feels modern and on trend. That’s why I fell in love with the Statement Yarn Sweater from Karen Millen, which has a fun and different back pattern. It drapes like a dream. I wear a layering camisole underneath for extra warmth, scrunch the sleeves, and am good to go over a pair of dressy bottoms. No tucking, layering, belting or jewelelry. Specs, wedding ring and watch are sufficient.
The pumps are the Okalas in a cheetah print, which I also have in the pony. I chose them for this outfit because their black straps extend the length of the pants, and because they pattern mix with the pullover. As a nod to the matchy-matchy trend, I finished off the outfit with a kitty print clutch. I do like to match my bag and shoes from time to time.
September is trench season and my cream trench does the job. It’s almost six years old and still going strong. I don’t think it looks dated and I love it as much now as I did when I bought it. I especially love traveling with this trench because white is bright and happy. I have really taken care of it so it still looks pretty pristine. Although it is double-breasted, I often like to wear it open. But I also like the fitted look of wearing it closed.
This type of outfit is one way of creating what I call “relaxed polish”. The elements are dead simple and the pieces are very comfortable. The unstructured structure is a theme in many of my outfits because it makes the outfit look just a little more modern. The dainty shoes and pretty fabrications add a sense of refinement that is very important to my style.
It’s a more casual business casual outfit formula that might work for your work setting too.
