The fluid fit of the silky track pant is one way to wear the slouchy trouser trend. It’s an ideal way to feel cool, covered, comfortable and dressy in trousers when temperatures begin to rise. Furthermore, you can adjust the length of these pants if the style has welted cuffs or elastic at the hems. Create a dressier look with the pants worn full length. Create a more casual look with them worn pulled up to calf length. 

The examples below illustrate the concept quite well. The second pair are made of jersey knit, and not silk, which means that you can apply the concept to knitted versions too.

Your footwear options are strappy sandals, cage heels, ankle strapped wedges, pumps, pointy toe pumps with ankle straps, peep-toe pumps, peep-toe booties and booties. I do prefer silky track pants worn with a heel, be it low, mid or high. Although a d’orsay flat and gladiator sandal looks pretty fab paired with them too. 

I wanted to add a pair of patterned silky track pants to my wardrobe this Summer, but couldn’t find a pattern that I fancied in a length that was long enough at the time. I also didn’t want another solid black bottom. As Fall collections hit stores, I finally see the right length in colours and patterns that DO tickle my fancy. But I’ve missed my window to wear these in Seattle because our Summers are very short, and I run very cold. To purchase them now and only wear them a couple of times is not worth it. So I won’t be getting these till next year. Hopefully I will find a great pair when the time comes. 

Are you wearing the silky track pant silhouette? If so, do you wear them full length, pulled up to calf length, or both? Or are these pants just not for you.

After struggling to find the perfect pair of jeans, Kathryn over at Yes I Like That decided to take matters in her own hands, and make a pair from scratch. The Guardian interviewed Kathryn, asking her about the challenges of sewing with denim.

To celebrate the relaunch of its denim collection, Tory Burch has created The Denim Matrix, a fun infographic that gives you suggestions on what to wear with your jeans for different occasions.

This is one for Team Riveting Rearsiders. Madewell just launched a denim line that promises to do “some pretty life-altering things to the rearview”. Mary Pierson, head of the denim design team, explains what makes these jeans so special.

Fab Links from Our Members

Deb points us to “Seeking a ‘Middle-Aged’ Look“, an interesting article in the NYTimes about what older professional women are doing with cosmetic surgery.

These photos of a woman on her bike in Paris, snapped by A Femme d’un Certain Age, changed MsMaven’s concept of “age-appropriate” clothing.

Kari is smitten with Eugenio Recuenco’s gorgeous photos of women dressed up to look like Picasso portraits. It made her think of Angie.

Angie likes how Bridgette Raes illustrates the versatility of the sassy sweatshirt. Five competely different outfits that incorporate the same piece — great for Fall.

This article about a woman trying to return $1.4 million in merchandise to Neiman Marcus after finding out her husband had an affair with the salesperson left MaryK flabbergasted.

Lisa is happy to see that animal print is big for Fall, she especially loves that the prints are very large and exaggerated.

Must you really have short hair to have gamine style? What about Diane Keaton? Vildy loves this close examination of the components and development of gamine style.

This is a special casual Summer outfit because I associate it with a priceless memory. I wore it on the afternoon of my birthday a few weeks ago when we took Rosie to West Seattle for a quiet stroll in her favourite secluded park. Afterwards, Greg, Rosie and I had fish ‘n chips in the car, overlooking the Seattle skyline on a glorious hot and sunny day. Yesterday, we went back to the beach alongside Rosie’s Park to take these photos. It was a tranquil and cathartic couple of hours as we continue to grieve the loss of our precious little Yorkie. 

The bottoms are Gap’s Long & Leans flared jeans that I hacked into shorts last year. I bat for Team Long Shorts so I created a wider rolled up cuff and kept the length over the knee. They are my current favourite casual shorts because they’re roomier and less tapered than cut-off skinnies. I definitely needed this change as I give my clamdiggers a break. There is something tomboy about casual long shorts that takes me back to happy times when I was a child in the ’70s. I climbed trees and built a treehouse in cut-off denim jeans that looked a lot like these. The length is not everyone’s cup of tea as most prefer to wear shorter shorts. But the length works for me and I guess I’m also nostalgic about it too.

The top is new and a gift from Greg. As I mentioned previously, I like the oh-so-trendy and sassy fleece sweatshirt, but it does not gel with my style. Fleece tops make me feel like I’m wearing pajamas, and not in a good way. So I’ve adapted the trend by choosing sporty pullovers that are cut like fashionable upscale sweatshirts, but made of more refined fabric. The mesh stripe sweater from Karen Millen fits the bill perfectly. It’s made of viscose polyester and drapes like a dream. The blocked raglan insets and keyhole back opening amp up the “pretty”, while the welt makes it faux-tuck friendly. It’s my favourite casual Summer top by far. Although I’m still besotted with polka dots, I have moved over to Team Stripe.

The white belt adds a modern crispness to the faded cut-offs. The Converse high-tops continue the sporty integrity of the outfit. The sneakers aren’t a leg lengthening choice, especially when coupled with the longer length of the shorts. Wearing shorter shorts and low vamp shoes or sandals would have created a more flattering leg line. Yet, I don’t feel dumpy and stumpy in this combination. In fact, I feel fab. The white sneaks are low contrast against my pale skin, which together with the tucked top help prevent that short-legged feeling.

I never tie the laces of my high-tops. I tuck them away to create a looser fit around the ankle which is more comfortable. These high-tops are my casual Summer booties and I thoroughly enjoy wearing them. 

It’s often breezy by the water so I’m never without a topper. I like my old black moto with the outfit because it’s casual, yet structured, lightweight and it has worn nicely with age. It’s a fun juxtaposition against the graphic boldness of the rugby stripe. I finished off the outfit with an equally old slouchy and sporty hobo bag, a silver watch and wedding ring, and my prescription Ray-Bans. 

This type of outfit will take me on Summer walks and urban hikes. Breezy, casual, comfortable and ready for action.

“Happy”. That’s the word that kept popping up in my head while browsing Carelia Morán’s (42) outfits on My Small Wardrobe. This Mum of two boys — born in Honduras and now living in North Carolina — looks radiant in all her photos, but there’s more to it than that. Her outfits and the way she wears them have a cheery ease about them that makes me smile. Carelia is on Team Maximal, she loves vibrant colours and her fab casual style mixes boho elements with playful touches. She started her blog last year as a personal challenge:

“I’ve always enjoyed anything that has to do with fashion, however for the longest time I had to focus more on things like my sons and their needs. Now that I’m in my early forties and my sons are more independent, I find myself with free time to think about fashion. I always thought my wardrobe was too small to be able to start a fashion blog, but then I realized THAT was actually a good reason to start blogging. Blogging about outfits that I could create with a limited wardrobe became a tempting idea and actually a personal challenge. So I started my blog last summer. Having family financial responsibilities forces me to stay within a realistic budget when purchasing my fashion needs and wants. Taking advantage of sales, thrifts deals and vintage finds is the way I keep my wardrobe alive. And, of course, everything I buy needs to be versatile, needs to work with the rest of my wardrobe.”

A rather minimalist look for Carelia who is on Team A Lot Going On, but just as striking in its own way. The tie-dyed oversized shirt, a vintage men’s denim shirt from an old French manufacturer, reminds me of a painter’s frock. I love how the lighter part of the shirt helps to break up the column of denim without visually chopping up the upper half of the body. Plus it also works beautifully with the darker colour of the rolled skinnies and the blue woven clutch. Definitely one of the best denim on denim looks I’ve seen in a while, and my personal favourite. The tomboy vibe is contrasted with a pair of ladylike high-heeled pumps in bright orange. A happy splash of colour against all the beautiful blues. The candy-coloured bracelet, pink nail polish and starfish earrings are the perfect quirky, girly touches that finish off this carefree Summer ensemble.

Such a delightful, arty take on 1970s boho! The predominantly earthy colour palette gets a strong kick from the simple black turtleneck. Layering the lightweight long-sleeved top under a Summer dress is an easy way to transition a favourite piece into mild Autumn or even Winter. Notice how the black also bookends Carelia’s dark hair. There’s more smart bookending with the cognac boots that pick up the rusty orange tones in the empire waist frock. Carelia then decided to add one more matchy-matchy element: the cognac satchel, hand-tooled in Honduras. The design complements the shapes of the colourful print on the flowy dress. So does the square cocktail ring, while dramatic chandelier earrings pick up the hints of green. Together with the vintage Givenchy sunnies — Carelia can’t say no to a good pair of sunglasses — they add charming Hollywood glam.

A creative look that is signature Carelia. Slouchy boyfriend jeans with distressed detailing, a relaxed fitting long cardigan and black Ray-Bans form the fashion-forward backbone of this outfit. Carelia rocks all shades of blue, and the aqua polka dot shirt emphasizes that even more. The playful dots amp up the happiness factor, while the round shapes are repeated in the studded sandals. The thin front strap on the sandals also made me notice how her toes and fingers are painted a different colour, both shades picking up different colours in the outfit. Clever! The tougher edge of the rocker vibe footwear is in fun contrast with the soft scarf. It’s the key accessory that makes this look for me: the gorgeous bright colours and artistically tied knot just scream Carelia.

Although Carelia occasionally likes to play up the tomboy factor, she also has a very ladylike side to her style. Case in point, this orange pants look that is as contagiously cheerful as it is refined. The fluid fit of the elegant trapeze jacket, trousers and hearts printed blouse all provide modern streamlined structure. The happy blouse is a conversation starter for sure, and fits Carelia’s outgoing personality to a T. Her choice of accessories proves once again that our blogger has a keen eye for colour. Great bookending job with the nude sandals echoing the colour of the jacket. The psychedelic swirl bracelet and Mondrian-esque blocked scarf are subtle ways to bring a spot of pattern mixing into the picture, while the white in the two-toned clutch provides a wonderful fresh contrast. Also: be sure to check out the background in the first photo, one would almost believe that it was created especially as a support act to Carelia’s outfit!

Carelia bats for Team Legs and likes to wear heels to elongate her leg line. So she started off the day with a pair of white wedge cork heel sandals. Lovely and Summery for sure. Later on, she changed into denim blue Converse to run some errands, and that’s when this flirty skirt outfit really caught my attention. The sassy sneakers add a playful air to this fab Mum on the Go look that feels effortless and polished. The colour palette is attractively simple, with all the white increasing the crisp factor. The mesh sweater, practical woven crossbody bag and print earrings are a brilliant way to add textural interest without visually weighing down an outfit that needs to be breezy for warm temps. I also adore the graphic pattern mixing with the bold stripe and the print of the skirt, it almost reads like a microcheck. So fun! Bright red lipstick, big sunnies and an ethnic inspired cuff bracelet finish off the look. Extra suggestions from Carelia to stay cool in scorching weather:

“I believe we can still layer on summer days, however if we stick with thinner pieces made of cotton, we should be able to stay cool yet chic. This is a great season to sport a great hat, the wider the brim, the better.”

I call this “Festival Flair Goes to Town”. Carelia wore this boho rocker look for a busy day of shopping, but it would fly just as well during any open-air music gig. Super relaxed, comfortable and texture-rich thanks to the vintage fur sweater coat with big collar. I like that the leopard print leggings read more like painted-on patterned skinny jeans. The blue sheen of the chambray shirt looks gorgeous against all the earthy browns. The slightly rugged ankle boots, tasseled satchel, iconic Aviators and Carelia’s wavy do with long fringe are further nods to hippie chic. And then there’s the jewellery, of course — a wooden necklade handmade in Belize and an YSL champaign bubble necklace — carefully selected to continue the effortless boho feel of it all. 

Be sure to visit My Small Wardrobe to browse the rest of Carelia’s colourful outfits, or check out her pinboards for more sartorial inspiration. But first let us know what you think about our blogger’s eye-catching Mum on the Go style.