I already posted my simple goals for 2019 but figured I could stand to think a bit more about what didn't work in 2018. For 2018 goals, I'd written down a goal of varying my bottoms. I was tired of dark skinnies all winter. I achieved this goal as far as jeans go. I added silhouettes (bootcut, straight) and colors (white, olive). I realized that non-neutral colored jeans and pants aren't for me, by and large. I am also experimenting with adding corduroys, which I'd never loved before but am feeling more open to now.

That said, I also bought two pairs of bootcut trousers in my preferred neutrals of black and navy. They've been waiting for MONTHS to go to the tailor, because they're too long. They don't graze the ground, but they break awkwardly over my shoes; I think I like how bootcut jeans look with shoes better, due to the stiffer fabric. I keep prioritizing other items, but I thought I needed these, and it seems I don't. Yet! I still think I want non-jean pants options. And I would probably wear these if I could just bring them to the darn tailor (pun intended).

I also feel like I should have things like this in my wardrobe, but that may be more because of old fashioned ideas along the lines of "20 things every woman must own." Since my office is casual, maybe I just prefer to wear jeans that are dressed up a bit with nice tops and sweaters. I also have cropped ankle trousers that I'm not wearing (turquoise and grey with blue dots, also below.) I chalk that up to the colors, since I've always liked ankle pants.

I'm including Finds of examples of other non-jean pants that have worked for me here, just so you all get a sense of what I will wear:

-The corduroys also need to go to the tailor, but that hasn't happened yet more due to the holidays and travel than anything else. I'm going to tailor those first and then figure out about the trousers. I think I will wear the cords once I bring them to the tailor, which I will do this week.

-The velvet "jeans" are nice and I'll keep wearing them even after the holidays. I've thought of adding black velvet pants I tried on at AT, and they looked good, but then I thought of all these trouser orphans. The difference with the AT pants is that they're my more usual slimmer pants silhouette and don't need hemming.

-The cropped ponte pants are from last year and are very comfy. I had another pair in burgundy that I passed on, though, since it wasn't a rich enough burgundy and the lighter color in that fabric showed more of my imperfections, if that makes sense. I like how these are cropped, which is good for wet days, and the black smooths out the imperfections.

Should I tailor the trousers, or would that be throwing good money after bad? Should I just accept that I'm not a trouser person? Should I split the difference, keep the black ones for dressier occasions, and let the blue ones go? (NB: This is mostly a winter problem; I have a number of lightweight non-jean pants that I like for summer, mostly cropped.)

ETA - here are the black pants. I am thinking I need to hem them one inch, but hope for Angie and others to chime in. FWIW, I think I will want to keep these even if they end up part of my dressy capsule rather than my day-to-day one. If they end up part of the latter, I'll then consider hemming the navy ones.

This post has 4 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.