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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

Rediscovering Flares

MsLuna

Veteran

Hi everyone!

It's been a while! I've been going through a really rough career/emotional transition within the last year, which is why I haven't been posting much. I've just kind of been lurking around and keeping myself posted on those of you who are my Pinterest friends

This conversation is sparked by Rae's most recent post in which she's wearing flared pants. I rediscovered them a few months ago, and have been wearing them religiously since then. Flares have become my introduction back into the pants world. Since 2009, I only wore dresses and tunic/leggings combination because I've been self-conscious about the muffin top they produce and because of my wide waistline. When I discovered the American Eagle Outfitters Artist Flare, I realized that I CAN wear pants, and that perhaps with a few alterations (ones that can fit my wide waist and my slim hips), I can make pants work on me.

Are flared pants usually a trend item? Pant legs seem to widen and slim down by the minute these days, and I'm unable to keep up. I'm trying to work the flares into my personal style without looking too "stuck in the 70's" or in my case, "stuck in the 90's" (lol)

For wide-waisted, flare-wearing gals like myself - what kind of tops do you wear with your flares? I tried tucking and semi-tucking and both styles were just flat out unflattering! I cannot wear slim-fitting shirts as they emphasize the tiny muffin top my flares give me (and I'm VERY picky with fit), but I find that drapey cowl necks and dolman sleeve/kimono tops work best. Where do you end your tops?

Thanks guys, and it's good to be back!

Dressing

17 replies

Latest reply was from Jaime

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I expect leg shapes to start loosening up, since we've seen skinnies as the dominant style for a few years now. I'm game for that, but I usually don't care for really wide legs, or extreme flares that hug the thighs and knees and then flare out (really unflattering on me). Right now I'm quite attracted to "baby boot" cuts -- slight flares with about a 16-17" leg opening.

My body type is the opposite of yours -- narrower waist and big hips and thighs -- so I'll let someone else chime in on that.

MsLuna

Veteran

Hi Janet!

I've seen the flare trend happen within the last year or so. So far, when looking at the Spring 2014 Fashion Week photos, I've been seeing narrow legs. Makes me a bit sad

I'm not so keen about super slim flares that are skintight on the knees then flare out either. The American Eagle Artist jeans I have skim the upper leg/hip curves, yet don't completely hug them. They don't go too skinny on the knees otherwise, I won't be wearing them either (I have skinny knees).

I've seen the baby bootcuts, and I feel that those are quite flattering on many body types. I could see that for your body type, that style would be quite balancing. Do you find that the boot is a bit pronounced, or do they seem more like straight legs to you? For some reason, those styles look more like an odd mix of straight legs and boots to me, so I'm not often super keen on the shape.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Still LOTS of narrow legs on this third day of Spring 2014 fashion week. The silhouette is too practical to dissappear. It is mainstream forever. Remember that straight leg jeans are truly iconic. The very first pair of jeans were this style.

The most important thing that is changing in fashion are the fits - looseness, which we saw come through in Feb for Fall 2013 already - is key. Lots, and lots of fluidity in garments. MOVEMENT is what it's all about. It's not necessarily about oversized and boxy - although there is a lot of that too in both soft and stiff fabrications - we're talking drape and fluidity.

So Ms. Katie, wear your bootcuts and flares with pride. You need to wear drapey tops with fluidity and semi-tuck those tops with a belt. That's how to counter balance the muffin top. And choose soft knits with welts at the waist to blousson the look.

I'm all over my bootcut trousers at the moment. Perhaps you saw this post:

http://youlookfab.com/2013/09/03/yellow-jacket/

And I'm wearing bootcut trousers again today. (And yesterday for that matter).

Gaylene

Veteran

Slim hips--check, wide waist--check, prefer boot cuts to skinnies--check, hate even a hint of muffin top--YES! You've just described my pant personality to a T.

What I've found that works for me is to be very picky about the pants I buy. My best bet is usually a medium-rise baby-boot or straight-leg from company that cuts for a rectangle figure, like J Crew. I've also found some slouchy, tapered styles can work as long as the fabric is soft enough to drape nicely on the hip. On a couple of occasions, I've also taken in the side seams on trousers that fit in the waist to eliminate the extra fabric in the hip area.

I've found that tops with a straightish, skimming cut work better than shaped ones and banded hemlines on blouses and sweaters are generally flattering because I can adjust the band to sit at the narrowest part of my hips. Curved hemlines on untucked shirts look good as long as the length extends below my hip bones as do longer, draped tops that skim over my middle and end up jin the same area. And you are right that most dolman sleeve tops can also be quite flattering.

My worst enemies are blouses that are shaped through the middle, form-fitting T's and sweaters, and tops that hit above my hip bones or at the waist. I generally avoid tucking, but I've also figured out that Angie's faux tuck works quite well if I want to show off a belt. I just pull up the center front so it sort of sits on the exposed belt buckle and then drape the sides so they form a diagonal line on either side of the centre; the faux tuck took a bit of fiddling, but, once I figured it out, it works like a charm and I can even do it with some non-banded T-shirts.
http://youlookfab.com/2012/11/.....and-cream/

If you come up with any other tricks, I'd certainly be interested in them.

MsLuna

Veteran

@Angie - Yes! I've been looking at fashion week photos at style.com and I'm still seeing narrow legs! Lucky for me, though, I LOVE narrow legs. You are right - there is a practicality to them and I exclusively wear them (tucked in boots) during the winter season. So I'll definitely be keeping all my narrow-legged styles

I have not actually tried fluid/draped garments, semi-tucked with my flares. I've only tried on this Gap shirt which was too long and I had altered an inch or two below the hip bone. I have yet to try drapier tops with a semi-tuck though so I'll really look into that. Express currently has a sale on their Portofino shirts, so I'll probably head over there soon and try the look.

I also noticed that the way you semi-tuck looks different from the other semi-tucked styles I've seen. It looks a lot more flattering! I'm probably going to look back at your pants outfits and see how you do the semi-tuck!

Thank you sooo much for the advice Angie! And I am not surprised about you wearing bootcuts again! There's a certain polish to them and they are so comfortable (at least to me) as well!

@Gaylene - Wow, it's always good reading advice from someone of a similar body type! I had no clue that JCrew cuts for a rectangle body type. I often never set in the store because the style is too classic for me (I like a bit of roughness/edge), but I'll go ahead and try their pants out anyway. I've also found a really good tailor, so now I have somewhere to take in my pants when they are too loose on the hips.

I'm with you on the banded tops - they seem to work on me! Currently I have a dolman sleeve top that doesn't have too much volume and they work beautifully with the flares. As for straight-ish tops, I have to be careful with them sometimes because I'm quite busty and some of them just drape straight down. I think they need to be of flowier fabrications for it to work.

What about jackets/blazers? What do you find works for you? I found that jackets that are tailored/shaped and hit a couple inches below my hip bone works. And being an inverted triangle type, I seem to do well with shaped jackets as it makes my wider waist look narrower (yay to the broad shoulder line!). I've also tried drapier jackets, and for some odd reason, they still work well with the flares!

Gaylene

Veteran

Exactly the same for me when it comes to jackets--not too long, but definitely shaped, especially with curved, vertical shaping in the back which gives me an instant waist. I'm finding some of this season's jackets that incorporate a stretchy side panel to be really flattering because I can get a close fit without feeling constricted in the waist area.

Drapier jackets and sweaters can work for me if the cut includes some kind of side and back shaping to keep things from getting too boxy. I generally try to stay away from longer, boxy shapes because they can make me look like a square on stilts when I wear them with my narrow-legged pants. Any kind of drapey jacket or top with a self-tie belt also looks really bad. But bomber-style, scuba-style, and moto-style jackets generally look good because I don't mind emphasizing my strong shoulder line.

And, while J Crew can be a bit too preppy for my tastes, I find many of their pant styles to be basic enough to work with other styles. Some of the pant cuts in BR can also work for an IT shape. I think that stores like JC, BR, and AE that cut for a younger figure often work better for an IT shape. If you go by the sizing charts, most womens' stores seem to cut their pants for for a pear or hourglass shape, while many of the outlets geared to a younger clientele seem to cut for a rectangle or IT shape.

MsLuna

Veteran

@Gaylene

With regards to draped jackets, what works are draped jackets that have some fitted/tailoring in the back/sides and are drapey in the front. Boxy styles don't work very well for me either though when wearing skinnies/jeggings tucked over boots, I find that oval-shaped tunic-length jackets work best. For some reason, I just can't do boxy at all - it has to be semi-fitted, oval-shaped (for long jackets) or draped.

JCrew and BR would definitely be a good place for pants basics. For BR, the Sloan fit works best on me due to the lower waist and the stretch. I found that I wear the sloans 1-2 sizes lower than my normal size.

On AE, I find that the Super stretch variety works best for me. It hugs the curves well and its not terribly uncomfortable and cuts through the belly. The Artist jeans are an exception, though because I think their fit is slightly more relaxed than most. I really want to give their Favourite Boyfriend jeans a try though, since it's a relaxed flared look. Too bad I'll need to get it online!

Anonymous

You are describing me to a "t" so I am taking notes!

Reegarding the AE favorite boyfriend ... I have the AE slim boot in a size 8 and the skinny in a size 10 (so it is not a skinny - more of a straight). I ordered the 6 in the boyfriend and it was sooooo close to being perfect! When I went to return them they ordered the size 8 for me - shipped to my house at the sale price.

I hit a 40% off sale so they were about $24. The fit reminded me of an old pair of Lucky jeans that I literally wore out. I really hope the 8 isn't too big.

I have found that at American Eagle you have to try on all of the different washes to get a fit you love. The skinnies I have are just about perfect for me in the wash I have, but the darker color with polyester don't move with me as nicely. They are definitely body con and I don't like that.

One question...I have a talented seamstress, but I am having a hard time communicating with her. If I want the hips taken in, but the waist left alone where does she make the adjustments? Where the pants hit the hips?

Peri

Veteran

Wow, I'm joining this club too. You've described my figure quite well!

I'm marking this post as favorite so I can keep track of it. Lets keep posting pants successes so we can all find the pants we need!

Gaylene

Veteran

If you lay a pair of pants out on a flat surface, you can often see an outward curve that starts just below the waistband and ends just below the hip. The purpose is to provide enough fabric to fit the hip area for an hourglass or pear-shaped figure. The curve will be most noticeable on a pair of pants with a higher rise because the waistband is sized to fit near the natural waist. On a pair of low-rise pants, the curve might be non-existent because the waistband would be sized to fit directly at, or near, the fullest part of the hip.

If you try on a pair of pants that fit in the waist, but have a jodhpur-look on the hips, that is the extra fabric that you want removed. You want your seamstress to pin the pants along your hips, starting below the waistband and ending just below the hip area, thereby eliminating the extra fabric in the hip area. Unless the pants have a complicated hip or pocket design, it is usually a much easier fix than trying to let out the waistband to fit a larger waist.

Gaylene

Veteran

Because most of us IT's don't tuck, and, if you can get past the vaguely maternity-looking band, I'd recommend trying a Jag pull-on jean. They are super comfortable and are very flattering on a slim hip--but, best of all, they give me a very sleek, no muffin-top look under my closest fitting tops.

I've got both the Malia, which is a slim leg and the Peri (how's that for a weird coincidence? ) which is a straight leg. They are my wear-everyday-around-the-house jeans, my sitting-in-an-airplane for 10-15 hours jeans, and my going-out-for-Thanksgiving/Christmas-dinner jeans. And a quick trip through the laundry after half a dozen wears nicely takes care of any bagging at the knees. Angie had the Malia as one of her NAS picks a year ago. Hourglasses and pretty pears sometimes find the pull-on too much of a struggle to get over the hip area, but that's never been an issue for my IT shape. Size down and you'll get a sleek jean that fits like a sweatpant in the waist.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ja.....onalizedso
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ja.....origin=cat

Anonymous

Gaylene - thank you so much for the insight. I laid out 2 pairs of ponte pants and 1 pair I can definitely see where someone else's hips would go

The other pair I just received from Eddie Bauer and I don't see where the hips would go. I love the look of them so I might try to see if I can find tops that flatter.

I love the idea of the jag pull on jeans, but they didn't work for me. I don't mind the maternity band at all. I do have a really long rise, but anything that tries to girdle me too high causes enormous amounts of pain in my stomach. Peri - I think you have mentioned this too.

It has gotten better since I found the supplement HCL, but occasionally I have issues. I think that is why AE jeans are ok. I do wish they had a higher rise in the back.

Peri

Veteran

That's funny...I didn't know I had my own jeans!

Mtgirl, what a memory! Yes, I don't like to be squeezed...anywhere!

I'm not really in the market for jeans. I am seriously in the market for black trousers with some stretch and a loose, comfy fit that would still manage to look sleek and flattering, flare to hide my shoes and be machine washable. Yeah, I'm easy to please.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Lots of great info on this thread. Ms. Katie, I bet you're thrilled. And thanks for the kind words.

Furthermore, I FAUX tuck my tops, and do not semi tuck. You need a welt on the tops in order to showcase part of the belt when you faux tuck. I find the visual effect much neater, so that's the way I do it for my style. Or I fully tuck my tops. Does that make sense?

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rae

(website)

Veteran

Looks like the tops question is covered, but I'm glad you are enjoying flares! Revolution! lol

MsLuna

Veteran

Wow! I am amazed that there's so much information here for flare-wearing IT's! THANKS LADIES!

@Angie when you talk about the welt on your top, are you talking about the band at the hem? I noticed that in both the photos you showed us.

@Gaylene I tried a pair of JAGS before but didn't like the bootcuts very much. That was all that's available at Winners/Marshall's at the time. I really want to try on the slimmer legs as I don't tuck them most of the time.

@mtgirl what Gaylene said you want to make sure you fit the proportionally larger part of your body. In my case, it's the waist. Then the seamstress can pinch/take in the side seams of the hips.

As for AE jeans - I wear size 8 in everything though the skinnies look more like straight legs to me. I just purchased the jeggings and after a day of wear I don't get knee-bagging (my biggest pet peeve). I love these jeans and you're right about trying different washes! Personally, I ONLY wear the super stretch fabric variety unless they're the artist jeans.

Ladies thanks so much for answering my questions!!!!

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I need to reread this thread when I have had another cup of coffee. Gaylene you could have been describing me, and more clearly than I would have managed. Thank you!