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WIB: EDIT more stylings! MC Hammer called... he's not getting his pants back..

Deborah

Veteran

Hi Fabbers,

There is a drawn out thought process to this purchase but I will add that at the end for those who are interested:)

Was pleasantly surprised to get a delivery card from the post office today. I wasn't expecting these harem pants for another week.

DISCLAIMER: This pics are NOT styled. It's very hot and I just popped on some shoe options and toppers to get a general idea. Top is pulled up so you can see the pants. I anticipate wearing tops lower over my tummy. I think I look like Im carrying a Joey in my pouch LOL.

#1 & #2 thrown on with a simple lack top, no footwear
#3 Worn with the leg pulled up higher.
#4 With new wool vest (purchased for winter, should summer E V E R end:) & booties.
#5 Grey and black oversized topper & booties
#6 With my favourite sandals (A gift from DG at Xmas)
#7 With black blazer

EDIT: added photos 8-12 with a little more effort on styling and proportions.
Sorry about pics, camera wouldn't play nice:). And please imagine correct footwear, I didn't have the energy for shoes as wellx

So! possibly the worst style of pants for an Adorable Apple but I feel very confident with some time to play around with styling these will work well in my wardrobe.

They are a heavy weight tshirt type fabric and will be quite transeasonal. I see them with ankle and calf boots for winter.

The story behind the purchase:

As I have mentioned on a previous post I am besotted with the Eileen Fisher harem pants. I would love to buy both the low drop crotch version (like these) and the mid drop crotch (the ones Una purchased recently) version, but my budget at this time will only allow one and I feel the ones Una bought are going to be most versatile for me. SO... in my lengthy searches for harem pants options I found these online through an Ebay seller. They are inexpensive and the low drop crotch was the design I was unsure of, so I figured this was a good way to try it out. Not much money lost if they don't work. And if they do work, and I decide that they would be a long term wardrobe item, then they will be a bit of a placeholder until I can afford the EF ones.

Love to know your thoughts. Am I deluded? Seduced by my love of this style? Topper suggestions would be appreciated too.

Thanks for taking a look.

BTW in my lengthy searches for harem pants, the EF ones came up trumps. There is nothing out there (that I found) that topped them:)

xxx Deborah

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Shopping

52 replies

Latest reply was from Deborah

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

Okay as you may have noticed I am not fashion forward at all, so please take this with a grain of salt. I love your tops, and your hair looks great, but I think harem pants tend to make people look kind of deformed. I have no idea how this style could ever be flattering to anyone. This is nothing against you....just against harem pants in general. I am curious to see what the more fashion forward people think though! Kudos for being adventurous.

Deborah

Veteran

petitesanonymous, I appreciate your opinion. My sister calls this style of pants "diaper pants", she hates them. Conventional figure flattery in this instance is not my main priority, and as you say, its fun to try new things:)

catgirl

Veteran

PA, here's a link to the one of the Eileen Fisher pairs Deborah refers to that I bought (my pics are halfway down) - see what you think.

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nts-review

And Deborah, I am going to suggest that you just splurge on the EFs. There is NO QUESTION you will love them and you will not be happy with substitutes. They are cut differently than other harem pants - they are more square across in the crotch than sagging/curved, which helps avoid the full diaper look if that makes sense.

These look more ballooned than draped somehow - maybe a little alteration could tweak the look?

Deborah

Veteran

Thanks Una. Thanks for linking to the EF ones. These are also in need of a good press, I wonder if that would make a difference. No loss tho, they can easily be lounge wear for around the house

catgirl

Veteran

I think the last looks are actually quite appealing - but it's hard to tell because I think this style is better in action and also when it resembles a skirt in proportion. Can't wait to see what others have to say!

Lyn D.

Veteran

They almost look like a dress with leggings in the pics Deborah.
The front-on photo is probably them at their most unflattering angle and IRL would look different.
I am going to check out AG's link to compare the two.

Deborah

Veteran

Thanks Lyn and Una, you are both very gracious:) I think I will put some time aside tomorrow to put one or two proper outfits together and repost.

shoppingisfun

(website)

Veteran

@alaskagirl, I am LOLing at "the full diaper look".

Personally I like a more subtle "crotch drop" better, but then again I don't really understand the style in general, so don't take my word for it.

Lyn D.

Veteran

Right- Una's look more like pants to me, and less like a dress.
They end higher on the leg.
You seem to be after the longer crotch anyway, so these are a good start.
Playing around with styling and wearing will give you a good feel for whether you splurge on the others or not.
I think you can definitely 'pull them off" (but please keep them on :o)

Deborah

Veteran

Thanks Lyn. It's the more mid drop crotch that I will splurge on initially:). It might just be that this lower drop is not ideal for a short apple;)

rabbit

Veteran

Ha! I love them. I like no. 4 the best of the trial looks, it almost looks like your sleeveless top/vest is a mirror image of the pants, which is interesting and balanced (to my subjective eye). Also I think the higher shoes help the leg shortening effect (as does the pants legs pulled down).

I like the longer jackets/vests because they break up and narrow the middle line of where the pants meet a roomy top.

I lived in India for a short time and wore salwar kameez daily. There are various styles of pants under a long tunic top, but my favorite was the kind with dropped crotch (still hidden by the top though), that gathered tightly in around the calves and ankles. Often the tunics were somewhat narrow or a-line and had bodice detailing which sometimes gave the effect of an empire waist.

I'm not suggesting a copy of this look, but it might be interesting to look at the tops in terms of proportions and how they work with really roomy or drop-crotched bottoms in case that sparks any ideas.

LAR101

I love #4 and then #5 a very close second. Can't quite tell why not so much #7.
I notice details and in both photos 4&5, the bottom of the pants forms an arch or triangle, which to my eye keeps a long line. When the bottom of the pants looks more like a rectangle, my eye sees a horizontal line - my brain sees this mirroring the horizontal line of the neck & shoulder. I think others have had the opposite impression and see the horizontal line more like a fluid dress.

Others have made great observations about movement, shoe height and the line of the vest in #4. Debra I think you have such a fantastic style sense, that if anyone can style this beautifully, it will be you.

Debra

Veteran

I think they look great 4 and 5 super, I am looking forward to seeing what you come up with when you really try

Deborah

Veteran

LAR101, thanks so much for the kind encouragement. I looked at the photsos again and realised I was standing in a manner to show the overal shape of the pants..rather than standing naturally lol. The jacket is the wrong cut. I think it needs to be shorter and more shaped. Off to have a play.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

Hmmm, I returned my EF harem pants. Which I show in this thread:
http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....harenpants

It's not that I didn't like them, they arrived with white spots which bugged me at full price. I was expecting to get another pair but found these instead which were from Urban Outfitters at a fraction of the price.

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com.....CH+RESULTS

Shown here:

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ropped-top

Lately I'm all about "look for less." So my bias is to keep those. I think since they are black they are forgiving, you are not going to notice the imperfections of value garments as much as other colors. Similarly, I think white hides sins of quality.

So -- I think they are great and I am happy that the harem party is growing … ehem. Jokes (lame jokes) aside they are chic and comfortable and I love the way they defy conventional figure flattery.

ETA -- And I have no criticisms of your outfits, they all look super cool to me. I do think these are an acquired taste. The first time I saw people wearing these was in 2006 in LA and I thought they were the ugliest thing ever. They were more rigid and had a very dramatic drop crotch. Anyway they took me some time to grow to like. Now they tend to be made out of drapey fabrics so I like that better. Shevia says they are quite ordinary and not seen as avant garde in Israel.

lyn67

Veteran

Aren't they a little too short? I'm a bit controversial on these as I love them from front but don't really like them from side in nr.2 as if it has caught too much air in between the parts and pouches out there on the low crotch. BUT I die to see them propperly styled(I love nr 4 the best here). They are very edgy, and can really fit your style, and I also can understand feelin' them uber comfy!:-)

I don't know if you saw Deja Pseu's post so you can check it for further refference: http://unefemme.net/2013/09/oh-yes-she-did.html

jenanded

Veteran

These look pretty good. I got the ef ones last year a b d wear them a lot, esp to go out. For summer I wear mine with a white witchery top that has chiffon at top and linen below.... I love your styling here but mentioning hot made me think to mention. Mela Purdie has some in the winter range just released... I like how she styled them with stripe top and tux style jacket if you are looking for more ideas. These will really work for you I think. Well done. Jx

Deborah

Veteran

Denise thank you. Perhaps these UO ones are an option for me. Nice leg line and mid drop crotch like the EF ones I am considering. I might PM you some specific questions re sizing etc if you don't mind.

Thank Jen. I loved your on you. Will check out MP. We have a store that carries their range here...thank you.

gryffin

Veteran

Deborah. - I think these are adorable and so much fun. I love them with a vest and jacket best. Although I am sure you'll surprise me with dome awesome top pairings!! I am very taken with this style and am still considering a pair. I think you'll really enjoy them!!

Anonymous

Hmmm.. Deb, you know, I do really love the idea of some harem pants for you but photo #1 does put me a little off these ones. I find the very low square across effect with the crotch a little strange, for some reason they look a lot better in #4 and #5, perhaps they are pulled up a little?, but take my opinion with a very large grain of salt as I know you can rock these more avant guarde looks. I do however love the look of the ones Una linked to at the top of this thread, but they are perhaps not so avant guarde.

Anonymous

Ahh, just saw the extra photos and I do like them more now. #10 and #12 are great.

Lantana

Veteran

I think you need to keep these and play with them in readiness for your EF's.
I like the look now that I have become accustomed to it. French design team Amalthee, whom I may have mentioned to you before, make a similar item which they call a sarouel. Worth checking out their site to see the tops they pair them with.
That to me is the tricky part. I like the above looks best where the top is black, plain and fluid. I feel the pants make a strong statement and the top needs to be a support act

Anonymous

I am not a fan of these particular ones. I like them a lot better how you have styled them, but they seem cut to be extra voluminous and the EF ones and others I have seen are sleeker.

I am loving seeing you experimenting with new silhouettes and shapes -- I really hope you hit on something you love.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I think this can be a fun and fashion-forward look, and I love fun and fashion-forward looks! What gives me pause with these is the bottom of the pant leg. Does is have a band like the EF and UO ones do? In the pics it looks like there is no band, it just ends with a hem. It could just be the photos, though. I would also like to see these a tad shorter - they look to me like they are almost full length on you.
I'd like to see how you style these when you have more time. I'm sure with your styling expertise, you'l make them look brilliant.
I bought the Leith track pants last year and I wore them every chance I could, so I think this style of pant is next on my list.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Well I like them when styled, especially #4,7,9 and 11. I think in the first few pictures you are standing with your legs apart and it isn't a natural pose, which throws the whole look off. Also my eyes are probably a lot more accustomed to the look of these than others here as they are a traditional style in this part of the world.

With that said, I can see where the legs look uneven, which may be just your stance, so I'm not sure about the quality or how they seem in person. But in principle, I think this style is great for you!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I find the conversation so interesting here. I have no problem whatsoever with these for your style -- they look like a slam-dunk to me. Maybe not this particular pair -- if the quality issues are going to bother you. But harem pants of some kind are a necessity for you! I don't view them as unflattering, either. Okay, so these ones might not be your absolutely ideal pair, but that doesn't mean they don't work or that you can't have fun with them until the dream pair comes along.

Now, being me, I far prefer 4 and 7. It's partly for the reasons rabbit suggests -- the jackets, with structure at the shoulder, mimic the shape of the pants and create a balanced silhouette that is appealing. Also, the juxtaposition of the structure with the drape is interesting. And, well, being me, I just like a bit of structure, LOL.

Sarah A

Veteran

I think these look like a ton of fun for you to play with while trying to decide about the EF ones. My faves that you have shown are 3, 4, 7 & 10. I will be investigating the UO ones Cocolion posted so i appreciate you getting the conversation flowing

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

I think harem pants are a natural progression for your style Deb - they completely suit your love of drape and avant garde. I think the way you are standing with your feet apart in certain pics doesn't do the pants or you justice as it shows all the fabric in its "balloon-y glory" but really...nobody stands that way IRL. Styled with your beautiful pieces and fab footwear, I think they look lovely. Do I think the EF version would be better? Yep. But I understand the need for budget friendly purchases and I think these will work well.

Grey Rainbow

I love all of these looks! YLF even in the relatatively un-styled pics. But then I am a devotee of the Eileen fisher harem pants. Got last year's version with the more extreme drop crotch -- like the ones you're picturing here. Yours are not too short -- mine fit the same -- they will look wonderful with booties, sandals, and scrunched up to knees with tall boots (cool bubble skirt look). The Eileen Fisher YouTube channel has video with some styling ideas also. I think these are so you, so chic and avante garde without shouting about it. A must keep!

And, seconding Alaskagirl, seriously consider a splurge for the EF originals. The quality is superb. Wash and wear and wear and wear, stuff in a suitcase, they look like new. AND splurge on this year's model, with the not-so-extreme dropped crotch. Delightfully versatile and that same superior quality. So YOU!

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