In tribute to the late, great Yves Saint Laurent, today’s column will be devoted to the fabulously classic, tapered slack, an item that could be found in the wardrobe of any fashionista worth her weight in Manolos since the 60s, thanks to Mr. YSL. It all started with ‘Le Smoking’, a tuxedo ‘smoking suit’ engendered by the couturier’s in 1966, completely redefining the female silhouette and proving power-dressing wasn’t just for the boys. Catherine Deneuve, a famous wearer of Le Smoking, has been quoted as saying that the suit “really does make you feel different as a woman, it changes the gestures��?.

Finally, Brits have relinquished their beloved, skinny jeans in favour of the tapered, mannish trouser, the little sister of the classic, smoking suit pant, with a more exaggerated taper and turn-ups. Mannish trousers took centre-stage at the YSL Spring/Summer ’08 show, in cool grey and crisp white, and were reworked in heavier fabrics for the fashion house’s Fall/Winter collection. Models worked nonchalant, hands-in-pockets poses, in ballooning, cropped pants at Givenchy, and over at Calvin Klein, the look was slouchy and sporty, whilst designers at Todd Lynn and Lanvin stayed more faithful to the original ‘Le Smoking’, and favoured a slimmer leg on neat, cigarette pants. Biba offered something a little different: sheeny, striped slacks with matching jackets, and Loewe went luxe with buttery soft, suede palazzo pants, cuffed at the ankle.

As usual, trusty Topshop has come up with the goods, offering a very wearable, subtly tapered trouser for only £32 ($63), which would look great with a crisp white Oxford shirt and ballet pumps. If you want your trousers cropped and cuffed, look no further than ASOS, who stock a steely grey pair for a very palatable price, just £22 ($43). The palazzo pant is a comfy alternative – get yours at Next, £1665 ($3279) less than the Loewe version. If you’re nervous about wearing this tricky trend, why not opt for a more conservative, slightly tapered, cigarette pant? This French Connection pair (£70/$138) are a dead ringer for Lanvin.

Images courtesy of elleuk.com and The Telegraph.