Choosing Flared Trousers: 3 Essential Tips

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If you’ve ever tried on flares, looked in the mirror and felt like a costume was staring back at you, then this post is for you.

Flares, bell bottoms and even wide leg trousers are having a total moment in fall’s’70s-filled closet, but these shapely silhouettes can get a bad rap and scare even the most-seasoned stylista back into straight and skinny jeans. Like any trend, the secret to success is all about knowing your own style and body before you even get to the store.

• Petites may be wary of the fit cutting their look even shorter–not to mention the ramifications of tailoring.
• Our plus-sized babes may be suspicious of how the style will or won’t emphasize curvy thighs.
• And even if you’re blessed to be dang-near sample size, you’ve still got the concern of cheesy fabrics at play.

The most important thing to remember when shopping for the redux of a classic is that there’s never going to be one end-all, be-all.

Repeat after me: The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants isn’t real.

Some girls can pull off vintage, mixing it with modern counterparts, while others need to stick with pieces made in the last decade. Through no fault of yours, clothes were cut differently then.

1. Find the Right Fit

Thinner frames are gonna look better in pairs thinner through the leg, from skinny flares to dramatic bells. Curvy frames look better in wider legs, while tall girls can rock a lower rise and petites may want a higher rise to lengthen the look of their legs.

2. Choose Flattering Fabrics

A bold pattern might draw more attention to an area of the body you’d like to minimize. In this case, a dark denim with some stretch or a thick ponte knit can be just the thing. Thinner fabrics like jersey and lace work for warmer months, while corduroys and suedes suit the closets of colder seasons.

3. Go Your Own Way

Pairing your flares with pieces that reflect your own unique style are essential to keeping them from coming across corny. If you go all-out Penny Lane once in a blue moon, it’s going to look like a dress up. But if you work the bottoms in with tops already in your rotation, your flares will look like a fresh alternative to your standard jeans or trousers.

When your slim bottoms begin to feel a little too relaxed, it’s time to reach for these odes to the retro, in a shape and fabric tailored to Y-O-U.

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