Happy “Pants” Giving!

Back in August I posted an article about the blue Oxford shirt. That piece received more feedback than most any of my other pieces. Everyone was either on the hunt for a blue Oxford shirt or putting their own shirt into a more prominent style rotation. This proves to me how important our core pieces are to us. This season I have been on a mission to present my clients with quick fixes to update their style without reinventing their entire wardrobe.

I think many women have found tops to be challenging this year, finding them either too prim or too risqué. So instead of spending my time and energy looking for items that were very hard to find, I started focusing on how to improve the tops women already owned. How does one do this? By focusing on the pieces we wear with our tops and looking for new silhouettes in that genre.

While pants come with their own challenges — the rise, the length, the way they fit across your hips and rear — they can also be a very comfortable solution in the colder months. My favorite style since late summer has been the wide-leg cropped pant — otherwise known as the culotte. This is the style I have been introducing to many of my clients. Working with a stylist often means you will have new pieces introduced to you that you would not otherwise entertain. Thankfully, my ladies were all willing to give me my day in style court to prove my case! The results have been extremely favorable. Imagine putting on a pant that isn’t called a “skinny” and immediately appreciating the comfort factor. My favorite versions are designed in a Ponte fabric, which gives where you may need it to give while providing warmth and a flawless finish.

The key to making these pants work is to have them hemmed above your ankle but lower than the widest part of your calf. There is definitely a sweet spot that makes them work on nearly everyone but this should be taken into account when you try them on. The wide-leg crop may not be what you thought you needed this fall and winter, but if you are having trouble in other areas (i.e., tops and sweaters), it may be time to explore the wide world of pants!

Style tips…

I usually prefer this style pant with a block heel or a classic stiletto, however shoes can go in a variety of directions once these have become a frequent part of your rotation. The heel just helps keep the the length in the silhouette, which is helpful for women who have been generally wearing skinnies. Take a look at some of the images styled below and you’ll see them styled with items you may already own…only the look is entirely updated!

About the author
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Alicia McCaslin

Stylist | The Tulle Box

http://www.thetullebox.net/

aliciamccaslin@me.com

Alicia was born and raised in Alexandria, and married a local boy. She is happily married and the mother of two amazing children and one adorable and terribly smart border terrier named Dixie. Alicia has always known she was a creative. She collected editions of Vogue from junior high on and has always loved clothing and design. She studied interior design at VCU and parlayed that degree into commercial interior design, the web design, and ultimately found herself managing a local boutique and serving as a stylist to many Alexandrian women. She now has a successful full-time styling business, The Tulle Box, and makes it her business to make her clients feel great about themselves and the way they look.