Last week a reader asked:
I’d like to look good this Fall and Winter, but have so many questions! Are only straight leg or skinny pants in? If I’m not skinny, is it best to wear long sweaters or shirts with them?
Also, I can’t and never will be able to wear the high heels because of injuries to my feet in a car wreck–they’re just too painful! So would low-heeled riding boots or flats look good with the straight pants? If I wear flats with straight leg pants, do I wear dark hose?
Is it best to wear a wide belt with long sweaters and shirts? If so, is it worn snug and right at the waist, or a little below? As you can tell, I’m really confused and could use a lot of advice. By the way, I’m a newcomer and love your site!
Thank you for your great questions.
First off, straight leg and skinny pants will still be in for Fall. However, the wide leg trouser is quickly coming into play as well. I think my spring time, the skinny pants will be phased out though. Take advantage of this time to wear your skinny pants with a great pair of boots (pants tucked in). Riding boots are great too!
Be prepared to invest in a great fitting pair of wide leg trousers soon. They are just coming into style now and will be hot later in fall and right into winter.
You are actually pretty lucky. Flat shoes are very much in style right now. Ballet flats, slides, and low heeled boots specifically. You can wear these with both the skinny pants as well as the wide leg trousers. And if you are interested in the “leggings” trend, they may with worn with those as well.
You can definitely wear flats with skinny pants. Celebrities such as Mischa Barton and Halley Barry have been spotted wearing this trend. I would go with your instincts when it comes to hose. Personally, I would wear the light skin colored hose. But if you are wearing a very dark flat shoe, you may find it looks better with a darker hose. So try them out and see what you like best.
On to the tops:
It really depends on which way you’re not skinny. If you gain most of your weight in your stomach area, I would recommend long sweaters and shirts with skinny pants and bring definition to your waist with a wide belt. You want to put it right at the skinniest part of your waist. That will give the illusion of an hourglass figure.
If you gain weight in your butt and thighs (like me) the above mentioned can also work well. In that case you wouldn’t need to always wear your belts right at the waist, you could leave them a little looser and let them sit right below the waist. That will help balance things out.
You can wear a wide belt with just about anything. The sweaters and shirts don’t have to be especially long. Just about 5 or 6 inches from your belly button would probably be long enough. You can also wear a belt with dresses. I have a long “shirt dress” (which is like a button down shirt, only fitted and longer) and I just throw a belt on right at the waist for a very sleek, classic look.
I hope this answered all of your questions. If you or anyone else have more questions on this subject, please leave a comment or email me!