There’s a big storm headed for Nor Cal today! The weather goddesses are saying that we’ll be seeing an atmospheric river. YOWZA.
Well, there’s no way I’d wear these wide-leg Madewell Harlow pants during a downpour (imagine how wet the bottom parts would get, yikes), so yeah, this is what I wore to work yesterday, when things were still dry.
Anywho, I’ve seen a lot of people wear this wide-leg style of pants, and you know, I never realized this until I tried on this particular cut, but pants this voluminous seem to go very wrong very quickly on me, and I definitely need to make very strategic choices when I wear them. Otherwise I look like I’m drowning in fabric or like a kid playing dress up with someone else’s grown up clothes.
These are some styling tips that really help me as a petite person! Maybe you’ll find them useful, too.
1. Pairing the pants with the same color top for a monochromatic look
I’ve found that these types of tailored, wide-leg pants tend to have a higher rise, and when I wear a contrasting color on the top, I look shorter because there’s a stark visual break between the top and the pants.
Wearing one continuous color creates a longer, unbroken line from top to bottom and seems to elongate my body, so that I look taller and less like I’m swimming in the pants.
2. Choosing a shoe with a platform or a chunky sole
For some reason, wearing wide-leg pants with shoes with a chunky sole looks balanced to my eye. I think when I wear pant legs that are very wide, a shoe with a daintier profile gets lost in the fabric.
You could do a loafer with a chunky sole or something similar to what I’m wearing here, which is the platform version of Chuck Taylor All Stars. I really like the pop of the white at the bottom there. I think it adds a little freshness to the overall look.
3. Wearing a fitted top and a slim-fitting blazer or jacket
I think these pants look really good with a bodysuit and slim-fitting blazer. I’m wearing an old body suit from J. Crew that I got a couple years ago and a chambray blazer I bought recently from J. Crew factory. Side note: I feel like J. Crew and J. Crew factory jackets and blazers tend to run a little small.
Just for funsies, I tried the same top and pants with an oversized boyfriend cut blazer from Madewell. I feel like this in itself is a very specific type of look, but for my petite size, it’s hard to pull off. I feel like I’m wearing my grandpa’s jacket or something. LOL!
Don’t get me wrong; I love this blazer and wear it all the time. I think it looks better with a tighter-fitting jean, though. I wore it a few weeks ago with the Madwell Vintage Jean and I think it looked very balanced.
If you’re in Nor Cal today, stay safe! It’s supposed to be crazy out there.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen