Flared and boot-cut trousers are a wardrobe staple that can be a miracle worker if you want to achieve a visually thinner figure.
A pair of flared or boot-cut jeans, when paired with medium-to-high heels, is a must-wear for flattering your silhouette and getting a taller-looking figure. Since the heel remains hidden, you can wear shoes with a heel as high as you want without worrying about any disproportion between heel and legs, thus achieving the pleasant outcome of longer and leaner legs.
Interestingly enough, flared and bootcut trousers can also have a slimming outcome with low heels, but only if they are properly hemmed.
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On the left: Fashion Union tailored wide-leg trouser (asos.com) – On the right: Band of Stage flare pants (asos.com)
As we mentioned in a previous post, hemming your pants at the most appropriate height is a must to achieve an impeccable outcome, and this is particularly true with flared/bootcut jeans, as a wide trouser that flutters at half-height not only is the opposite of chic, it will make your legs look shorter as well.
This is the only drawback of this versatile garment.
Unlike straight jeans, which – if properly hemmed at the ankle – can be worn with any kind of shoes, this doesn’t happen with flared/boot-cut pants.
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If you adjust the hem of your flared jeans for high-heeled shoes, you can’t wear the same garment for low-heeled ones, because this would create unpleasant folds that widen the lower leg.
Similarly, flared trousers with a hem adjusted for low-heeled shoes will look horrible with heels, because of the hem-fluttering effect mentioned above. Instead of creating an uninterrupted vertical line that slims your silhouette, this will cut your figure shorter.
The correct height?
Long enough to cover the heel but no longer, as in the picture below.
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Also, the width of the trousers is another essential feature to consider when purchasing new items.
Generally speaking, too-wide patterns are to be avoided; otherwise, the effect will just be the opposite, as this will have the unpleasant outcome of widening your whole leg. The pants should be quite formfitting around your upper leg, remaining looser from the knee on.
Now as per the width of the lower part itself, here again, your choice should depend on the height of the heel.
Usually, flared styles (wider at the bottom) are the most appropriate choice for heels, whereas boot-cut patterns are the most suitable choice for low-heeled shoes.
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Keep in mint that boot-cut or flared jeans are also the perfect trousers to wear with ankle boots, as they allow you to hide your ankle boots under the pants, thus creating a vertical line that stretches your figure out – avoiding the figure-breaking effect that ankle boots can sometimes have.
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As per the choice of the most appropriate pairings with other garments, be aware of the following:
- Avoid pairing your flared trousers with too wide sweaters: wide jumpers are totally suitable for pairings with skinny jeans, as they balance the extra-tight effect, but when paired with wider pants, they can enlarge your figure.
- Similarly, avoid extra-long tops that would visually elongate your upper body making your legs appear shorter by contrast.
- The perfect pairing usually is a shirt or a sweater soft enough fo follow your forms without hiding them.
- A formfitting turtleneck can also have a very polished and flattering outcome.
These rules apply to all body types: even if fluttering, extra-wide trousers are in fashion, remember that this won’t make you chic or slimmer. If you want to look polished and feel attractive, just follow your style, and you will be gorgeous no matter the trends.
And if you long for some super stylish garment, opt instead for a skirt of the latest trend: as explained in this post, whimsy and trendy skirts are one of the easiest garments to make use of when you want to have fun with trendy patterns, prints, and colors in quite a foolproof way.
