Just when you thought skinny jeans were taking over the world, one incredibly form-fitting leg at a time, opposing counsel fights back with trousers so ridiculously wide that the FUBU designers are claiming copyright infringement. Resort designers all submitted their own interpretations, each leg wider than the next...


For the less adventurous, the cropped version is an easy way into the trend. Louis Vuitton and Sonia Rykiel both offered up khaki versions, and I like how it's been dressed up at Rykiel, with a pop of colour and not too much seriousness, although I like the structure and cuff on the LV ones.


An affordable option can be had at YesStyle for only US$30. There's a scene in Never Been Kissed where Drew Barrymore defends the dorkiness of her gaucho pants during her pre-makeover phase; it's amazing how times (and fashion) have changed. 


These black balloon pants are a different shape, but similar proportion, and me likey much better. Hm.


I don't know if anyone would dare wear the Chado Ralph Rucci trousers-cum-ball skirt on the right, but they're great in an abstract sense. Much more up my alley: the Malandrino pleated ones, styled perfectly with a metallic draped top. Pure class. They remind me of this Mango pair purchased and worn by the most adorable Chictopian ever, pictured below. Sigh. People always find the cutest things at Mango, and when I go look, all I see is weird hippy stuff in weird sizes.




In my opinion, it's even more difficult to find the perfect pair of wide-leg pants than it is to buy the perfect skinny jeans. Thinking about these YesStyle ones, but I fear they may be too casual... and lord, are there some styling woes in the gallery for these pants. But the pleating is quite lovely and subtle. I like wide-leg pants best when they teeter the line between skirt and pant, visually speaking, at least. Maybe I should try working the existing slouchy pants in my closet before investing in new ones.  Or just borrow FashionGeek's black cropped pair...  

For the budget conscious: get the look with Thailand pants, the pajama ones sold at every Thai night market/shopping bazaar for 199 baht that tie in the front and back and make it impossible to pee... If you sense I'm overusing the ellipsis in this post it's because I'm not sure, I'm in a shopping drought and beginning to hallucinate. One month of not shopping has completely changed my values and personal character... okay maybe I exaggerate, maybe not.