Hi guys, I just ‘rediscovered’ high-waisted flared jeans and wanted to share a few quick snaps with you. What’s the great deal about them? First of all, they are still a thing. Second, while brand images make things look effortless, well, it’s not always the case, especially for petites like me. So, this is about how to style high-waist flares best. And, as you’ll see in the blurries below, I fooled around in my jeans to give an honest view of what they really look and feel like on.
Why should you give high-waist flares a go?
For one, flares are a key part of the greatest Seventies revival in history. Which means, even the high street offers a huge choice. This is the time to find the colour, the cut, the length and the detailing that works best for you, at a great price. Then, it’s a real style statement, and a chic, sleek, confident and glamorous one at that. Finally, with the right cut (and the right shoes to wear with), they mean endless legs for all.
How to get the right fit
High-waist denim should hug the waist and hips quite closely. Part of my discovery is, these days, it’s actually not impossible to feel comfortable with that. I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like in the real Seventies, the dark times before Lycra. For normal people, it must have been quite the cardio session every morning to squeeze their waist into the jeans that would look good on their butts.
Next, they should not be skin-tight on the thighs. They should skim your figure naturally. We’re talking jeans, so they don’t need to be as loose as palazzo pants (unless the fabric is ultra-light chambray). They should allow for some movement, depending on the exact cut, on whether it means to accentuate your whole derrière, or just your hips.
Finally, the length. Now, some girls are free to decide how they wear their flares. If you are tall or have long legs, flares will look nicely proportioned with flat shoes, but petites like me should normally stick with mid-heels or platforms. However, if the jeans are not particularly long and are slim enough to elongate your body, a pair of slightly raised flats are a great alternative to heels. After all, I would hate to be forced to always wear heels just because I’m petite. In the pics, I wore white backless flat loafers just because I was stuck at home. It’s easy to see why I won’t pair the long flares with these shoes to go out.
Styling high-waist flares: tuck-in required
When wearing high waist denim, you mean to show it. There’s no alternative, your top must be tucked in. For a beach vibe, you can wear something snug like a swimsuit, a bodysuit or a glam halterneck. But when it comes to city sleek, you need a loose or a cleverly cut slim shirt, but off-the shoulder works well too. Pick feather-light, natural fabrics for a fuss-free tuck-in and total comfort in the summer. Prim and proper shirts are best fully buttoned up. With relaxed shirts, you can leave a few buttons undone and show off a tie-neck cord. One last detail: wear the sleeves full length, without turning them up.
The verdict
For me, the high-waist shape and fit does need some getting used to as I lived in hipster pants and a well-covered waist for years. If the fabric is not elastic enough, it will either cut in badly at the waist, or look lumpy. Either way, it would make me feel fat or bloated. Luckily, current high-waist flares have Lycra so they stay chic whatever you do.
Also, the thing with a high waist is that it’s my own shape in this type of pants that I might find hard to face. I need to conjure up the right attitude, but that’s kind of the point of trying new trends, right? You can buy them, you can style them, but you have to find it in you to actually wear and own them. I’ll be practicing – right after I played with these old jeans of mine, I bought a pair of new ones in the sales, I hope to show them to you sometime 🙂
P.S.
Mostly because of a trick of the light, on a couple of pictures I came out a total redhead which I’m not… but maybe I should be.
Cheers xxx
Jeans: Terranova, similar here and here
Shirt: H&M
Trilby: H&M
Backless loafers (just seen): vintage, similar here and here
Choker: just a piece of dark purple velvet cord
