Trousers ~ a.k.a. Leg Prisons

If you have followed me for any length of time, you’ll know that I’m a dress and skirt kinda gal. I adore the freedom and breeziness that these garments offer me. I very rarely wear trousers and have gleefully stated how much I hate them. While I’m still not *in love* with bifurcated coverings of my lower appendages, I have recently found a small warm fuzzy spot for trousers.

The primary justification for this small growth of affection is that I’ve finally figured out what aspects of trousers are flattering for my body. The majority of vintage style trousers on offer are flat fronted and ultra wide-legged. Sadly these elements don’t lend themselves to a body that is average height (I’m 5’6″), short-waisted, and holds weight in the tummy and hips.

Part of my disdain for trousers is the amount of altering I’ve always had to do to get them to fit me right. If purchasing a pair “off the rack”, I will typically need to buy 1 to 2 sizes larger than my regular size, just to fit my hips and tummy area. Then I’ll have to have the waist taken in to avoid getting that that dreaded gap in the back. While this system works ok, and if you can find a talented tailor these alterations can be less noticeable, there is still something just a little “off” with the fit.

So I want to share a few of the trousers that I’ve found over the years that I feel work best for my body and hope that you can get a bit of inspiration to find some for you.

EMMY DESIGNS

I have two styles of their trousers, the Miss Fancy Pants and the 40s Work Pants. Both are very comfortable and fit me great.

DORIS PANT FROM PINUP GIRL CLOTHING

While no longer available on their website, you might be lucky to find some second hand.

WESTON DENIM TROUSERS BY HELL BUNNY

I love these jeans, they are comfortable and very easy to wear with just the right amount of stretch in them.

ESHAKTI

You all know my love for eShakti runs deep, and one of these reasons is that the trousers I have had made have been spectacular.

SWINGBIRD FASHIONS

I recently had two pairs of trousers custom made for me my Swing Bird Fashions on Etsy and now that she has my size profile saved, I will certainly be getting more.

So if you are like me and have a larger body that holds weight in your hips/stomach, I highly recommend finding trousers with a front zip and pleats. The pleats allow for a bit more ease and are much more comfortable to sit down in. I would also try and find trousers with legs that aren’t quite as wide. Since the leg sweep generally falls from your hip area, this can create the illusion of a very wide bottom half. Finding more of a straight leg, still with a good sweep at the bottom, will contour your body in a much more flattering way. Or you can try a tapered leg as with the photo above.

I’ve amassed a decent collection of well-fitting and flattering trousers, that I feel add value to my vast wardrobe. I hope this helps you to find a few for yourself.