Pants for women with hips and butts

This spring is bringing a new trend in womens' pants... the reign of the royal family of skinny jeans, leggings and jeggings is coming to an end (of course, we'll all still wear them, they've stepped down peacefully).

Wide leg pants - YES!

I actually recently found a pair of wide leg jeans I bought years ago that I've never worn, they're like new and I love them.

The wide leg pant not only flatters a curvy shape, it also broadens footwear options. For example: I miss my chunky pair of Vans. I would look like a clown if I paired them with skinny pants, but they'll look great with a pair of wide legs. Flip flops, pointy heels, boots, running shoes of all kinds. FUNKY SNEAKERS!

I'm going to put together 3 looks - one professional, one casual and one night look.

NIGHT LOOK

My pair of wide leg jeans are similar to this pair from Smart Set.  Since wide legs are so big, we're going to go a little skimpy on the top (skimpy by my standards, at least).

I also love sequins... this top is a steal from Forever 21.  I love the casual look racer back too... party in the front, loungin' in the back.  It's the shirt equivalent of a messed up mullet.

With two neutrals like this, we need some bold accessories.  Purple shoes (Steve Madden)!!!

This is an outfit I obviously chose.  This clutch from le chateau is a must have for me:

Then add some fun jewelery!  Personally, I would go with turquoise, like this bracelet from Forever 21:

Yeah, I would definitely shake my ass to some tunes in that outfit.

Ok... now for casual.  I love how a lighter wash jean just screams "I am chilled out today."  I would grocery shop in these jeans from Old Navy; the drawstring waist is an added bonus:

Add a bright tank top and this hoodie from Smart Set:

Now for fun shoes!!  How about... green Pumas?

Alright, the "professional" look is so boring and easy that I'm not going to bother posting pics.  Get a black/grey wide leg pant suit... pair it with a satin or silk BRIGHT cami and bright shoes.  The professional look is a segue to my next topic: briefcases for women.  There aren't many options out there, but I'm going to try and find the best one.

Leather pants at work?

I'm going to try to make more regular posts here. Either once or twice a week I will be writing about current trends. Today: leather pants. I was thinking to myself, after flipping through this month's InStyle, is it possible to wear leather pants to work? Here's an outfit that I think may allow you to do it.
Some guidelines for leather at work:

• probably more appropriate for creative occupations
• leather pants should have a skinny leg, but for bis cas, they should not be super tight
• a general rule: party on the bottom, business on top
• flats are a good idea 

These pants have a nice, loose fit (Alexander Wang):

A blouse on top (Boscov's):

A boyfriend blazer on top (Marc Jacobs) - the pinstripes mean business:

And for some accessories:

Necklace (Luv Aj)

Shoes (Yosi Samra):

Not sure how I feel about my choice of blazer... I was thinking about a grey boyfriend blazer to lighten it up a bit.  Let me know what you think!

The Urban Turban

Here she is... we "hippied-up" the urban turban (need to credit InStyle again here).

I still look like an idiot when I try this.

Feathers and Fedoras

Ok... I love a good fedora. Fedoras were featured in the December 2010 issue of InStyle as #17 on their list of top trends of 2010. Amazing.

This issue of InStyle also stresses the fact that YOU CAN pull off feathers. Mostly faux - we don't need birdies gettin' cold this time of year.

For my first "fashion" post, I thought I would share with you my dream fedora/feather combo.

First... this skirt.

The top I WANTED to pair with this is hard to find... I was looking for a basic white tank with some embellishments around the neckline. I found this sequined, white tank top and I would definitely tuck it into the skirt. A bold necklace is a good compromise for lack of a flashy neckline.

And last but not least... the black fedora. This is probably the easiest one to find. I will post the first pic I see when I do a google image search for "black fedora". Ok, this is actually the third image... but I'm pretty sure it's from Justin Timberlake's line for Target. Done and done. JT... what CAN'T you do?

Ok, now to top this all off... black footwear. Or, if you're feeling bold, something bright and cheery. This can be left to the imagination and comfort level. In the winter, I would wear knee-high heeled boots. Summer, either a pair of flip flops or basic flats. Gladiator sandals would also be sweet. I love shoes!

Anyways... the next post is all about the "urban turban". I hope you're intrigued. I still look ridiculous when I try to pull this one off... it may be a little while before I perfect it.

MJ