How to wear wide-legged trousers... without looking like Madonna

Comment porter des pantalons larges... sans ressembler à Madonna.

By Tamara Abraham
Last updated at 7:08 PM on 2nd August 2010

With the world's hottest designers and stylists at her disposal, and the body of someone half her age it should be easy for Madonna to pull off the latest trends.
But the singer, who has recently developed a penchant for wide-legged trousers, has failed spectacularly in her attempts so far.
Her latest effort, a mannish pinstriped pair that she was spotted wearing on Saturday as she left the Ritz hotel in Paris, were so wide, they looked almost clown-like.
Slung low on the hips, and worn with flats rather than leg-lengthening heels, they were reminiscent of the baggy jeans worn by teenage boys in the mid-Nineties.
It was a far cry from the sleek and polished looks spearheading the trend on the catwalks.
In fact, after years of feminine teadresses and skirts, trousers are set to make a major comeback.
Phoebe Philo's offering for Chloe next season included the most covetable high-waisted caramel pair, while Stefano Pilati's black versions for Yves Saint Laurent made the models' legs look endless.
Marc Jacobs played on the Seventies look, teaming smart grey styles with fur-trimmed jackets, and Italian favourite Sportmax showed a vibrant red pair with zip details.
And on the High Street Gap has created a 'Premium Pant Collection' - a genius range of ten different cuts, promising a style to fit and flatter every woman.
'I fit the trousers on girls with different body shapes to make sure we are catering for all women, rather than just 6ft models,' the brand's head of design, Patrick Robinson, told Grazia magazine.
Vogue credits the return of the trouser with a demand from women for clothes that won't date.
Designer Antonio Berardi told the magazine: 'No-one's in the mood to spend large amounts of money on pieces with a sell-by-date.'
'Women want to feel chic and intelligent. The victim look is so passé,' he added.
But the trend is not easy to pull off - as Madonna has proved. And if one is to look, as Berardi says, chic and intelligent, then there are certain rules that must be adhered. Madonna, take note.

THE GOLDEN RULES

WEAR HEELS: High heels will make anything you wear look better, but they are especially important with wide-legged trousers as they can have a tendency to make you look wide too.
Try them on with the heels you plan to wear them with, and get the length altered if they aren't just skimming the floor. You don't want them longer or shorter.

GO FOR THE HIGH-WAISTERS:  For the same reasons above, a high waist not only makes a feature of the narrowest part of your body, but it makes your legs look endless. Make a feature of your waist with a skinny belt.

BALANCE THEM OUT:  If you are wearing loose trousers, then balance them out with a slim-fitting top. It will lend some structure to your look - head-to-toe baggy clothes can swamp you and make you look larger.

TRY, TRY AND TRY AGAIN:  Finding the perfect pair can be a challenge, as each label has a different approach to cut and style.

The most time-effective way to do it is to hit a major department store when you have a couple of hours to spare. That way you can compare all the different cuts and styles more easily.

Source: Mail Online.

Clown-like: Madonna, pictured in Paris on Saturday, loves her wide-legged trousers - but is yet to pull them off.

Fashion faux pas: Madonna has been seen wearing an array of baggy trousers in recent weeks.

Hot trend: Wide-legged tailored trousers were a key feature on the catwalks for next season, with statement styles from Marc Jacobs (left), Chloe (centre) and Yves Saint Laurent (right).