Hi Friends! 

I wanted to share a few of my most recent closet adventures with you. As an image consultant, I usually start the updating process in the closets of my clients. I can tell so much about a person simply by taking a look at their clothing; how it is hanging, organized, colors that they do or don’t have. After seeing literally hundreds of closets, I have decided that the most common mistake women make is with their pants – fabric, fit, style, pocket placement, length etc. Pants are a staple and once you start going in the wrong direction it is hard to correct. I throw or giveaway more pants than I do any other piece of clothing, and because of that I wanted to give you a few standard rules that I follow regardless of the event I am attending!

Rule #1: Pockets

I see the wrong kind of pocket more than almost any other jean faux pas. The best tip I can give you without looking at your body shape is to have pockets on BOTH sides of your rear (Even if this is only a slit for faux pockets which may even be the best option depending on the size of your rear). Regardless of the pant (jeans, slacks, khakis etc) you need to have pockets to balance out your rear end, as well as, break up the distance from your waist to the bottom of your butt cheek.

Most of the time I recommend that pockets are not ‘flap’ pockets (but it depends, if you have no rear and are tiny it can be a great way to create a faux curve), and your pocket should NEVER be situated on the spot where your rear end meets your leg. This adds length where we don’t need it, and makes it look like our rear ends are droopy – never a good thing. When you don’t have pockets your rear end looks like a uni-butt – no end, no beginning and nothing to break up the cheeks. Even when you are small, you can make your rear end look abnormally large if your pockets are missing.

Below are examples of great pocket placement. The pockets on the jeans are high enough to create lift even when one doesn’t exist and the khaki pants break up the distance from your waist to the bottom of your rear beautifully making it appear smaller.

Rule #2: Peg legged pants

Unless you are a stick figure, do not wear pants that are pegged in any capacity. You want the cuff of your pants to be in line with your hips…you never want the cuff to come in too much narrower than the widest part of your hip. If not, your hips look much wider than they are. The best fit for most body shapes is when the pant comes in along the thighs and then goes into a modern boot cut at the bottom. The pants on the left are a great example of a cut that is universally flattering. The shorter pants on the right chop off the leg, and the pegged look creates a ‘hippy’ effect that none of us want regardless of our body size.

Rule #3: Length

Make sure your pants come ALL the way to the bottom of your heel or shoe. They need to be just above the floor or graze the floor like the picture on the right below. I have pants designated for flats and heels only. When wearing flats, it is better not to cuff your pants – just have a few that you wear with your flats so you don’t look unpolished in any way. If your pants are too short, it has the tendency to make your body shape look completely disproportionate and create an unbalanced look – it can even make you look heavier than you actually are!

Rule #4: Cropped pants

I know as soon as the days get warmer, I will begin to see cropped pants. This always scares me as they can really cut your body apart in negative ways. Make sure that they are closer to your mid-calf, not your ankle. You don’t want people to question if your pants have shrunk. Try to wear a wedge or heeled sandal without any straps around your ankle – this will make the line continue all the way down to your toes. The same pant rules apply…come in at the thighs and knee, and then go into a minor flair.

Rule #5: Stretch

Your pants cannot be too tight…you need to be especially careful with stretchy pants especially across the rear. If your pants are hugging your upper thigh or rear areas, it not only tends to make them look larger but gives you an unpolished look. If there are stretch marks across you’re the back of your upper thigh or if the pants are whiskered in the front – they are not a good fit. (See examples of poorly fitting jeans below). When shopping, don’t focus on size…something you think is a bit larger in size will fall better on your body and actually make you look smaller. All stores are extremely different in their sizing – numbers don’t matter, how the clothing falls does matter.

If you have any further questions about the fit of your pants or are looking for wardrobe advice, please feel free to e-mail me at mila@modaimageconsulting.com for a complimentary consultation – and visit www.modaimageconsulting.com for fashion updates!