TIP OFF: The Pant

Helen Lee - April 21 2005

So little is ever written about the pant, so sometimes we forget about the type of pants avaliable to us. No doubt in this day and age we all own quite a few pairs. But do we know when to wear them? And what ones we're missing from our wardrobe... let's take a look shall we?

1. Jeans
Whether they're skin tight, boot cut or baggy, we all own a pair, two or three. They match almost anything and come in so many different washes and colours. They are great to dress up for a night out (or out on to the red carpet like celebrities are doing more and more these days, or dress them down when you're vegging out with the girls.

2. Flat Fronts / Dress Pants
I always think of these as "work pants", but they can come in cotton, a cotton blend, tweed, wool, and even the icky polyester blends. They are usually more dressed up than jeans, but can be dressed down during the day with a pair of sneakers. Flat front pants are great for that man-style look that comes back in every year or so.

3. Cords
Cord pants are never around long enough for me to want a pair, but they are great casual winter wear that's also comfortable! Casual and tough like jeans, they come in just about as many colours - but stick with the staple black, brown or beige, because pink cord will not flatter any figure!

4. Cargo Pants
I remember when I was 13 and cargo's had really hit the ground running. They are great for wondering out of the hours with a lip gloss, purse and keys stashed in one of the many pockets. Plus the cotton blend ones were always very comfy. While today the super baggy ones aren't as stylish, it is still acceptable to run errands in a comfy pair of cargo pants (or even the cropped cargo's).

5. Tracksuit Pants
I think I own about 2 pairs of these, and none of the velour variety. Great for working out (if I did that), and sleeping in on a cold night. They made a bit of a come back when Juicy Couture came out with brightly coloured velour track suits, for which I will never forgive them for. But when you are vegging out at home, it's always nice to have a pair of "trackies" around.

TIPS:

• Accessorize with a belt, scarf or ribbon tied around the waist. Or be creative and loop a vintage men's tie through the belt loops for a different look.
• If the pants are too long, get them professionally taken up, after all safety pins and sticky taped cuffs aren't the best look!
• When getting pants taken up, keep in mind what type of shoes you will be wearing most with them. If you usually wear heels with dress pants, wear heels when measuring how much you nee to take up the pants buy. Ditto for flat shoes. If you don't keep footwear in mind, you could find yourself looking quite silly with ill fitting pants on.
• Rolled up cuffs look ok on jeans though, just make sure they're even!