Harem pants, MC Hammer pants, pyjama pants and even poo catchers! Yes, there are about a dozen (and mostly unflattering) names out there for these pants, but if it’s cool with you, I’m gonna stick to calling them draped pants (because, you know, they drape.)
Now these pants have a bit of a bad wrap out there in fashion world, but I’m here to champion them – these are seriously some of the best pants you will find – on ANY shape. Big call I know, but trust me, I’m a professional.
But there are a couple of tips I want to give you before I send you out into the world of draped pants.
1. DON’T pay attention to the size, get the fit right
You know that there are NO standards for clothing sizes in Aus and NZ right? yep! So in theory, any brand can put any size on any garment. So PLEASE don’t buy clothes based just on the size label.
The point of draped pants is just that – DRAPE! If you buy them too small, they won’t give the desired effect and they will look wrong. Plus most of the time these pants are made in fabrics that don’t have much stretch in them, so they can rip at the seams easily if they are too tight.
These pants from Decjuba are a size 14 and fit me perfectly. I’m a pretty standard size 12, but I don’t care I went up a size, they look and feel better in a 14!
I often go up a size in this style of pants because I really want to get the looser, draped look (plus I’m tall and an extra 5cm helps!). The pants above (from Decjuba) are a 14, but I love the fit of them – the 12s would have been too tight for the look I wanted.
2. Patterns are your friends
All those styling clients of mine reading this would have heard me say this a million times! Print hides a MULTITUDE of sins! It’s like blurring the lines of your silhouette so you can’t quite tell where all the lumps and bumps are – remember, it’s all about distraction!
Print is your friend!
Pants (L-R) from boohoo.com, Trelise Cooper and also boohoo.com
Printed pants might seem like they will draw attention to your bottom half, and they will – but combined with the looser fit of the draped pant, and the blurring of the lines with the print, it’s a win win because your pants are awesome!
If print still scares you, start with a darker colour – again, a darker colour hides more than a light colour will
3. Get the proportions right
Dressing well for your shape is all about getting the proportions of your body right, or using clothes to change the proportions of your body to look more even.
If you are leaning towards being a PEAR shape firstly, these pants are PERFECT for you! They are a great camouflage for that top half of your leg because they look drapey on EVERYONE! But more importantly, you still need to give your body balance with these pants so more than ever, you need to balance out your hips by broadening your shoulders – blazers and tops with detail on the shoulders are both good for this.
A blazer is a great way to give balance to your hips when wearing draped pants
If you are on the shorter side, you will probably need to wear this style of pants with a heel (or a wedge works too) because you want to elongate your leg as much as your can. These pants are not designed to be a slim fit, so high heels = longer legs in wider-cut pants.
Another tip is to tuck your shirt into the waist of the pants – not only will it show off your waist, it will make your legs look longer – a bonus for everyone right?
When I’m shopping with my personal styling client and I pull out a pair of these pants for them to try, they often look at me like I have three heads, but once we get them into the change rooms and they see how awesome they are, draped pants often become a staple in my clients wardrobes (not mentioning any names – Donna & Isabelle, I’m looking at you xx).
Here are a few places to try…
So does that make these AMAZING pants seem less scary? You’re homework this weekend is to go out and try a few pairs on ok? Report back next week in the comments below – and don’t be dis-heartened by the first pair you try. Different stores will have different cuts that suit different shapes so try a few on ok?
Happy shopping!
Love & Style Always
Cait xoxo
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Also, would like to add the pants fall more as a 7/8 length on me being a shorty!
Hi there! I love this article – I have just been tearing my hair out re: the fit of some printed pants I have purchased and not sure if they fit properly. I am very short and curvy – very much an hour glass shape. The pants are 3/4 length (so I don’t have to pay to have them taken up) and are a jersey material with cuffed hem. I feel that the pants look OK from the front, but across my bottom they look a little firm. on the thigh, which is my biggest body part as well as my bottom, they are a bit “grabby” Based on your article, is it best to go up a size in this instance to give myself more room? I was worried if I go up a size that it might make me look bigger? My darling husband thinks they look great, but I’m a bit conscious how they fit across my rear. Any advice you could provide would be awesome! Thanks Deb x
Hey Deb! You could definitely try going up a size, and then maybe cuff the bottom up once or twice if length becomes an issue? I’m tall but I still do this with some of my longer pants if I’m wearing them with flats – it just takes some of bulk out of them.
Also, if they are a print, often they don’t show (the print tends to blur the lines….) as much so doesn’t matter if they are a little firmer fit.
Also, if you do wear heels/wedges, this could help with the length. I find that with the longer pants, a heel will help make your leg look longer, and therefore the pants don’t bag so much
Hope that helps a little?
Cxx
Thanks for your advice! I think it may be the material that is bothering me the most. It is jersey (viscose 95% +elastane 5% blend)so it clings across my bottom and back of thighs. The material is stretchy but I don’t think it will give permanently as such. Might be safer to go up a size as I think I feel a bit self conscious in these! Also the cuff is more of an elasticised/gathered cuff rather than a ‘roll up’.