Over the past few weeks I have tried many pairs of trousers of the printed/coloured variety and have found that many are cut too slim in the leg to accommodate my calves and sausage thighs. Like many women, I am slightly heavier on my lower half and lots of brands just don't take account of that fact so on occasion it is impossible to get the trousers past my calves, let alone any further. N.B. The title of this post is not meant to be offensive to anyone with slim legs, who may interpret it to mean that they have "improper" legs - which of course they do not!
Skinny jeans in darker colours are easier to work with and the addition of longer knits and/or heels and boots in winter tends to make them a little less "in your face" than brightly coloured jeans, which I often wear with flats and shorter tops. Seeing my sausage thighs squidged into bright fabric which is too tight - well, it just doesn't bear thinking about.
However, not one to be defeated by the vagaries of fashion, I turned to chinos instead. Cut slighly looser in the leg, they skim rather than squeeze, which is frankly far preferable and the brands which are designed for ladies who don't have the legs of which we dream, can be a sure fire hit.
The ones I am wearing above are the ones I bought in Gap on Saturday. Initially I thought that they were slightly short in the body but once they had warmed up and given a little they were fine. As you may expect, the sizing in Gap is a little off and these come up large so you may need to go down a size. I am wearing a size 6 but don't be fooled - I am not a size 6. They also come in other colours.
Some chino styles have pleats at the waist, which can add bulk so just beware but if, like these White Stuff ones below, they are stitched down, they are fine. Many don't have back pockets, which again can cause a few problems, as an expanse of bottom is not always a sight we wish to put on display but on the whole, they are a much better option. Unlike the Gap trousers, these come up small, so be prepared to go up a size. These are a 10 in sweetpea - a pretty pinkish colour with some depth to it so they don't act like a highlighter, adding pounds. I will bring you a pic when I wear them.
This blue pair from Next is also a great fit with room to accommodate both calves and thighs without gaping on the waist (on me anyway but it may not be the same for everyone.) They also come up true to size and these are an 8. These too have some depth of colour so don't add pounds either.
Here's a closer photo of the labels of both the White Stuff and the Next ones, should anyone wish to take a closer look on-line.
M&S also has a good range of Chinos in different colours but unsurprisingly I have found the Zara ones too tight and surprisingly the Fat Face ones too. Has anyone come across any other brands which work well?
I have been shopping today, and will be shopping tomorrow, for an event that I will be attending on Wednesday so I hope to bring you lots of lovely pics of the things that I find. And don't forget that there's less than a week less before the Stella & Dot competition closes, so get those entries in. I love reading them.
