How to wear a slightly more challenging trouser shape....and EVERYONE should have one of these....

[Carvela shoes, Baukjen trousers, Topshop jumper, Reiss leather jacket, Paul Costelloe bag, necklace from friend]

When you're used to skinnies, getting away from them can be really difficult, especially when it's to a trouser shape that is more relaxed, printed and with a little width around the ankle. Flares? Not a problem as they're still fitted around the hips and thighs and with heels, they're a flattering style in their own right. Wide legged trousers? Again not a problem as they are classic and if the cut is good, they can be very flattering. But as for a bit of a half way house style like these? Well they are more challenging and here's why....

• They have an elasticated waist and a less sexy waistband I cannot imagine, other than maybe the ones with buttons inside like kids trousers but then no-one tends to know about those. On the plus side, when you're off out to dinner with a friend who makes the best brownies ever, an elasticated waistband is quite handy;
• The length - not ankle length but not full length either (selling them well aren't I?!)
• From the side I can look hideous in this style trouser and I should know because I've tried lots of them. Short and dumpy would be a good description;
• Quite often the fabric can be very thin, allowing for every wibble, wobble and dimple to be shown to the world. 

However, when I tried the Felsted print trousers from Baukjen (£59 reduced from £99 and which I must have had for about 5 weeks now) I quite liked them. The fabric was of a good quality and they fell well. Then I cut the label off them, meaning that I could no longer return them, at which point (of course) I became unsure whether I liked them or not. So anyway I just decided to wear them.  And having worn them, these are my conclusions/solutions:

• Cover the elasticated waistband (obviously) and no-one will be any the wiser;
• Heels will avoid the dumpy feeling - and I should know because I tried them with trainers and they looked hideous;
• Choose a quality and/or printed fabric, all of which will help with lumps/bumps/and spare bottom cheeks which seem to appear at a certain age;
• When I have time I might play with the length by rolling them up a little but the fabric is quite slippery so they would probably just do their own thing anyway.  And in the summer I am going to try a chunky birkenstock type sandal which will either work really well, or make me look well dodgy.

Personally I think that a coloured shoe would work with these trousers (wardrobe gap alert!) and having come across the Milly suede shoe at Jigsaw (£149, although the lipstick shade are £74 and I'm also sure that I saw purple ones yesterday) I think that they could work for lots of us for lots of occasions. Of course there are loads of other styles too - much trendier and New Look/Primark would be my shop of choice for those styles - but for a good staple, these are pretty impressive and the leather that Jigsaw uses is always really, really soft.

After all my hours of wardrobe construction, I thought that I would share my favourite one with you. It has some of my bags, most of my jewellery, scarves and going out shoes in it and sometimes I just go and look at it because I love it so much. When the world around me is a little chaotic, my cupboard is calm and serene. Which makes me very happy but equally a complete saddo too (but I don't care!) 

Lots of my bracelets/bangles and cuffs were from friends of mine so I take great pleasure in looking at them and thinking of my lovely friends too. I think that we could probably all do with one  of these cupboards in our lives - even if it's only a weeny one.