Loosen 'em up!

Unlike bell bottoms and flares, wide-legged pants are as wide at the hem as they are throughout the rest of the leg, including the calves, knees and thighs. These pants have been in and out of fashion through the years and have been associated with different lifestyles.

Designer Asmita Marwa, who has been designing wide-legged pants for quite a while, talks on the variety of looks that this garment can carry. “Anyone can wear these pants but ideally, you should be tall or at least of average height to look good in them,” she says. About the colours that is best for these pants, she says, “I usually use a lot of ivory because it is a neutral colour and can be mixed and matched with anything. But these pants look very good even in prints, tie and dye and checks. I had recently done prints of roses on the pants,” she says. As far as colours are concerned, you can buy any colour as long as you team them well.  Asmita had added long pockets and tassels to these pants to make them a little more bohemian. She says that these pants can also be worn in cropped ankle length form. “This is a look I went for when I had used ‘doris’ to highlight the waist,” she says. For the ones comfortable with Indian wear, she mentions that these pants can be used as a substitute for salwars. “These are a modern take on salwars. You can easily team them with an A-line kurta,” she says. “Mixed with long asymmetrical dresses, these pants look very smart,” she adds.These pants should be bought in fabrics like khadi and cotton. “They should be made of a fabric that is not too soft so that they have a fall,” she says. “A thicker cotton or linen would be a good option when you are buying,” she adds. Since it is a Indo-Western garment, it can be worn on many occasions and is not just limited to the day.

“I think these pants are perfect for brunch or a lunch date,” says Asmita. “But you can wear them the entire day if you accessorise. Just add a stole or a chunky necklace and you are ready for an evening out,” she adds. These pants look the best with a fitted top, a loose shirt or a tunic. “They also look very cute with gunjis, russell tops and peasant tops,” she says. And as far as the footwear is concerned, heels can be given a miss for a change. “You should wear them with flats or wedges if you want but not stilettos,” she says.  

Comfort wear
Neha Javide, a student of Bishop Cotton Women’s Christian College, says she often wears these pants to college or to a coffee joint. “They are really comfortable and look quite hot if teamed with a t-shirt,” she says. She says she prefers pants which have a lot of intricate work done on them.

“And I wear a plain black t-shirt because the pants already have a lot of colour on them,” she says. She also mentions that she wears a stole of the same colour as the pants. “And team it with those plain chappals, with smileys on them, and you are good to go,” she says.