14 DAY TRIAL // Last summer, a new pair of pants came in town. Celebrities wore them, fashion designers put them up on the catwalk and even some more daring women took to the new trend, sporting them on their daily errands. They are called harem pants and will be making a comeback this spring as well, much to the chagrin of fashion connoisseurs everywhere.
Harem pants hail from India, and are basically something in between pants and a skirt. With their crotch that can go as low as the knees and lots of material in the same area, they end tight on the legs like skinny jeans, creating the impression of pants under a skirt – that is, the more classy, simple variant of this type of pants. There are also alternatives where the upper part of the pants does not have that much fabric, which makes the woman wearing them look as if she’s in diapers.
Harem pants are not a good look, stylists everywhere say, despite the fact that big chain stores such as Zara and Hennes have already racked up the shelves with them. Aside from the “I’m older than a few months but I still need diapers” look, this item of clothing also requires lots of artistry and absurdly high heels to pull off. T
his is precisely why models on the catwalk and celebrities who only have to walk distances of ten feet a day (at best) look so great in them. Put on a regular woman, they’re just laughable, stylists add, urging us to not give in to the new fad.
“The very young should experiment with fashion and they are entitled to make their own mistakes. But if you see me, at 46, wearing them, please shoot me.” Fiona Golfar, Vogue editor, comments about the latest trend, which is already showing the first signs that it will attempt to break on the market in the spring of 2009 as well.
Sure, harem pants are an acceptable option for a day on the beach on holiday, or when sightseeing, because they are extremely comfortable (with emphasis on extremely), but a fashion statement, a daily one while we’re at it, they are not, stylists opine.
Unflattering for all ages and types of bodies, and weird looking, harem pants are a choice only if we really want people staring at us down the street, stylists further advise us. Or if we really wish to try something different for a day and have the courage to take the mockery. Otherwise, we should just unpack them once with our swimming suit, two days before going on vacation in some remote, exotic location.
