Oh what a relief to see some sun today. I don’t think I had quite appreciated how miffed off I had been with the cold and the rain until the sun came out, when I suddenly felt a whole lot better. Probably largely because I could wear some different clothes. So shallow!
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.
I have the next chinos in grey. Very flattering, as I too am heavier on the bottom. And I LOVE that top! Where's it from?
Hi Mel, I must take a look at the grey ones as they sound lovely. The top was from Ted Baker last season, when the frill around the bottom was still called a frill and not a peplum!
I have the White Stuff ones in last years colours of grey and khaki, they are great. I did find that the pocket linings were a bit bulky so I cut them off and stitched the openings up, so it looks like pockets but no bulk. I got this years ones in the beige chino colour as well.I will live in them this summer (if it comes!) Today I am wearing the grey ones with a blue vest top and denim shirt because – yes, finally – the sun has arrived in N Ireland!
Hi Nicola, hooray for sun. Is it warm enough to abandon the denim shirt today in NI? It's boiling here.
River Island do a good chino. No front pleats and true to size. I have the navy ones and they are a nice fit. If your thighs are sausages…they are more chipolata than cumberland! (That's a compliment, by the way!)
Aha, River Island, haven't paid them a visit for a while so must do that. Thanks for the top tip. Hmm, I am probably between a chipolata and a cumberland – frankfurter maybe, or is that less than a chiploata. Not a sausage queen I am afraid!
lovely top too, where is that from (did I not read properly?!)
Sorry Rachel,no, it wasn't you, rather me. The top was from Ted Baker last summer. I haven't seen similar this year but will keep my eyes open.
Hi Beth, well I am off to Next to try those trousers! I am sooo struggling, I live in jeans and am fed up with them at the mo! I am very petite, larger below and tiny on top, making it hard to find a trouser that fits well. I always find that from the crotch up they are so deep on me it reaches my belly button with a nice Simon Cowell effect! All my jeans sit low on me because of this. I looked at the Gap ones the other day but didn't try them on because of this, should have really! Will let you know how I get on with the Next ones! x
Hi, do let me know how you got on at Next/Gap. I haven't checked but wonder whether Next do them in the petite range – if so, they should hopefully have altered all of the proportions, thus avoiding the Simon Cowell effect.
I love the look of those Sweetpea trousers from WhiteStuff. However, they look brighter and fresher in colour here than on their website, where they look a more faded pink. Plus, although they won't be as bad as the dreaded 'parsnip leg' effect I'd get from wearing skinny jeans, I can't see them being too flattering on my short but saddle-bagged frame. Shame, as I like all the coloured trousers that are in the shops at the moment. Maybe I'll have to start wearing skirts and dresses instead. *the horror* ;-)Just found your blog, by the way, and I love it!Kitty.
Hi Kitty, you can see the white stuff trousers in the flesh today. The little kick at the bottom may stop them from being too parsnip like on you, so they could be worth investigating. If not, yes, go for the skirts and dresses and let me know what you find! Thanks for letting me know that you like the blog – so kind. Beth