Am I one of the only people to think that the ubiquitous

[fartattack]

ballet pumps and skinny jeans just look crap on loads people.

I'm not the most fashionable person so I may be being unreasonable but I just don't understand why so many people think the combo is so good. To me they seem unflattering if your legs are not straight up and down and you are not tall. I mean if a girl has any sort of calf muscle it's accentuated massively by the tightness of the jeans and the flatness of the shoe.
Why are they so popular?

One really good reason to love skinny jeans: When it rains you can still wear jeans without getting soaked up to your knees in puddles.. I used to live in bootlegs but they make my legs look short. I didn't like the skinny jeans and ballet pumps look when it started. I thought it made a persons feet look big but on a lot of people I think it looks nice. I guess it depends on the individual body shape - not so much height or weight but overall proportions. That goes for all trousers.

I agree with someone else's point about leggings as trousers. Someone needs to say something. Public broadcast maybe? They are not trousers. At best they are like slightly thicker tights. Worn with long (bum-covering) tops or dresses is great and comfy (how I lived when pregnant). Worn with short tops is beyond tarty - it is never good to show off the colour of your pants or worse - thong! hence showing off entire arse. Rant over.. for now.

Oh and top knot is for bath-time. I've seen very few people look good with a top-knot.

muddy - I wear them with short tops like the kind of outfit emma willis wears on bb bit on side.I think it looks lovely.

ha ha at everyone saying it's dated... I only just started doing this.
I'm comfy

muddy but...my topknot gives me height, otherwise I'm only 5 foot 4 inches and the fashion police have decided that skinnies only belong on tall women

Disclaimer: have a ponytail, a black and white checked smock shirt and semi tailored black linen/ cotton trousers with unstructured Clarks shoes on today.

I am individual and unique, nobody else would dare to wear this combo!

Any detailed discussion on fashion inevitably reveals the latent sexism in our society. It's fascinating.

I'm short, and not offended by the prsumption that skinny jeans might make me look awful! But I note the bit about female leg muscles being something to be concealed!

thebigjessie I like my toned leg and arm muscles, I put a lot of effort into getting the pushchair up and down steep hills around here

thebigjessie

I don't think that you can deduce that I think female leg muscles should be "concealed" by the fact I personally think skinny jeans don't look great on larger calves.

It's the fact that the skinny jeans make the leg look odd due to the cut off point at the ankle combines with the gap then flat shoe. I think shapely muscular legs look great bare and out under a skirt. I would equally say that men with very short muscular legs look equally silly in skinny jeans. Only men don't tend to follow fashion in such an obvious way.

thebigjessie

It's like I said before that larger breasted women would not suit frilled/layers shirts. It's doesn't mean that larger breast should be concealed just that certain clothing styles don't suit them.

YABU OP! I loves them on everyone. It's a great day here when the ballet pumps get put on with the skinnies as it means it's not raining. Note: It is NOT ok to wear this look with those pop socks, yes you at the back, I mean you.

I hate skinny jeans as they don't suit me one iota but my previous dislike of ballet flats is being forced out of me by being unable to wear anything with a heel thanks to being on crutches. At least the ballet flats are cheap and cheerful whilst I look longingly at my beautiful regular shoes
I wouldn't tell anybody (except DH & DS) what to wear but I think it's sad that many people buy stuff that's fashionable just because its fashionable rather than because it actually suits them. We are all different shapes & sizes so we are bound to work better in different things rather than all the same.

"Any detailed discussion on fashion inevitably reveals the latent sexism in our society. It's fascinating."

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=drop+crotch+jeans+for+men&um=1&hl=en&biw=1092&bih=514&tbm=isch&tbnid=PqyFZFXmt75YkM:&imgrefurl=melowho.blogspot.com/2010/12/melo-trend-updates-drop-crotch-jeans.html&docid=P5L_o4R2yjGPdM&imgurl=3.bp.blogspot.com/_vbohnKatexM/TR0i6TG2njI/AAAAAAAAABc/XLcxIBL3wKE/s1600/Taylor_TimHamilton.jpg&w=267&h=400&ei=CFtQUKqfHsLH0QW04YDQBg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=228&vpy=115&dur=80&hovh=276&hovw=184&tx=96&ty=154&sig=105695599157585060625&page=1&tbnh=147&tbnw=98&start=0&ndsp=13&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:73" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">it'snotsexism

wonkylegs

Hope you get off the crutches soon!

I like flares. Flares suit me. It irks me that they are so bloody hard to find when out of fashion. I can find boyfriend, skinny, superskinny, straight leg all in a variety of leg lengths and waist heights but flares? Nada.

I have recently got into tunics and leggins though, but only longish tunics that someone with nicer legs could get away with wearing as a dress. I have also bought my first pair of skinny jeans. Never to be worn with flats, only boots with big snuggle cable knit jumpers for the winter. Is that allowed or is that fashion no no?

I do like skinny jeans but I can only wear them with knee hig boots as my calfs are too big. I would look daft with ballet shoes. They look ok on my 8 year old though but then she has lovley long slim legs

^
I don't think that you can deduce that I think female leg muscles should be "concealed" by the fact I personally think skinny jeans don't look great on larger calves.

It's the fact that the skinny jeans make the leg look odd due to the cut off point at the ankle combines with the gap then flat shoe. I think shapely muscular legs look great bare and out under a skirt. I would equally say that men with very short muscular legs look equally silly in skinny jeans. Only men don't tend to follow fashion in such an obvious way.^

Hmm. That's not really how you put it before, though. You said "accentuate". There's quite a difference between saying something shouldn't be accentuated, and your latest post. Can you see what I mean?

I can't follow links at the moment- can you give a brief summation of it?

thebigJessie
accentuate as in overly bring attention to thus making the leg look odd or out of proportion.

My link was a picture of a guy in a pair of drop crutch trousers looking well odd! The crutch overly elongated thus making his legs look about 2 inches long!

My original OP came about having been told I was unfashionable NOT wearing them. I was berated by the fashion police for daring to wear old fashioned Jeans (that happen to suit my shape). My point about saying they look crap is that we shouldn't all have to adhere to fashions just because they are in. Although I now realise they are not in at all

I don't care about a look being dated (I'm still wearing bootcut jeans and I don't care what anyone says!) but agree it's not a flattering look on some people (including me). I think it's more about shape than size or height.

I don't think I could even get skinny jeans on over my sturdy calves :( Especially in the size I'd need to fit my waist.

I wear skinny jeans and pumps but my legs are my best feature (long and thin).

By the way, what kind of jeans are in fashion now? Thinking of getting a new pair and fancy a change from skinnies.

I wear skinny jeans and ballet pumps too, but like Jusfloatingby, my legs are my best bits. I'm 5'6 and a size 6 and I have long legs, dh loves to see me in skinnies. I like tucking them into knee boots too. But I think loads of curvy women look great in skinny jeans.

I'd like an alternative - what though? I do like a flare/smocky/Cornish potter sort of look, I must say - messy bun obligatory here too, though.

I'm certainly perhaps speaking out of envy-engendered lack of imagination, but I cannot imagine a woman looking odd because she's drawn too much attention to her leg muscles. One day, I will have some, and then I can see for myself. One day, I tell you!

You should probably ignore me and my rage that I do not have defined muscles.

I agree, OP. I'm fairly slim (5'6 and 10-12) but they just don't suit me. I'm all body with shortish legs, and quite muscly from running. I do have a pair though. I must have tried on 30 pairs of skinnies before I found a pair that I could a) get above my calves and b) live with looking at myself in. (Calvin Klein, in case any other slimmish people with chunky legs are interested.)

In principle I kind of agree but actually I have decided to say YABU on the basis that we must encourage everyone to wear ANYTHING except vast, pastel linen trousers all revoltingly crumpled about the crotch and bum. I am so utterly revolted by these, which I am suddenly seeing everywhere, that I have revoked my previous not-for-everyone stance on skinnies on the basis that we must pick our battles and focus all our energies on OUTLAWING these monstrosities.

It's such a 2003 look. Move on people

But I've just bought them!

Skinny jeans are great. "Ballet flats" are revolting.