The state of trousers right now…too wide, heavy and unflattering-help!

[jazzchilli]

When I was younger, the only problem I used to have was length. 5"8 isn't considered particularly tall now but now I wish that was the limit of my problems.

As an apple shape, I sort of welcomed wide trousers as a means to balance me out...when they're just 'wide'.

Now every pair of trousers is clown-level wide. I don't think these are really flattering on anyone, but you're forced into wearing a very tight, ideally cropped top to balance it out. Not all of us can pull this off...

The other problem is that the materials are all so heavy and/or plasticky. What happened to fluid, slightly loose trousers? In the UK, they're nowhere to be found on the high street and ordering from ASOS etc is no better. As a woman approaching perimenopause...what do you do if stiff, heavy cotton and linen makes you sweat more and all the cheap polyester is just yuck. Where is all the light, stretchy modal and viscose we started to get about 10 years ago?

Am I going mad or just looking in the wrong places? I would happily order from overseas to get some plain, loose (but not baggy in the bum, hips and thighs) trousers if they exist...

Any ideas/comments?

I do like skater style wide leg jeans but agree wide trousers make most people look like a tree. I'm 5ft 4 so they often look more wide than long!

In the 90s there were these slightly hippy trousers in a lightweight creased fabric. Not sure what it was but I don't see those anywhere.

I also can’t stand the fashion these days😅

You could try to look on Vinted for something more your style?

I always think they make people look like daleks, especially people who happen to have wide hips and arses 🙋‍♀️. I'm trying to cling on to the outgoing trend of baggy but tapered jeans. According to the Guardian it's an old fashioned millennial style, but given that I'm Gen X it'll do me just fine thanks.

have you looked through all the trousers in M&S? They usually cover a range, ditto John Lewis. Both sell other brands as well. Asos, have a younger market so will have more of the on trend wider legs, I would imagine. Uniqlo is also a good to look.

See, I’m going to need to know where you’ve been looking, and how wide leg do you want? There’s lots of straight leg trousers in the shops, are they too narrow for you?

Would these from M&S be too wide? https://www.marksandspencer.com/linen-rich-wide-leg-trousers/p/clp60636306?color=NAVY

I bought these in a local boutique recently really nice on
BYDANTA Trousers in humus melange colour | b.young https://share.google/jJRckcIrAJE9bEeyS
They are man made fibres but really comfy and not sweaty in the resent hot weather

Have you tried the carrot shape trousers from M&S? I really like them

I wore wide legged trousers as a teenager in the 1970s. I remember how, when it rained, the water soaked up the legs and took bits of gravel and dirt from the street with it - very uncomfortable and unattractive - so I’m going nowhere near that style now. Straight legs for me all the way!

I'm short and look ridiculous in these wide legged trousers. I gave a pair of wider legged culottes which are okish but I predict that there will be loads in the sale.

I happen to like the current trouser trend (and for context, I'm 5'3). But when I didn't - e.g. when they were all insanely low waisted - I just wore dresses and skirts instead. I expect I'll do the same when the pendulum swings back that way. I enjoy fashion but I never expect to like everything.

I’m very hourglass shaped and like Floisme spent the great part of 20 years not wearing trousers because they were super low waisted or super skinny. I think the fact that you can actually get different trousers styles and shapes is brilliant. I’m now wearing trousers all the time. When it inevitably swings back to tight and low waisted I’ll be back to skirts! Lots of people are still wearing skinnies and slim cuts though, wear them if you like them. I have a large bum hips and thighs so seldom find anything baggy but they do all need to be taken in at the waist. C’est la vie.

I love wide trousers, the wider the better! They have to be floaty and swishy. The right ones can be very flattering

Thanks everyone. I suppose what I'm looking for is a loose, straight leg that isn't wide and isn't cut too big on the hips/bum/thighs as I'm small in that area (but not on the waist!)

I've been looking everywhere tbh...the annoying thing is I have some trousers that would work if they were in a smaller size, I lost 20kg over the last year. Maybe I should just be on Vinted looking for what I have in smaller sizes 😂

I used to buy the Saloos trousers which used to be on sale on cruise ships 😂and independent boutiques about 10 years ago. They were probably looser than I needed but they had a full drawstring waist and were very stretchy so it was easier to size down. Also a bit short but again I could make it work by pulling them a bit lower.

I had the same problem with jeans until I found the H&M True to You jeans. They also have flared joggers that aren't huge in the thighs/bum. Maybe I need to try M&S again...generally I find their clothes are still towards a shorter, pear shape and the waists are usually too tight for me.

I've actually bought some Primark cotton pyjama striped trousers...not perfect but the material is thinner and more comfortable for summer. If they're wide they at least hang down instead of sticking out, if that makes sense?

M&S have a lot of longer leg lengths, but rarely in store. I have the opposite problem needing petite and often try on in store to see if I can find styles I like then order the petite online.

People are all different shapes.
'Flattering' is subjective.
I think if you have always previously found it easy to buy trousers before, then maybe just dont buy trousers this season, or look in vintage places or second hand places for the styles that suit you better.

I find that trousers fit me better these days than in previoud

Trousers are awkward.

I only found a wide legged style that suits my figure this year, after trying many on and feeling like a sack of potatoes. I personally need a true ‘wide’ leg, a high waist, tailoring and a thick fabric that ‘hangs’ well and doesn’t flap about around my ankles.

The lighter fabrics suitable for summer don’t sit right, so I have abandoned Itrousers this summer.

Does anyone look good in those mid-rise, wide legged linen trousers that are always sold to us as ‘summer trousers’ in the UK?! They don’t seem to flatter any body shape.

Agree with this!

I love wide leg trousers - I have broad shoulders and narrow hips so it balances me out and gives the illusion of an hourglass which isnt actually there as my waist sits really high (or is non existent nowadays). However, they can't be the floaty ones unless they have a drawstring waist. I find that Me and Em trousers are cut perfectly for me as they are quite structured.

M&S do seem to have a variety of shapes and I like their quality at the moment.

Look on vinted or charity shops. There are plenty of decent options outside of high street retailers.