A reader question…
You recently asked for reader input, and I have a styling question. How do I style an extreme dropped crotch harem pant?
I saw a woman wearing something like this on the street this summer and completely fell for them. I love the clean, simple lines, and the drama and contrast if the very low set crotch. But now I’ve bought them, and they puzzle me a bit… I’m a tall, long-legged slightly overweight H-figure and tend to wear long, loose tops with slim/narrow bottoms – but that doesn’t work here. But then what do? I hope you will consider this question 🙂
Best regards,
Eva
A dropped crotch harem pant is a more creative garment. The dropped crotch will make your legs look shorter. Now, depending on the volume of the pant this will affect how much volume you can wear on your top half.
Ideally, a voluminous bottom requires a more fitted top (the opposite of what you wear Eva), but you can still put in a little volume on the top, just ensure that your top comes back in at the waist /high hip area.
If you don’t want to draw attention to your tummy, wear a column of colour and end your top around your high hip (hip bone) rather than tucking in.
If you have a defined waist, tuck your top into your harem pants.
Shoes should blend in colour to your pants to help elongate your legs, unless you want to wear really high heels. Wedges and flatforms can be great with harem pants.
How do you walk in them?
I purchased the E.F. harem pants and find them to be so chic. I wear with with my E.F. black jersey top and a cropped kimono type top over it. I collect cropped kimono tops, sweaters, and jackets. That way I get a 2/3 to 1/3 proportion which elongates my petite body. My legs look like they go on forever.
I packed these on my October trip to Paris and received so many complements from shop personnel, people on the street, guests at the hotel, waiters, the concierge, and tour guides. Whoever thinks Eileen Fisher has a more matronly, quiet line of clothing has been styling them all wrong. Holy cow!
A big thank you from the reader in question!
I’ve dug out some short shirts and jackets that I don’t normally wear because they tend to give me a short upper body that’s sort of perching on top of my long legs. I also have some drapey jersey summer shirts with a tightly fittet hip band that might look nice.
I haven’t much liked the harem pants style until I saw these pants. Either they bunch around the waist and hips and make the waist look thicker, or else it’s the (IMO ugly) ‘diaper’ style that ends at the knee. These are much nicer – elongated and drapey.
@Lisa: these are a different brand (German Isolde Roth), but seems to be cut quite like the Eilleen Fisher pants. Thanks for the kimono top idea. I like kimono tops, too, but never seem to be able to wear them. The Danish brand ‘Masai’ do a lot of things in that style – I think I will check them out next time I go shopping.
I found an Eileen Fisher video showing the pants when worn: http://youtu.be/ODZ8FVEq3wk
@Anonymous: they are very easy and comfortable to walk in – also when biking.
I’m a bit confused. Are these harem pants as well?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/153805855
They look different.
They are – super low crutch!
Also, if you have the jersey Eileen Fisher harem pant, you can pull up each leg to form a balloon skirt. I can do everything in these pants….except ride my bicycle as I have a cross bar racing bike (boy’s bike)