The Latest Pant: Paperbag Cropped Trousers, Marc Jacobs Resort 2010Slouchy, loose-yet-fitted, pleated and pegged...these are all the buzz words for Resort 2010. And since the Resort Collections are just an overture to what you will see for Spring/Summer, then this is just the beginning of a major trend alert!
These Pants look AMAZING...on a 6'2" size 2 model: Proenza Schouler Resort 2010Designers, from Marc Jacobs to Proenza Schouler to Lanvin's Alber Elbaz, are still in a major 1980's "moment" and these pants are indicative of this. Since I am a child of the 80's, I unfortunately remember these. I would venture to guess that most of the Design Assistants at these firms, weren't even born in the 1980s (God I feel old!) and think these are just so "new and fresh". When I see these, all I can think of is Dexy's Midnight Runners and their 1982 "Come On Eileen" video.
Matthew Williamson Resort 2010As I began looking at all the Resort Collection photos, I noticed these pant styles kept popping up. What first came to mind was can a "real girl" wear these? The silhouette alone seems to be unflattering to just about EVERY OTHER GIRL---except the 5'11", 112 lb, size 2 model wearing them! They emphasize your hips and cut off your legs at a rather unflattering line. But to heck with that. Fashion doesn't have to be for everybody.
Cropped Graduate: A design from FIDM Debut '09 graduate, Adrian ManuelThese pants are fabulous and chic-- if you are a size 0-4 fashionista girl, a junior Vogue editor fresh out of NYU or a young, tall and thin Hollywood starlet or singer. And I must admit, I thought they were cute enough for one of my FIDM Advanced Fashion Design students to show them for their Debut 2009 Collection earlier this year.
Phillip Lim 3.1 Resort 2010I'll be really curious to see how much this trend takes effect and how soon Forever 21 knocks it off! I'm sure you could already find a pair at H & M. The one thing this trend might be really good for is the Shoe Industry. Whereas the trend before was to cover the shoe with floor-grazing jeans and trousers, now we are exposing them with these new cropped and pegged high-waisted baggy pants. And just when you think that it's only the females who are being burdened with this trend: Think again. The latest Paris and Milan Menswear Collections also showed cropped , pegged and (I am about to scream!) PLEATED pants!!!!