Runways this year may be inundated with the cold shoulder and Victorian trends. However, culottes have caught my eye this year. I was inspired most by Sportmax resort 2016 collection; their pleated culottes enthralled me. The culottes were very structured. The mainly neutral color pallet of this collection gives the pieces a very sleek and modern look. These are not your mother’s culottes of the ’70s. This collection pairs culottes with chunky and heavy pieces, such as a sweater or a blue jean top. Sportmax also includes wide leg trousers and structured long trench coats in their resort 2016 collection.
Translating these structured and larger than life pieces can be difficult in everyday life; however, I am here to help. When making culottes apart of your wardrobe keep in mind these three tips. Tip one: find a pair of culottes that fit your waist and length perfectly. The wider the leg of the culottes the shorter the length should be on you. For my vertically challenged Fashionistas, buying culottes with the wrong length may change the look into trousers instead of culottes. Pleated culottes can help you identify this problem by finding were you want the pleat to hit on your legs. Pictured above I am wearing pleated grey culottes that are perfect length for my short stature. The length of the culottes falls right in the middle of my calf.
My second tip to rock culottes is to not be afraid to accentuate the waist. What I found consistent in the Sportmax resort 2016 collection was that each look had either a belted waist or a waist length top. Accentuating the waist makes the look more feminine. In my outfit I opted for a low cut, spaghetti strap top. I tucked the top into my culottes to create a waist. I then added Jewelry to my look to add femininity once again.
Last, pick your shoe wisely and make sure that it goes along with your day. For instance, I am wearing pointed flats for a work appropriate look. However, if you are looking to glam up the look, definitely go for heels. You can even pair a sporty gym shoe with this trend to achieve a street style look. Don’t forget to have fun with this trend! You can adapt this trend to your style simply by changing up your shoes and accessories. From office to a sporty street style, culottes are an easy way to elevate your look this year.
Get My Look: 1. Pleated culottes. 2. Top. 3. Coach bag.
