Now and then there comes a trend so beautifully straightforward you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Like throwing on a sweatshirt and track pants and ending up with “sports luxe”, or wearing flat shoes with everything.
Flared trousers are not one of those trends. The polar opposite of the tailored, streamlined silhouette that has dominated our wardrobes since we got our first taste of skinny jeans, flares can be an intimidating prospect at the best of times, and downright ridiculous at the worst. After all, looking like you’ve taken a wrong turn out of Woodstock isn’t everyone’s idea of a good look.
Or is it? It seems that the Seventies’ favourite trouser style is no longer the left-field option, but is well on its way to becoming the defining shape of the season. One style in particular is proving increasingly hard to ignore — let’s call it the martini flare; first for its shape (slim at the leg, fluted below the knee) and second because, much like its namesake, once you’ve tried one you’ll develop a thirst for the next.
The flare trend - in pictures
It began — as fashion trends often do — with Céline. And those rib-knit trousers. Several high-street copycats later and kick flares are officially back on the map. Roksanda — London’s queen of pitch-perfect silhouettes — has also honed many flatteringly flared styles (with a modern appeal) in her recent offerings, from classic tailored black through to eye-popping prints.
Then, of course, there is the denim. Among the most flattering on offer are Le High Flares from Frame Denim and MiH’s cult Marrakesh jean — both of which come with the exact amount of stretch to skim the hips and elongate the leg, while J Brand’s martini jean comes in several form-hugging styles, from classic indigo to cocktail-hour black velveteen. London design duo Marques’Almeida also provided a fresh take on the trend with Nineties frayed bootcut-style jeans slashed to the ankle.
But for every decent option in the shops now, there’ll be 10 more come spring. On the SS15 catwalk at London Fashion Week Tom Ford gave us brocade glam-rock bell-bottoms, House of Holland re-fashioned Seventies kick flares splashed with psychedelic florals and Antonio Berardi produced martini flare eveningwear cut from heavy Jacquard. Our conclusion: this is one habit you won’t want to kick in January.
