Dramatic! Flare in Style
These days, you’ll blink and there’s a new trend coming in. One minute skinny jeans and tight tops are out, then baggy jeans and oversized tops are coming in. The next one? Dramatic flared tops and pants. It’s hard to keep up, but these trends are always coming in and out of style at different periods. Flared outfits, to be exact, are making their big comeback since the peak disco era in the 70’s. How funny is it that any flared silhouette was a style that fashion-forward young people have steered clear of until now?
The thought of wearing dramatic ’70s style bottoms felt so cartoonish and retro for my taste growing up. Imagining myself wearing any kind of flared sleeves or pants made me feel like I was dressing up as a vampire on Halloween or cosplaying as a Go-Go girl, so it was never my first choice in my closet. However, I’ve started to see the appeal in dramatic flared pants and long flared sleeves that can work on any occasion, whether it be in a casual or dressy context. The beginning of the new year is the time when everyone is ready to get out of their comfort zones, and what better way to do that than to add more drama and flare to your outfits?
Where flared jeans were once considered a more hippie and groovy style, they’re nowadays seen as a sophisticated and polished look that automatically elevates an outfit. Last spring, we started to see a big appearance in flares for several designer fashion shows. We saw a lot of sleek moto jackets being paired with flared jeans, ruffle-trimmed corsage blouses, and long flared-out dresses on the runway by renowned designers like Celine, Valentino, and Zimmermann. What’s noticeably different about the way flares are being incorporated today compared to before is how they’re pieced together with more simple, minimalist pieces like a neutral tank or a midi a-line skirt that allow the flowy flares to be the shining star of the outfit in an effortless and chic way.
Style the flared jeans with pieces that have a sharper structure instead of velvet and typical crochet tops. Adding on minimalist pieces like a turtleneck or neutral top makes the overall look feel very mature and slick, especially styled with a leather jacket and statement earrings. Recent street-style photos prove that this look is super wearable on many occasions. You can easily make your office outfit look sharp and stylish by wearing flared pants with a white tee, a color-block blazer, and pointed boots. For a casual brunch day, you can pair a flared ruffled top with a pair of straight-legged jeans, and some platform sandals that give off the perfect balance of a lively and casual enough outfit for the day.
Adding some flare to my outfits doesn’t feel nearly as intimidating now as it did a couple of years ago. If you’re anything like me and felt apprehensive about wearing some floor-grazing pants, now’s the time to try it out for yourself! This year you will find more people piecing together their boxy tees or moto jackets with some fun dramatic flares, and might surprisingly become a new staple outfit in your wardrobe.