peg leg trousers

Sorry I keep writing about clothes... but on an impulse last night I bought a pair of 1980s checked peg leg trousers for £6.98 on eBay. Daft? For someone who is 5'6 and not in the possession of the world's longest legs, it's probably disastrous. I was messing around with some pairs in Topshop at the weekend and thought, with some heels and a bit of imagination, they could be OK. However, I wasn't prepared to pay £35 for the privilege of finding out they are NOT OK, so I've been scouring eBay, where you can pick up some great vintage pairs (velvet pair below from this seller), or new ones made by Gap, All Saints, Topshop etc. for a lot less than full retail price. If like me you're not sure if a look will really suit you, I think getting some on the cheap is a good idea (probably something that some other poor mug has discarded because this look DOESN'T SUIT ANYONE under 5'11). OK, so the pair I got were probably not the best, but then I like to be a little bit off-centre when it comes to fashion. It will never do to be too slavish.


What to wear them with? Damned if I know. A jersey vest tucked in and a big smile are probably my safest bets. I'm wondering, though, if a cropped and gently tapered version like these at Urban Outfitters would have been more flattering...


It's not a huge step from the tapered trouser look, but this season there is a new trend for a certain kind of sweat pant. Yes, trackie bottoms, joggers whatever - they were all over the catwalks. Not any kind of sweat pant, mind. They have to be tapered to the ankle with/without a cuff, be the right kind of colour (read grey or black), and MUST be worn with the right thing on top otherwise you're going to look like you just crawled out of bed to buy milk on some council estate in Manchester. Comfortable, easy on the eye, versatile... God knows, this could be a fashion hit. Topshop has some in light and darker grey, or find them at ASOS here, here, and here, or Urban Outfitters here amongst many others. Or we could all realize that these can make our arses look huge and the whole thing could die.


Image from here.

EDIT (May 2010): see how I wore these trousers here.