The hot pants

Next time you are at a party, look around -- the one thing you will notice is that most of the guests' legs are covered. Yes, despite the t...

Next time you are at a party, look around — the one thing you will notice is that most of the guests’ legs are covered. Yes, despite the trend towards baring all these days, whether you are a man or a woman, trousers seem to be the preferred choice. "You could call me a trousers chick," says Meghna Reddy, model and style guru to Mumbai’s hip and trendy.

But that does not mean that you are cursed to look the same all the time. As trousers evolved to become a fashion must, designers went back to the drawing board and came up with several options. For women, for instance, there is a choice between hipsters, palazzos, flares, the straight-leg cut and capri pants. However, the reigning cut has been the hipster. Even though most Mumbaikars do not have the figure for them and in Europe this style is now considered passe. Says Priya Ailawadi of The Oak Tree, a swanky store in Colaba, "Everyone wants a pair of pants these days. We sell three times as many trousers as we do skirts and dresses. And most women want hipsters."

For the festive season, suede and velvet hipsters are particularly popular. Priya blames veejays and the media for this trend. "Hipsters do not suit most people but since they are in fashion, everyone wants to wear them. You need to have slim hips and a tiny waist to wear them," she says. Let’s face it, how many Indian women can boast of slim hips? That’s unless you are a Meghna Reddy. She only wears low-waisted pants that are boot-legged (a boot-leg cut means a slight flare from the calf and is worn long. If you buy the right fit they can make you look taller). Meghna feels that low-waisted trousers make her ultra-slim body look more in proportion. For the rest of us, Priya recommends normal straight pants over the hipster variety.

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Shahab Durazi has completely stayed away from the hipster, however. His current collection consists of capri (narrow) pants, wide-legged trousers and trousers that are slightly flared from the knee. He has used soft fabrics such as crepe to make sure that his trousers have a good fall and do not look stiff. "More women are wearing trousers as they are more comfortable," he says. He stays away from hipsters as he does not believe they blend well with the sophisticated look he is synonymous with. "Trousers are making news in the fashion world today and not the skirt," he says. And Lascelles Symons, model-turned-designer, agrees. He has just returned from London and says that capri pants are now the hot, must-have item in every woman’s wardrobe.

Designer Adarsh Gill does not agree. Adarsh, who has worked in Europe and America previously, is a new entrant to Mumbai’s fashion scene. According to her, "Trousers are not considered formal abroad. It is not chic to be in trousers for a formal occasion." Also she thinks that the Indian client is not as aware as her Western counterpart about what suits her body type. She recommends that they take advise from a designer or a boutique owner before buying a pair of pants. She suggests narrow trousers for the slim and palazzo pants for heavier women. "Trousers are great if you have a perfect body," she says. Lascelles says that a dress looks better on chubby women as it hides more flaws. Trousers on the other hand reveal all your flaws, specially if you wear a short top. If you have a paunch or wide hips stick to a long blouse or a jacket. Trousers with lycra can look very awkward if they are too tight.

Even for men — for whom trousers have for long been the dress code, the only option — buying a pair of trousers is not an easy job. Shahab has concentrated on two types of designs for the coming season. Fully-pleated trousers and straight trousers, cut like jeans. "You have to very careful when you buy trousers for a man. A cut that is too baggy can stunt," he says. Lascelles adds that a man’s trousers must reflect his personality. While he wears very colourful and bold prints on his pants, he says that not everyone can carry them off. He recommends the sleek look — trousers that have flat pleats at the front. Boot-leg trousers for men are a definite no-no. "They look too feminine," he says. But he does not like boot-leg trousers on women either. Like most men he prefers to see his women in a skirt!