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Tapered trousers, harem pants, drop-waist pants – whatever you call them, this pants trend is giving skinny jeans a run for their money. This spring, this hard-to-style trouser is set to be the runner-up pant (skinnies still reign supreme!), so you better figure out how to wear them–fast. We stalked some of our all-time favorite style blogs – Lee Oliveira, The Fancy Pants Report (how appropriate!) and Gal Meets Glam for inspiration on how to pull off these tricky bottoms. Here’s the deal:
You’ve got to start with a good tuck. If you don’t normally tuck your shirt, now’s the time to start. If you’ve always wondered how to do the perfect tuck – one that’s loose enough without billowing too much or coming undone – then it’s time to watch this video. You cannot wear a long shirt over harem pants–it looks sloppy. K?
Next step is to wear something structured to balance out the “I Dream Of Jeanie” quality of the pants. Most of the street style stars go for a structured blazer in a neutral color like black or white, which is perfect since you already own one. Moving on.
Shoe choice: Pointy-toed pumps are the best way to go. Sandals or ankle-strap heels will work, too. Avoid booties – they just don’t look good with the tapered pant leg. Trust us.
Look 1: We copied this gorgeous street style look from Lee Oliveira using floral pants from ASOS ($37.30), a Topshop black blazer ($80), Zara T-shirt ($25.90) and Nicholas Ajax Suede Pumps ($299).
Look 2: You can get the exact pair of Forever21 harem pants that blogger The Fancy Pants Report wears above. Did we mention that they are $15? Yes. Pair them with a lace bomber jacket ($334.63, down from $557.73), a white tank (tucked in!!!!), and ankle-strap Jeffrey Campbell sandals ($125).
Look 3: We love Gal Meets Glam. Not only did she style this look perfectly, but you can get her exact Theory blazer (on sale!!), Joie polka dot pants ($248), lace t-shirt ($155) and BaubleBar necklace ($46). We took out the booties (you know why) and replaced them with suede d’Orsay pumps from Vincent. We also found a cheaper look-alike of her polka dot harem pants from Forever21. They’re just $19.
