The high street has seen a bombardment of excess trouser material within the past year. Once reserved for well-off, OSKA wearing Grandma’s, culottes are currently the summer piece of choice for style conscious women everywhere. In an effort to stray as far as possible from the skinny trouser, culottes offer the ultimate challenge of looking trendy in a traditionally dowdy item, to those who can pull it off.

Style them with a loose white shirt and Stan Smiths for an effortlessly blasé look. For a more prim and elegant look; heels and a fitted crop top.

And if you’re feeling sad about packing them away when the weather turns sour, fear not! It looks like culottes could be here to stay this winter, with decidedly more experimental woollen numbers in ZARA this season. Again, I prefer the relaxed Stan Smith look, however if you want to take this look into the colder months, warm tights and boyish leather loafers and boots may do the trick.

Let’s also not forget about full length wide trousers and flares (I’m not going to mention the full on seventies patterned numbers, because they should be saved for fancy dress occasions only). These loose navy knitted trousers offer a cosy and comforting option. Styled with other loose, long layers, long coats and scarves; it really is a striking and high fashion look. If you’re feeling a little more daring and 90’s, the cropped flare has also emerged. In my books this should be reserved for the longer legged of us (see height of model – 180cm); having been hopeful, I tried on the black ones below in ZARA and they didn’t have quite the desired effect.

The verdict

Flares and wide legs have such embedded roots in 70’s and 90’s culture that I wonder if they ever have a place in the timeless wardrobe. Culottes have proven to be a valuable summer piece and I can see them coming around again next summer spring. I’m afraid the woollen versions may have to remain the magazines, not only for practicality purposes, but because they are so darn hard to style, although I do love a challenge…

All images courtesy of ZARA.