Pushing your comfort zone is a hard thing to do – whether at work, for your personal style, or in your relationships. It’s all about mustering that courage to break new boundaries and trying things that might at first seem really scary. I still remember the first I went sky diving or the first time I ever got up on a podium to public speak. It was scary and it definitely wasn’t comfortable. But it’s what life’s all about right? If we never try the things we might love, but are too scared to try, we’ll never know anything new or exciting.
This is normally my internal struggle with trying out new style trends. Although not as scary as making a big investment or scuba diving in the middle of the ocean, it’s still something that doesn’t quite feel right.
Recently, I’ve noticed these oversized, weirdly short, not-quite-capri pants popping up everywhere. I know you know you them too. And normally you see them styled perfectly on these beautiful fashion bloggers who make flood pants look effortless. I soon learned these weirdly shaped (seemingly unflattering) pants to be culottes.
Culottes are actually wide-legged short-pants (about the length of the knee) that are meant to kind of look like a knee-length skirt. At first I honestly thought they were hideous. It’s like I’m wearing flared pants for children? But then I did some research and found the inspiration behind the culottes trend to be really inspiring.
Culottes were a big part of female history. They were actually developed as long-split skirts for women, specifically for horse back riding, so women could ride horses like men. Culottes then became a sort of symbol of freedom for women, ditching the real skirts, and allowing them to spread those legs (not in the perverted sense). Imagine how hard it would be to not wear pants- whilst avoiding flashing people, overheating, getting a sweaty bum. The list goes on.
I loved this inspiration and totally warmed up to culottes because of it but wasn’t fully ready to spend the cash to buy a pair. So I decided to sort of start swaying in that direct with these printed, wide legged, scuba pants, that are flood-length, from ASOS.
I was a little insecure at first because they made my hips look really wide; but I realized that I liked them and that there was no one to impress but myself. The print of the pants reminded me of a cross between ocean waves and a Monet, so that’s totally what drew me to them.
The print was really busy so I paired it with a comfy one-shouldered tank, from Aritzia, and classic white strappy heels, from Zara.
The necklaces are two pieces that mean the world to me and are ones I’m normally wearing when not sporting a statement necklace. The diamond Tiffany’s Elsa Perreti necklace was a graduation gift from my grandparents (who, fun fact, were a big part in raising me) and the second was an Italian silver piece I picked up that had such perfect imperfection to it that it caught my eye. The knot is also a symbol I hold really close to me. For me, it represents loyalty, perseverance, and strength.
Overall, I think, if anything, I definitely warmed up to the wide-legged aspect of the culottes trend. I didn’t jump right into the water, but sometimes if you need to dip your toes in, that’s fine too. I always look at style as a metaphor for life (if you haven’t already noticed haha) and culottes are just another mountain I’m about to climb.
