Cool Culottes....

Style Theory: Can Culottes be cool again? The answer is yes. They look chic, cool and elegant when styled correctly and come in so many shapes and fabrics there is a style to suit everyone..

Culottes have been trying to regain their fashion status since the 90s. Every year they are nudged into our consciousness by the designers then duly elbowed out by the consumers on the high street not ready to take the plunge. This year however, the big names in the designer world decided they would champion the culotte with the likes of Philip Lim, Tibi, Hermes, Mulberry and Victoria Beckham all featuring culottes on their SS14 catwalk shows and now the High Street has followed...

The word on the street is that culottes are cool and here is how the cool girls are styling them:

I love the bold clash of colours, adds an edge to the culottes.

All black works perfectly.

A winter look to replicate now. The big scarf balances the volume of the culottes.

Keep clothes monochrome for a sleak, unfussy look.

I love the sporty twist the white vest top brings this look.

I love the shirt tucked in the culottes, it looks so chic.

Bold, a statement, the jewel colours together look fabulous.

Sophisticated, I love the long coat with this look.

Edgy and cool, how gorgeous are these shoes?

Shorter culottes can work with trainers/slip ons if you are feeling brave

They are fairly difficult to wear 'right', so here are some styling tips when wearing culottes:

• Wear with heels, this will elongate the legs and make the ankles look slimmer
• Work a tailored look, wear with a shirt or blouse and wear tucked in.
• Wear with a jacket that sits on the waist band of your culottes, not any lower, again this will elongate your legs.
• If wearing a coat try to ensure the coat finishes below or on the hem of your culottes, not shorter, for a more flattering look. 

The best culottes on the High Street:

Marks and Spencer Autograph Luxury Pleated Culottes £79

I love the colour and shape of these culottes, I would wear with a chambray shirt or the H&M top below.

Topshop Pleat Front Culottes £50

These are wide so will be flattering on the bottom of the legs and ankles, you would definitely have to wear with heels or heeled knee high boots, I would pair with tan boots for a 70s feel.

River Island Black Smart Belted Culottes £30

A reasonable price, these would be a good work option.

Next Crepe Culottes £26

These are shorter, the proportions would work well for a petite person.

John Lewis Kin Culottes £69

These are less skirt like, narrower culottes, these can be worn with a more sporty look, John Lewis had paired them with a cute Kin bomber jacket that looks lovely but again I would try to wear with heels.

Dorothy Perkins Crepe Culottes £20

I so like the shape of these ones and the price is good, I have ordered these I will let you know what they are like and how I style them.

Net A Porter See by Chloe Denim Culottes £215

I love these denim culottes, they are completely out of my price range but they are tailored to perfection and look gorgeous.

Toast Denim Culottes £95

These are again a little pricey but I love the width and shape of them, I would wear them with a fine pale denim shirt and a pair of animal print heels.

Topshop Indigo Moto Culottes £35

Lavish Alice Cross Over Culotte £48

If you are brave enough to wear white these are a gorgeous option I love the front cross over detail and the chic length.

Marks and Spencer Rich Floral Cropped Trousers £79

Ok, I may be pushing it to class these as culottes but they are quite baggy on and I just love love them, they have a short sleeve top to match, this would look amazing as an outfit for a Spring/summer wedding with a pair of fine navy or orange heels.

So there is my selection of culottes, notoriously difficult to wear but when they are styled correctly can look cool and edgy.

A few ideas of what to wear with them:

Left: Cos Textured Knit Jumper £49
Right: Gap fitted Oxford Shirt £29.95

Left: Topshop Moto Boxy shirt £28
Right: H&M Stripe Blouse £19.99

It is really best to keep tops short or tuck them in, I love all these tops and they would sit perfectly with new culottes.

My Style:

This is what I have been wearing this week, I have been inspired by seeing a lot of red on the AW14 catwalks so have pulled out some of my red items to team together. 

I wore this outfit for a lunch out with friends and the kids...it is all Zara (guess where I shop?!):

Jacket: Zara
Jumper: Zara
Skirt: Zara
Shoes: Zara

 

Went to see the butterflies at RHS Wisley with my Dad and the kids, it was a beautiful day and the kids loved it, casual was the dresscode of the day!

Jumper: Topshop
Jeans: Diesel
Trainers: John Lewis

The kids butterfly spotting!

That is all from me today, will you be indulging in the culotte trend..are you brave enough or maybe they will be easier to wear in the warmer weather?

As always I would love to hear your thoughts, till next time Frances xxxx