Marina | April 22, 2014 | Fashion |

Culottes have been all over the runways for this year’s spring fashion week and it’s no doubt that this is going to be one of the hottest trends for the season. Now, what are culottes, you ask? You’ve probably seen them before and just didn’t know that they were called culottes but they’re basically wide-legged pants that has medium length (most hit the calf others go lower but never floor length) and a very retro kind of look and feel to it. You could say they’re like shorter palazzo pants because they do have kind of the same look. Many women are hesitant about wearing culottes but I say it’s a risk worth taking at least once. Here are some of my favourite ways on how to wear culottes in style.

• Denim culottes – culottes are pretty much very appropriate for any street style outfit but if you want to go all out on the casual street style look, wear denim culottes. Nothing makes a piece more casual than having it in denim. You can pair your denim culottes with a tee for a look that’s fuss free, plain and simple of you can wear a nice button up shirt with it for something a bit more posh and chic.

• With heels – if you are a petite woman who likes to dress up to look tall, don’t let the bagginess and the silhouette of culottes overwhelm you. Get yourself a pair and wear them to boost your height. Because culottes traditionally hit mid calf, it tends to leave a bit of skin showing (assuming that you have the perfect length for your height) and when you wear heels with it, it can really give the illusion of longer legs, making you look a few inches taller than you really are.

• Monochromatic – monochromatic outfits also help make you look taller and, again, with the right pair of culottes, you can maximize this elongating effect to really boost your height. Black is a popular choice when it comes to creating a monochromatic outfit because it not only makes you look taller but it makes you look slimmer as well. Wear a top and culottes in matching colors to get that monochromatic look and wear heels with this outfit to see how much taller you can appear to be.

• Light and girly – culottes have a very abstract silhouette and that is because of its cut. Sometimes, slightly stiff fabric is used to give culottes a more defined shape but if you want to achieve a look that’s rather girly and flirty, stick to culottes made of light, airy and flowy material that will move with you. Pair it with a structured top like a tailored blazer to balance everything out and to avoid looking too sloppy.

• Plain colors – if you just want something conventional and fool proof, wearing culottes in solid colors is always a good idea. You can wear it with a plain top as well too keep the minimalistic look or you can wear a printed or patterned top with it to give it more character.

structure plain black culottes

• Printed – and lastly, if you’re more on the wild, bold and fun side, try wearing printed culottes. They’re really gorgeous and they give your whole outfit a much more exciting and interesting look. If you’re bold enough, you can even find a top and culottes that match prints and wear them like a one-piece jumpsuit.