This Fall 2009 fashion had a love affair with leather and trousers were one of the preferred ways to show it off... Designers like Matthew Williamson and Marc Jacobs experimented with color while gothic brands like Ohne Titel and Rad Hourani turned out classic black styles. Although they didn't have the same impact as leather over-the-knee boots did, leather trousers are a definite trend for Fall 2009. Check out a few pairs we find memorable in the gallery below.
If you invest in anything this summer, make it a pair of silk trousers or shorts. Not only will they keep you cool in the sweltering weather, but they'll instantly update your wardrobe for the new season. Now that Fall 09 is behind us, and we've had the chance to re-think Spring 09, we're reminded of Rachel Comey's colorful silk pieces that so embody the spirit of this season. Keep track of her summer deliveries right here, or, look to Topshop for options below the contemporary price point.
From Left: Temperley London Leopard-print harem pants $785 @ Net-a-Porter, Printed Hareems $80 @ Topshop, Henrik Vibskov African Pants $245 @ The V-Store
Whether or not you've fully embraced the harem trouser trend is dependent on whether you're willing to wear them in a loud print. While the black jersey versions are seeping into the female consumer conscious these statement-making renderings are definitely not mainstream just yet. If you're brave enough to wear them we think that a black bodysuit and a pair of simple heels would balance out the look.
We've been going around in circles with draped trousers and strong shoulders for a while now, and this season is no exception. This morning, Balenciaga revealed an utterly polished version of the look which made us sigh "only in Paris" over our morning coffee. Earlier this season, in New York, Temperley London gave us an exaggerated version--fit for a London It-Girl--and Marc Jacobs gave us a truly American rendering with denim and colored metallic. No matter which style you identify with, it seems the options are still plentiful.
Clockwise from top left: Burberry Prorsum Silk Crepe Carrot Leg Trousers $1195 @ Burberry, Silk Crepe Cropped Harem Trousers $129 @ Bebe, Alexander Wang Silk Harem Pants $425 @ Net-a-Porter, Unique Silk Zip Up Trouser $145 @ Topshop, Silk Roll-Up Pant $69.50 @ Victoria's Secret, Sonia Rykiel Cotton Silk Harem Pants $985 @ Net-a-Porter
Available at almost every price point, versatile enough to wear them from February through July, we just can't see what's not to like about tapered silk trousers. Oh, did we mention that they're quite flattering? That you can wear them to work, a cocktail party, or grocery shopping just the same? Our favorites, from under one hundred to over one thousand dollars, above.
For obvious reasons, trousers are a main topic of conversation when it comes to menswear and this Fall 09 there is no shortage of trends cropping up. For starters, we think cuffed trousers will remain a big hit in menswear. This season the style appeared on the Neil Barrett, Frankie Morello, and Alessandro Dell'Acqua catwalks and was hinted at on the Missoni and Gucci catwalks with not cuffed, but ankle-grazing lengths.
We went ahead and did it--50 pairs of trousers from 50 different designers because, even though it will be summer, a pair of trousers is the basis of a good wardrobe and the determinate of the blouse lengths, heel heights, hair styles, and overall atmosphere of a season. For today's Trend Report we bring you every trouser silhouette and textile you could imagine. Click the designer's name below the featured runway image to see their Spring 2009 show.
Alice Ritter's wild, champagne-filled presentation was what started our New York Fashion Week this past Fall 08, but this season Ritter decided to skip the excess and focus her energies on making a closely edited, salable collection. We can say that she was successful in her process, especially by way of the trousers. Today we saw four pairs of the same billowed trousers in four different fabrications. It was efficient on her part and will be indulgent for consumers because these pants will likely be snatched up in all four fabrics by Ritter fans. Our personal favorites were the hunter green washed silk pair, that would look amazing with heels and a simple cotton blouse come Summer. Billowy pants with an elastic waistband, ankle cuffs, and side pockets are our new Spring 09 plight. After all, it only takes one pattern to spend a lot of money.
Yes, you're hearing us right, we've found the culmination of all of our Fall 08 desires in the form of one single pair of trousers, namely, the Siwy Hannah trousers in (wait for it) SEQUINS! We remember it like it was yesterday, we sat down to watch the YSL Fall 08 show and caught a glimpse of the outfit that just about did it for us; those voluminous sequined trousers would forever be burned into our minds. Months later we realized the weight of the sequin trend and set about putting a sequined somethingorother on our Fall 08 shopping list. And then we found the sequined Hannah pants from a brand we already love (just check the tag) and in a very flattering slim cropped drainpipe cut. The only question remaining in our minds is whether to size up and how the other e-commerce sites plan to style these magic pants--because the white tank and platforms kind of miss the mark.
We've come to a decision about our Fall look and we feel the need to share. It came to us through editorial osmosis, from seeing these two items separately, and then together, and then separately, until we finally began to feel like this should come to represent our entire fall look. The ankle boot and short pant combination, editorialized at left in the Topshop Fall 08 look book, is easy to put together at any price point. Our plan, in case you're curious, is to start with the trousers and boots and build out our other blouses and frocks and jackets once those two key pieces have been established (we're thinking a navy trench, marching band jacket, Lyell blouses, and sheer boyish tops). So, this weekend we went and bought the LD Tuttle Nebula boots which we'd been eying for some time. To save some money on the trousers we intend to employ a little DIY by finding an inexpensive trouser at Express, The Gap, or Uniqlo and then having them tailored in the Lower East Side to be on the short and narrow. We're hoping to find a range of colors. We're pretty excited. We'll keep you posted on our work and in the meantime, if you fancy this styling for your Fall wardrobe, our favorites are below.
Yes, you're hearing us right, we've found the culmination of all of our Fall 08 desires in the form of 
Schuh
COUTURE COUTURE
Giorgio Fedon
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