Capri pants were a hot fashion item this past summer, and fashion journalists and designers alerted us early on that they were a “must” if one was to be in fashion. These mid-calf pants hit the scene every decade or so and have alternately been dubbed toreador pants, clam diggers or Capri pants. They have had other aliases as well, and about the same time jeans were called dungarees by Elvis, they were known as pedal pushers.  

I rejected Capri pants the first time around, because I noticed that they made my calves look heavy. Having been an avid bike rider and ballet student in my youth, my legs were already heavy enough, thank you! And besides, who would purposely want to make the legs look short and stubby? All too often, we fall victim to fashion trends, following them blindly without any thought about whether they make us look better. Alas, for the average female, Capri pants make the legs look shorter and heavier, so they are only feasible for tall, thin types seen in fashion magazines. Interestingly enough, this fad is often followed by boots or leggy looks.

Take note: The only way to wear Capri pants and truly look good is if they are very snug around the calves and if you’re wearing 3” heels. Those nice comfy “Capri” pants that are a little baggy are actually clam diggers, and they are rarely flattering.  

Most fads originate on the street, but one recurring fad originated in the White House. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was transformed and dressed by couturier Oleg Cassini.   As the First Lady had a thick waist, Cassini dressed her in princess style dresses in order to camouflage this figure flaw. The whole world followed suit, and the style lingered for an entire decade, due to the strong presence of Jackie—perhaps setting a fashion record. A few years ago, the Italian design firm Prada re-launched the “Jackie” and the shapeless style caught on again.  In reality, this is a style meant to camouflage a tummy or a thick waist, and it is not terribly flattering to most women. Nevertheless, in the hands of a couturier, using expensive fabrics and cutting on the bias, this style can fall beautifully and enhance the figure. It is when “knockoffs” and cheap copies are made that the “Jackie look” becomes a shapeless, unflattering style. As a backlash, wasp-waisted looks and wide belts often follow this look.  

Square-toed shoes and chunky heels have recently had their heyday, after having been shunned for decades. And for good reason:  they make the feet look big. It is acknowledged that some women will wear shoes in one or two sizes too small because they don’t want to have “big feet.” And these same women unknowingly make their feet look at least two sizes larger when they give in to “style” and wear shoes that look more like shoe boxes than shoes. Ideally, the feet should be as unobtrusive as possible so they do not take the attention from the face, which is the focal point of the body. Slim and pointy styles often follow on the heels (excuse the pun!) of the chunky look.

A number of makeup fads have recently re-emerged: turquoise eye shadow and ultra-pale so-called “natural” lips. Both fads are flashbacks to the Sixties. Pale lips, however, in the form of brown-toned lipsticks, have been thrust upon us by the cosmetic industry for years. It wasn’t flattering in the Sixties and it isn’t flattering now. Soft orchid lips are far more natural looking and don’t cause you to look dead tired. Turquoise eye shadow, and related colors like blue and green, are both amateurish and garish looking. However, they sell like hotcakes because they look so pretty in the containers, and they promise easy-to-do, colorful-looking eyes. Eye shadow is about giving shape and form to the eyes, not garish color.  

After a summer or two of acid green (a “faddish” and generally unflattering color if ever there was one), the fashion world has retaliated with basic black this season. There is nothing faddish about black, and it is probably the most versatile and timeless color that exists. Make certain you don’t wear black next to your face with pale or brown lips, however, or you will look like a prison matron instead of a fashion icon.  

As the legendary couturier Coco Chanel said, “Fashion changes, but style remains.” Here’s to looking stylish – and great!