Forget all about the low-rise, straight jeans and loose fitting pants. Today’s fashion industry has a variety of fashion ideas and designers ready to make you look not only sexy, but also stylish. Whether you prefer to be on the cutting edge of fashion or not concerned with the latest styles, let’s face it, fashion is the focus today! Always interested in fashion, Chantelle Uwimbabazi, 23, says she was “so upset” when her fiancé, Jean Marie, asked her to stop wearing short pants, because he was jealous that she would attract a lot of men. “I’m fashion conscious, and used to go with the latest trends before he could dictate to me about what I should wear,” she said. Justine Gasengayire is one of those girls who buy what is the latest in the fashion industry. She confesses that today, she would prefer to wear short pants for informal outdoor events, because shorts are the latest in fashion. The irony of this trend, Clever Bizimana, 38, a born again Christian says, it is sinful according to the Bible, because women use it as a tool to seduce men into sex immorality. “The Bible urges us to avoid a sin and anything that can lead us into a sin. So, when our sisters wear short pants and expose their interesting body profiles, we are forced to sexually admire them, thus committing a sin before God,” says Bizimana. According to Abdul Gatete, 41, and a father of three teenager girls, “Decent pants with hip- covering tops would be a better option, given of course that seduction is not one of their intentions,” says Gatete. Gatete says a very obvious situation is when the so-called fashion puts the wearer at risk to be the target of sexual abuse which can even lead to rape. Historically, in the African traditional setting, women are expected to wear long dresses, covering their entire body. But during the late 90s, these women started adopting fashion. They were influenced by their sisters in the West. Although short pants for Rwandan women and girls did not become fashion items until recently, the trend has spread quickly. For all fashion conscious ladies, Classic Boutique down town offers finely ladies’ designer short pants. Safari Mutabazi, owner of Classic Boutique, says the pants are available in different patterns and sizes to meet varied needs of their clients. “We have tight friendly designer shorts, pocketed, comfortable walkers, colour fastness and so on,” says Mutabazi. TipsJessica Kalisa, shopassistant at Fashion 2 Boutique in Nyamirambo, says short pants made from cotton fabrics or jeans can also make you look chic and smart. “If you wish to wear short pants, their length should be till the knee or slightly above the knee,” says a Chantal Batamuriza, a model in Kigali. Remember, good things come in small packages, so it does not matter if you are short. The key here is to help you make sure you appear taller and comfortable in your pants. “Well-fitting tops reaching above the hip can be worn. Please go for high heels, they will make you look taller,” says Mama Bebe, proprietor of Jupiter Boutique at Union Trade Center. lindaonly2005@yahoo.com
