Beauty: Culottes on the fashion runway once again

Culottes are back in action. Back in the nineties culottes were so hot that most girls had them. Culottes are a form of split skirt. They are usually made full or calf length, and consist of a pair of loose, flowing trousers which strongly resemble a skirt until the wearer engages in vigorous physical activity that you will notice the difference. Many active women who believe in wearing modest clothing for religious reasons wear culottes, as they allow a full range of movement without the potential for exposure. Culottes came into action in 1800’s so that women could ride astride on horse back instead of side-saddle. The split skirt configuration of culottes was ideal for riding safely while preserving modest norms which were highly considered then. Culottes were worn by many women of modest families well into the 1900s, and were often sewn in fashionable patterns for a variety of tastes and classes, depending on the social class of a person. Fashion evolution has made it possible now for even our own daughters to wear culottes. I bought a pair of culottes for my pre-teenage daughter and she thought I had bought her a weird trouser, until when she saw culottes on the fashion runway for spring and summer collection by the famous designer Dolores that she agreed to start wearing hers. The advantage of culottes is that they can be from office wear to evening wear. In the office a well sewn culotte can resemble a skirt, especially when the blouse is tucked in and belted. Also, for the office wear, a culotte is best kept modest and simple, so that one maintains a professional look. A nice chiffon or cotton blouse with ruffles can do the trick with office wear. Accessories such as earrings chain and bangles should also be very minimal when going to the office so as not to create drama. For the evening wear a culotte looks very cute when paired with a sleeveless blouse and flat shoes with dangling earrings. This can also be possible on a weekend out to the beach or shopping. Even though many women wear culottes for modesty, they are often thick; in fact culottes are better when they are heavy because it tends to be more flayer and hide all the curves for bigger women, and they also create an illusion of an hour glass shape for thinner women who want to look curvy. Thanks to designers like Paul Gaultier and Viviene Westwood Culottes can now be seen in a wide variety of colours and patterns, and many of the culottes now come as pleated or gathered for visual interest. When it comes to culotte fashion, you don’t have to look at your age, and be ashamed to wear it, because they are big enough to cover all the curves that some women might fear showing Culottes are now on the runway, and they are here to stay. Get in touch with your designer and get a pair for yourself. kayitesius@yahoo.com

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Beauty: Culottes on the fashion runway once again