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Hush’s bestselling product to date? Its new elasticated-waist Jack trousers, which sold out in all five colours in four weeks.
Stretchy waistbands are also trending at M&S and Reiss. The message is clear: comfort is king. But that doesn’t mean you need to look as though you left the house in your pyjamas. The high street has come on leaps and bounds since the long-reigning tracksuit bottoms of the pandemic.
Below, the You Magazine team shows you how to make your comfy trousers chic…
Tracey wears: Trousers, £95, hush-uk.com. Jumper, £49, jigsaw-online.com. Blazer, £99.90, uniqlo.com. Shirt, £29, next.co.uk. Jewellery, Tracey’s own. Shoes, £36, Topshop, asos.com
Tracey Lea Sayer, Head of channel
I don’t need any excuse to try out a pair of comfy trousers! I already live in them seven days a week. I have always been a trousers gal at heart – and if they are comfy and have an expandable waistband, even better.
I had heard lots of good things about the Hush trousers. Mine are blush pink – love the colour – and 100 per cent cotton, which immediately makes them cool to wear as the temperature rises. Plus, the barrel shape is my go-to cut as it gives my boyish frame a more feminine shape.
I am a UK size 8-10, so I chose the small size for the shoot. In hindsight, I should have sized down because, while I love these trousers, they were slightly too baggy around the crotch… and nobody needs that.
Comfort is key for me, but I wasn’t expecting the trousers to be completely elasticated around the waist. I normally go for trousers that have elastic at the back and then a regular flat waistband around the front, so I can half-tuck a shirt in and still feel smart.
If I were asked to mark these trousers out of ten, I would give them a solid seven. They’re comfy and cute, with a nice casual vibe, but because of the waistband I wouldn’t wear them to work. I would save them for the weekend only.
Sophie wears: Trousers, £108, jaki.co.uk. Jacket, £79.20, johnlewis.com. Earrings, £195, missoma.com. Bracelets and rings, Sophie’s own. Bag, £455, strathberry.com. Sandals, £46, marksandspencer.com
Sophie Dearden-Howell, fashion director
When I was first set the challenge of styling up elasticated trousers to look smart enough for the office, I was very dubious. I opt for a dressier style in life; tailoring or a splash of glamour with a chic cut is my go-to choice, and I doubted whether you could make an elasticated waist look sexy. I was, however, excited by the prospect of comfort. Back in the pandemic, I leant into a very stretchy tracksuit (full set – I didn’t go off the rails completely) and I enjoyed it.
I have now tried silk trousers, linen palazzo pants and even tailored cigarette trousers with elasticated waists. In every style I have felt completely myself and even elevated. Whether paired with cropped, beautiful knits; peplum; billowing jackets or silk shirts, I love them. But I will say this: the elasticated waist should be covered, even by just the hem of a top. I do not want to see it, even if I can feel it.
Natasha Tomalin-Hall, creative director
I do not do loungewear in any shape or form. When I get home from work, I do not change out of my work attire to sit on the sofa and watch Married At First Sight, I’m quite happy to sit there in my velvet suit, polo neck and underwired bra until I get ready for bed. That’s because I find any sort of stretchy clothes slobby and quite frankly repulsive. They’re not flattering and they induce a kind of lazy state that does not suit any part of my very busy life (watching MAFS included).
I also only wear black, and even if I wanted to partake in wearing a bit of soft jersey, comfy clothes don’t often come in black – except for leggings (and don’t even get me started on those).
So, you can imagine my horror when the fashion director asked me to be pictured wearing stretchy trousers for this feature. But I like a challenge, so I accepted – and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised. Of course, a stretchy waistband is easier on the tummy if you’ve overdone it on the jacket potato at lunch, and the corduroy material is almost like velvet so doesn’t feel as slovenly as jersey.
Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be making a habit of wearing this sort of thing on the regular, but paired with this sexy Sezane top I would actually consider wearing this outfit to work, possibly to a lunch – and maybe, maybe I could be persuaded to sit on the sofa in it and watch MAFS…
Hannah Skelley, fashion editor
When I hear ‘elasticated waist’ my mind jumps to fleecy, frumpy joggers (I actually don’t own a pair and I’m not sure I ever will). But if you cast your eyes along the FROW at Fashion Week you’ll notice there has been a subtle slackening. Clothes have gone from tight and trussed up to baggy and slouchy. Oversized is the new regular size, and waistbands are seemingly becoming more relaxed now, too.
In my mind, jeans shouldn’t come with a stretchy waistband unless you’re a toddler, but after I dropped my ego I was genuinely delighted with this wide-legged pair. To my surprise I felt just as polished as I would in my close-fitting, stiff Levi’s.
And there’s no denying the excellent comfort factor; sitting in them all day was akin to relaxing in a pair of leggings. There’s nothing digging in and they also don’t require a restrictive belt. Adding elevated staples, such as a crisp shirt, chunky statement jewellery and point-toe heels amped up the look further. That’s the trick for taking your stretchy styles from so-so to chic.
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