How to Style Flared Pants for Curvy Women

Every woman has observed a fashion trend at some point in her life and thought, "That looks fun, but it's not for me." Our quick dismissals stem from all kinds of reasoning. Perhaps we assume the trend won't flatter our body. Or maybe we aren't sure how we'd style outfits with the trend. Most commonly, we're more comfortable sticking to the time-honored favorites within our style.

It's wonderful to develop a strong sense of what you love wearing and what you don't, but trying new clothing items can be a great way to expand your style. As a recent trend and somewhat intimidating garment, flared pants could be the perfect place to begin. It's not that flared pants are hard to wear — on the contrary, many pairs feature soft, stretchy fabric that's more comfortable than denim. Flared pants have a different cut and style than skinny jeans or cropped pants. Learning how to style flared pants can be your ticket to adding exciting new outfits to your wardrobe.

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What Are Flared Pants?

Flared pants get their namesake from their signature flared leg. These pants are tight through the hips and knees and flare, starting below the knee, to the floor. Depending on the pair, flared pants could have a dramatic shape or a more subtle shape. Many flared pants are also high-waisted, which has an extremely flattering effect when paired with the long pant leg. Across all body types, flared pants can make your legs look longer and add a unique touch to any outfit.

Though flared pants are incredibly trendy right now, this isn't their first time in the spotlight. Bellbottoms rose to popularity in the 1960s and '70s as a cultural symbol. Young people began wearing bellbottoms as an anti-war sentiment and a sign of separation from their parents' generation. As the trend grew, designers accommodated. Eventually, skinny and bootcut jeans overtook bellbottoms in the '80s and '90s. 

Today, flared pants are less of a symbol and more of a response to the abundance of tight-legged pants in style. If you want to give this trend a try, rest assured you'll have plenty of options to find a pair you love!

Flared Pant Style Options

There are many ways to customize your flared pants to match your style. If you're nervous about trying this cut, you can start with something simple that works with a wide range of tops and shoes. If you want to go big and try something different, there are plenty of styles available! Here are some of the options you can expect when browsing flared pants.

• Solid colors: Flared styles come in an array of colors. Popular hues include olive green, plum, red and more. You can also find black flared pants, which are extremely functional when it comes to styling.
• Prints: In addition to solid colors, flared pants boast a variety of fun prints. If you're a fan of animal print, look for a leopard or snakeskin pattern. You can also find this cut with colorful vertical stripes, which help elongate your legs further!
• Fabrics: Unlike jeans, flared pants come in many fabrics. For extremely comfy and stretchy options, look for polyester fabrics. For a sexy twist, opt for a velvet flare pant. You can also try corduroy fabric for a versatile and professional look. The fabric thickness you choose will influence how wide and structured the leg flare will be. For example, a polyester pant will have a more relaxed flare, compared to a corduroy option.

How to Wear Flare Pants for Plus-Sized Women

Styling flare pants is all about creating balance within your outfit. Flared pants are much fuller at the bottom than at the hips. Matching the rest of your outfit to this shape and avoiding clothes that add busyness keeps your flare pant ensemble clean and stylish. The following are several factors to think about when selecting and wearing flared pants.

Consider Your Body Shape

One of the best things about flared pants is that they look great on all body types. For an ultimate flattering look, tailor your flare size to your silhouette.

• Pear/hourglass: If your hips, thighs and rear are larger than your waist and bust, a wide flare is perfect for you. The flare can accentuate or create an hourglass shape that highlights your curves in all the right ways.
• Apple: If you have a fuller midsection, narrow hips and slimmer legs, a smaller flare may work nicely. A subtle flare captures the iconic look of these pants without overpowering your hips.
• Tall/straight: If your hips and bust have similar measurements, a wide flare leg may be right to add definition and curves through the legs.

Your body type is a great starting point to help identify pant styles to try, but it doesn't have to dictate what you wear. If you feel confident in a pair of flared pants, wear them!

Consider Your Height

The design of flared jeans allows the bottom hem to brush the floor when worn. To find a pair that maintains this look, you'll need to consider your height and inseam.

Inseams refer to the length of the line that begins below the zipper and extends to the end of the pant leg. Select a pair of your pants that fit well and measure this length to find out your inseam. When purchasing flare pants, check the inseams to make sure you're buying a proper length. It's natural to buy an inseam several inches longer than your typical length, given that the pant legs touch the floor.

If you're petite, standard flare pant options may leave more fabric gathering at the floor than you'd like. You may be able to fix this issue with a pair of heels or platforms, but you can also get the pants hemmed for a better fit.

Consider Your Shoe Choice

Because flared pants are naturally longer, heeled shoe choices tend to work best. Heels can prevent your hem from dragging on the ground, while maintaining that long-legged look flare pants have a reputation for. Consider some of the following shoe pairings with your flared pants.

• Heels: A fun pair of heels makes the perfect addition to a flare pant outfit. You don't have to worry about style too much, as the shoes remain mostly hidden. The toe of your heel will stick out when you walk, so play around with pointed-toe shoes and sandals to achieve the look you want.
• Heeled booties: A heeled bootie is the perfect blend of comfort and style. You can pair a suede or leather heeled bootie with a flared pant for functional support and a cute peekaboo while you walk.
• Wedges: If you're wearing your flared pants in the spring or summer, wedges make an excellent shoe choice. You can get maximum height without making it difficult to walk, which is a win-win for you and the pant style.

Consider Tops

Flared pants add a bold shape and dimension to your lower half. When you're selecting a top to match pants with a flare, it's most flattering to choose something that is snug against your body. Your shirt doesn't need to be skintight, but the hemline should sit flat against your hips to avoid competing with the flare. You can also tuck in a loose top to give it a tighter appearance. Choose between a complete tuck or a French tuck, based on what makes sense for your outfit.

When it comes to top colors, opt for something simple. A solid-colored or minimalistic blouse or sweater helps maintain balance with a flared pant. You don't have to stick to drab or boring tops, however. Customize your choices with unique sleeve details, cuts, necklines, jewelry and more.

Consider Sleeves

A flared sleeve works perfectly with a flared pant. The sleeve design mimics the pant flare, which gives the outfit an elegant, cohesive look. Look for some of the following sleeve types when selecting your tops.

• Bell sleeves: These sleeves fit closely through the shoulder and upper arm and flare from the elbow to the wrist. They earn their name from the bell shape the sleeve fabric creates.
• Bishop sleeves: A bishop sleeve flares through the shoulder and elbow, but ends with a wide cuff at the wrist. The result is a billowy sleeve that won't get caught on anything as you walk and move.
• Lantern sleeves: A lantern sleeve is loose from the shoulder to the wrist and ends in a thin cuff.

Plus-Sized Flare Pants Outfits

You can wear flared pants casually or dress them up based on the shoes, accessories and tops you choose. Let's take a look at some flare pant outfit ideas to help inspire your styling.

1. Flared Pants With a Jacket

The structure of a jacket adds definition around your shoulders, which is perfect to help balance a flared leg. Consider pairing some of the following jackets with your flared pants:

• Denim jacket 
• Moto jacket
• Cropped jacket

Opt for a top that is either the same length as your jacket or a few inches longer than the jacket hemline. You could also tuck a longer shirt into your flared pants to make it appear the right length. The flared pant/jacket combo works exceptionally well with booties. Add bold earrings to your look, and you're ready to go!

2. Flared Pants With a V-Neckline Sweater

V-neckline sweaters look like a hybrid between a classic V-neck and an off-the-shoulder cut. This style exposes your shoulders and neck, which gives it a fun and flirty vibe. Pairing a V-neckline sweater with flared pants draws attention to your neck and leads the eye downward through the outfit and toward the leg flare. The effect is visually stunning and shows off your best assets.

To wear this look, choose a V-neckline sweater that works well with your flared pant color and design. You can highlight the sweater neckline with a short or long necklace to accent the outfit. To show off your shoulders and neck, pull your hair up and add a pretty headscarf.

3. Flared Pants With a Bell-Sleeved Blouse

Bell sleeves are feminine, flowy and add definition to your upper half. Pairing a bell-sleeved sweater or blouse with your flared pants makes for a balanced, classy look. You can dress up a bell-sleeved blouse with jewelry, or let the design do the talking. Depending on the season and the occasion, you can pair the look with wedges, heels, booties or more. 

If you're looking to purchase a top to match your flared pants, you can count on bell-shaped sleeves to remain extremely versatile.

4. Flared Pants With a Knotted Top

An alternative to tucking your top into your flared pants is knotting it. This trick shows off your pants' high-waisted element and elongates your legs, which is ultra-flattering. To wear this style, you'll need to start with a T-shirt or sweater with thin material. 

Follow these steps to knot the shirt:

1. Gather fabric from the shirt hem into one hand. You can position this fabric to one side or in the center of your body based on your preference.
2. Twist the fabric until the hem is tight around your waist.
3. Loop the twisted fabric into a circle around one or two fingers.
4. Pull the end through the loop and tighten the knot.

This look is great for styling your flared pants casually. Round out your outfit with a pair of sneakers and a headband for a cute and effortless everyday look.

5. Flared Pants With a Blouse and Blazer

For a business-casual take on flared pants, style your outfit with a blouse and blazer. Like a jacket, blazers add structure to your torso and give your outfit a polished look. Start with a thin, rayon top with a similar hem length as your blazer, and keep in mind that V-neck tops look especially striking with this look. Regardless of what top you choose, you can tuck it in for an extra-refined look.

Add your favorite blazer, and accent the look with pointed-toe heels or booties. You can accessorize with a necklace and earrings or let the clothes do the talking. Customize this look for work or a formal event, depending on what you need!

Style Your Flared Pants Outfit at Perfectly Priscilla Boutique

With a little creativity, you can style dozens of flare pant outfits with the items in your closet. If you're ready to find a pair of flared pants that flaunt your curves and make you feel amazing, check out our fun selection! Whether you're looking for solid colors, prints or different fabrics, we've got an option for you.

At Perfectly Priscilla Boutique, we handpick our clothing to fit and flatter plus-sized women. We know you want fashionable clothes made for your body, and we're here to supply the styles you love. Check out our collection of pants to find a flared style, or shop our new arrivals for stylish options year-round!