ˈk(y)o͝oˌläts
noun
noun: culotte; plural noun: culottes
Women’s knee-length trousers, cut with very full legs to resemble a skirt.
I’ll admit, culottes are tricky to pull off. They are a cross between long shorts and short pants. They’re wide and just seem to have so much fabric. This is enough to give anyone a little anxiety when thinking about how to style them. The number one thing to remember is to try dress them up the way you would a full, A line midi skirt. Keep the proportions balanced, don’t shy away from playing around with textures and pair them with a stand out pair of heels because they draw attention to your feet.
I purchased this high waisted pair of culottes during winter, and now that the temperature has warmed up I simply can’t let them go. Leather or not I’ll be rocking them all summer long! I stumbled upon them at Country Road and knew I had to have them right away. The fabulous thing about them is they straddle the line between sports casual and formal quite well. They’re made of the softest leather, have pockets, are high waisted, and give off a sport luxe vibe with the drawstring and gold tips.
To balance the wide legged pants I paired them with a white, sleeveless tuxedo shirt and sleeveless blazer. The pants are so boyish so I love playing them up and pairing it with something masculine and tough but also a little sexy. The sleeveless blazer has become a staple of mine in this sweltering Johannesburg heat. It’s the simplest and easiest way to make an outfit look chic and keep you cool at the same time. The faux pockets and splits on the side add interesting details to the look.
Paired with the super sexy pair of lace up sandals I feel like I’m ready to conquer the world. The summer of 2015 is absolutely the summer of lace up sandals and I’m here for them all. I love that these crawl up the ankle but don’t go too high up the calf. I been eying these sandals for a good 2 years and one day decided I work too damn hard to not buy what I want. There and then, I added them to my virtual shopping cart and clicked on that buy button. I’m so glad I did because they are freaking gorgeous! If I may say so myself.
Tuxedo Shirt – H&M | Leather culottes – Country Road | Sleeveless jacket – ZARA | Sandals – Windsor Smith | Sunglasses – Miu Miu
Photographs – Tegan Smith
