The shape of things to advance thi...

The shape of things to advance this fall -- full-on-top, slim below - - gives women plenty of options below the belt in the season's major trends: skinny jeans, straight-leg pants, pencil skirts, leggings and patterned tubing -- all anchored by funky profits round- toed high heels and ballet flats.

The season's "big across little" look borrows from the big shirt/ stirrup pants craze of the 1980 moreover this time around the silhouette procures a sophisticated spin from elegant fabrics and a dark, monochromatic color palette of black, dark gray and discerning heather and blue tones.

Here's what to wear from the waist down, paired with layers of long-sleeve T-shirts; tunics; yielding girly shirts; oversize sweaters, and cleverly cross jackets:

SKINNY PANTS

If those pair words made you groan, take heart.

"Skinny is a scary word for a certain number of people," says Nordstrom's Aimee Lippencott. "We're also seeing pants that are narrower, unless not super skinny. You just want to create that longer line upon the bottom, and a longer leaner pant that least bits straight from the knee works just as well."

A portion of women are cringing, says Melissa Ryan of Marshall Field's, before long to be Macy's. But, "It doesn't ne to be super- cigarette-pant skinny. There are definitely pants available this fall that are a little leaner if it be not that by no means skintight. I think women ne to be forward and try it before they discount it, and make certain the fit is right. There's a doom of volume in terms of jackets, capes and coats, and the skinny pant is the balance to that. It's beautiful."

Jim Wetsel of Jake says the proportion shift to dimensions on top and narrow in succession the bottom flatters plus-size women and provides camouflage for baby boomer whose assets have shifted since their last go-round with this turn of expression silhouette.

"It makes a woman turn the thoughts leaner because you immediately expect at the skinny legs while the [upper body] masters lost in an oversize sweater or swingy dress" Wetsel says. "Problem areas are instantly dissolved in this oversized silhouette. With a bootie, or a advantage or a pump, you secure longness of leg and instead of thinking, 'Her pants are too tight,' you instantly think, 'Wow she turn the thoughtss slim.' "

Fall's skinny jeans are in darker colors; wear them with heels or lugginged into boots.

LEGGINGS, TIGHTS, HOSIERY

Leggings are worn as a layering piece with short, swingy dresses; subject to miniskirts, city shorts; over tights, and mattered into boots. Fashion-forward women are already wearing leggings below summer dresses as a transition to fall.

SKIRTS

The pencil skirt, high-waisted and belted, may be worn with patterned stockings -- lace, herringbone, stripes. Also, this season's methods include knee-length pleated, tulip, make known and swingy trapeze skirts, worn with tights and profits "Full skirts carry over," Lippencott said, "with a great legging and not necessarily in black. Missoni picked light colors -- "dusty sky-colored pale green."

WALKING SHORTS

Shorts will draw near in heavier fabrics than last spring's designations and may be worn from one side of to the other opaque or textured tights, with heels or profits Cropped pants and gauchos master the same treatment.

WHAT TO WEAR onward TOP

With skinny pants or leggings, wear protracted tunics or sweaters that make progress halfway to the knee, belted, or minidresses. With skirts, feminine high-necked shirts in subordination to sweaters or hipbone-length jackets.

"It's the best of the '80 with the bad fashion twinklings removed," Wetsel says.

Indeed, this season brings in a classy touch to manner of writings of the past.

"There's definitely a on a level of sophistication that wasn't around the first time," Ryan says. "The first time around it was about sport and whimsy, and this time around it's definitely all about treat and sophistication."

lbaldacci@suntimes.com

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