Ask Helene: How Can I Escape Skinny Jeans This Fall?

Fortunately for you, this season’s fashions depart from the strictures of pin-thin skinny pants. Enter three looser silhouettes: high-waisted flares, cropped flares, and wider-leg pants.

Ideal for younger St. Louisans, the first option—available at AG, Vie, and department stores across the region—can be paired with everything from T-shirts and slouchy sweaters to sneakers and high-heeled boots.

The cropped flare presents even more possibilities. Prada showed these pants in a series of candy-colored, classically tailored suits, as well as with fitted cashmere sweaters adorned with crystals. The ladylike pant is fitted from the waist down and delicately flares just a bit above the ankle. The same shape was shown by The Row, Louis Vuitton, and Osman, where bows adorned the sides of the flares—perfect for pairing with kitten heels or narrow ankle boots. The slightly ’70s vibe packs a lot of punch and can be worn in the daytime or at night. You can also pull off this new length with a simple flat or ankle-strap shoe, either in a higher heel or with a chunky low heel.

The wider-leg pant is available at many boutiques and stores. J. Crew has a cropped version, available in such colors as Bright Indigo and Neon Flame. Saks offers a dramatically long, elegant palazzo pant from Donna Karan, ideal for pairing with a cashmere tunic and stiletto pumps or tall boots.

Beware: None of these pants works well with the towering platform pumps of several seasons ago. As for those skinny jeans? It’s not yet time to retire them, but you can certainly give them some rest.