Welcome to the vinyl factory
I have a habit of finding my lunch in the most unexpected of places. An avid multi-tasker, I rarely do as the French do and give the journey from plate to mouth due diligence. With a fork in my left hand and a mouse in my right, I spend my lunch breaks skimming the news pages in an epicurious juggling act. My clothes are invariably the injured party in my attempt at non-stop productivity. I find quinoa and avocado mashed into my jean creases and coffee drips splattered across my white shirt. Chocolate somehow makes it’s way to my new suede sandals, and come 4pm I look like I’ve just lost a food fight.
I am thus eternally grateful to Isabel Marant, Louis Vuitton and Dior for introducing an autumn/winter 2016 trend that is impervious to errant balsamic vinegar and green juice. Goodbye twenty minutes with a bottle of water and the hand dryer, hello seriously hot vinyl trousers. An updated version of ubiquitous leather trousers, glossy PVCs are your new best friend.
Before you run in the opposite direction with visions of unforgiving spray-on PVC, vinyl in it’s newest guide is thankfully less Britney Spears in her "Oops!... I Did It Again” red catsuit, more slouchy Parisian blogger. *Phew* The anxiety is understandable and questions such as 'Won't I squeak when I walk?' and 'Will my colleagues think I'm a rubber fetishist?' came to our mind too.
Honestly, these can be done IRL. Alexa Chung even wore hers to Glastonbury this year (see below). Taking inspiration from Kate Moss’ infamous second-skin PVC Glasto 2007 look, Alexa pared back a pair of Saint Laurent vinyl trousers with a cable knit pink cardigan by Ganni. Take comfort from low-key catwalk looks too, and do as Isabel Marant suggests for AW16 by relaxing a pair of glossy vinyls with a grandad cardigan, a golf polo-tee and flat boots.
http://storify.com/marieclaireuk/alexa-chung-in-vinyl-trousers
Off the catwalk, and unfettered festival dresscodes aside, vinyl can take pride of place as your go-trousers for work and the weekend. Gisele Bündchen gave us a style lesson in how to wear vinyl when she stepped out in a pair by newly appointed Saint Laurent creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, with a loose grey jumper. Granted, Gisele has legs for days and wore hers with killer heels, we foresee a more laid back vinyl look and will wear ours with a pair of black vans or white trainers.
http://storify.com/marieclaireuk/bella-hadid-in-vinyl-trousers
Before you hit the shops, heed this how-to knowledge to make sure you get the best out of this bold new look:
1. Wear a vintage band t-shirt and you may look as though you’ve raided Penny Lane’s wardrobe, so keep the rest of your look as modern as possible with cashmere knits, luxe cotton tees and boyish white shirts; anything tight-fitting is strictly out. 2. No one wants to get caught out like Ross from Friends when, in a sweaty panic, he fails to get his leather trousers 3. back on in his date’s bathroom, so fit is crucial here. Choose roomy-fits, anything legging-esque will look as though you’ve repurposed a bin liner. 4. Embrace colour: at the Dior pre-spring/summer 2017 Bella Hadid was spotted backstage in a pair of mulberry-coloured wet-look trousers. Earthy tones look best, so seek out olive greens too. 5. And finally, eat like no one's watching and reap the rewards of your new wipe-clean wares.