The Drawstring Pant and Short
In every season the drawstring paper bag waist makes an appearance, but it is particularly pervasive in summer, whether it be a pant or short. Everyone has their fashion peeves, and this one is mine.
In theory, I like the idea of the paper bag drawstring because it’s intended to highlight the waist by cinching the fabric. However, what happens around that cinched waist significantly detracts from the goal.
When you have a paper bag waist, the fabric bunches above and below it and it creates the illusion of added weight. If considering a paper bag waisted item, you’ll want to look at the fabric while you have it on.
A few key questions you should ask yourself are:
Once tied, is there too much fabric cinched relative to the waist?
Is the fabric’s weight so heavy it sticks out too much and doesn’t lay flat?
If the answer is yes, consider a cinch waist with a lighter fabric if you have your heart set on the paper bag waist. Typically, however this cinched waist is of linen or another heavy weight material which ends up being stiff.
At the end of the day, when shopping trends, you need to consider your frame, and know not every trend may be right for you. As for the paper bag waist, this is best for the rectangular or boyish-shaped woman where their lean lines need definition to create the illusion of curves.
Finally, if you know the challenges with a trend given your body type, then consider different approaches or workarounds like fabrics and patterns and length to achieve a flattering outcome.
Tammy’s Truism: Remaining objective when trying on a trendy item is key, particularly
if you have your heart set on a style that’s not the best for your shape.
