Ultra Flare Jeans: A Balm for Your Pandemic Era Jeans Anxiety

I've had these Free People "Just Float On" flare jeans for about a year and a half now, and I absolutely love them. They're really long and swooshy, high-waisted and stretchy, as comfortable as sweatpants, and man do they bring the drama to anything you put with them. These flares' superpower is the ability to turn something as simple a t shirt and jeans into a LEWK. I had them on a few months ago on my way in to work, and as I passed through the lobby, two of my coworkers literally stopped mid conversation and just stared at my flares. I do not know if it was in a good kind of way or not, but to me, it matters not. Sartorially, that kind of reaction is part of the joy born of picking strong pieces, and it's how I know when I'm doing something right.

---

Styling a Pair of Ultra Flare Jeans

Today I've paired these jeans with a simple grey tank and this vintage 70s double knit tribal print vest. I'm becoming more and more a fan of the vest as a layering piece in my old age. I find them especially useful when you are in and out of aggressively air conditioned places in your warm weather clothes. Not that air conditioning is a thing here in Scotland (it's more of a theoretical construct than an actual thing we need), but when I'm on the other side of the pond, I am constantly getting caught out in grocery stores and restaurants. Back when we were actually going to restaurants...remember that?

Aggressive air conditioning aside, we have another matter to discuss. If you're looking for a bridge measure to help ease you back into your skinny jeans as we slowly start to work our way back into public life (or any jeans for that matter), I recommend giving these ultra flare jeans a test run. They make many different colors and washes, and as I said, they're at least as comfy as sweatpants, and they're dramatic, so nobody would accuse you of slacking sartorially.

The bottom line: after over a year in our stretchy yoga pants, sweats and leggings, it just doesn't seem fair to stampede straight over to the skinny jeans the minute public health officials let us out into the pasture again, am I right? Even the very thought of putting real trousers on again is probably enough to send some of us over the edge. I mean, can you imagine wearing corduroys right now!? I actually feel faint at the thought.

Free People jeans (product link above) | vest from my Etsy shop | thrifted leather belt, similar |turquoise chip bead bracelets (old), similar | Turquoise ring (old), similar | turquoise necklace (old), similar vibe