Making the most of the jean pool

Levi's skinny jeans.

Start talking to women - any women and possibly some men, too - about what the perfect pair of pants should look like and how they should fit and within minutes the discussion will become heated.

"Low rise is amazingly comfortable," one debater will cry out, emotionally tugging at her waistband.

"But I love wearing my jeans on my hips - it looks great," another will yell over the top.

"No, no, the new high-rise waistlines are fabulous," a third will clamour. "They look great. You just have to try it."

And the trouser-related topic likely to cause the most arguments this year? Skinny pants.

These pants - call them stovepipes, drainpipes, cigarette pants, slim fit or matchstick - have been on the horizon for some time. Street styles that drew on rock'n'roll, punk and the 80s have converged neatly with premium denim manufacturers like Tsubi and Sass & Bide as well as with what influential designers such as Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga and Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme were doing.

For some time the rest of the world could pretend it wasn't happening. In fact, a lot of us are still pretending we can't see those high-waisted pants and skirts that are bound to arrive shortly.

However, over the past six months, skinny pants have become unavoidable. Today even the chunkier of thigh may have to admit that their greatest fashion fear has become a genuine trend. The time has come to hang up your boot legs because no matter how good they make you look, the skinny leg is the silhouette of the moment.

And much as any arbiter of independent style would hate to admit it, if you are still wearing boot-cut jeans you may start feeling a little out of date.

And it's at this stage in the discussion that the objections will begin.

"But boot cuts are so flattering," one denim-clad friend will argue.

"Oh, they're only for young girls with legs like broomsticks," another will scoff.

At which stage, any fashionable advocate of skinny jeans may direct dissenters to read the following tips and tricks:

* The right fit. You know how long it took you to find the perfect pair of jeans? Well, finding the right skinny leg pants will need the same work. You'll need to try a few different designers and styles before you find the most flattering for your legs as some are far more forgiving than others. As Viva's fashion editor,

Ana Macdonald says, you might want to find some that are not tight all the way down the whole leg.

* The right taper. Danger, danger. For some shoppers, the truly tapered trouser can result in the stuffed sausage look. If this is a fear, then find some trousers that are cut more straight up-and-down than tapered. Basically, that means there's no flare to the ankle and they're not boot leg cut either. Often these are called cigarette pants. Which means you'll get that skinny legged look but without the bulges.

* The right fabric. Stretch denim is going to cling to every curve. In fact, a trouser in stretch denim is a legging by any other name. Whereas fabric with no stretch, say a cord or drill cotton or wool suiting, and a great fit will be more lenient on thicker legs.

* The right colour. Good old slimming black is going to be easier to wear than stonewash denim, white or any other shade.

* The right shoes. Sure, Kate Moss can wear skinny pants with ballet-shoe style flats but if you have any qualms about your hip to calf ratio then you're better off climbing into heels. Together with your new skinny pants, this should elongate your lower half. The chunkier the shoe - and that means wedges, round toes and slouchy boots - the more balanced the look of your legs. "And the higher the heel you can handle, the more elongated your legs will look", says Macdonald.

* The right top. Only teeny-weeny models like Moss can get away with a tight fitting top and tight pants. The rest of us will be sticking with the sorts of looks that designers have shown go perfectly with a leaner pair of trousers. Longer floaty tops, larger T-shirts, oversized jumpers drifting off one shoulder, trench coats and tunics all balance out the proportions. Tailored shirts and man-style blazers also work. You can even throw a dress over the top of your skinny jeans if you like. Besides being a particularly fashionable look at the moment, bigger tops also cover the top of your legs.

* The right waistline. "You might want to stay away from belts done up at the waist, too," MacDonald suggests. Because this will cut your shape in half, rather than elongating the bottom. However, a raised waistline is fine. "You could create a false, higher waistline by putting a cropped or bolero-style jacket over your longer top."

* The right body. Okay, so you're what they call pear-shaped, you're never going to look hot in skinny leg jeans and you're perfectly happy about that. So there are two options. Just stick with boot legs and say the following when you look in the mirror: "fashion shmashion".

Alternatively, you might want to try the other trouser trend this winter - wide legged pants in a tailored or more masculine style. Spend some money on a nicely cut pair and you'll be able to emphasise your waist and smaller upper half.