10 reasons flares are your (bum’s) new best friend

The 1970s are back, baby, and the first thing in the wardrobe that's due a major overhaul? Your long-neglected bottom half, that's what.  Happily, flares are the key to the look, so it's time to say goodbye to the staple skinnies-in-every-colour for the time being. We know it won't be easy. It's been 15 years since flares last made an appearance. During that time we've become so comfortable in skinny jeans and leggings they've grown into some kind of second skin. If you're partial to a denim-look 'jegging', you may even need to relearn how to button a fly (quelle horreur!) - but don't fret my tired-trousered friend: we're all in this together. Here are 10 reasons why embracing the season's boldest bottoms is a very good idea for all of us: 1. Flares balance the bod, disguising mum pouches and making bums look teeny. Watch out, it might even disappear entirely. 2. You know it. I know it. It's time to talk about it. We cannot keep wearing leggings instead of proper pants forever. 3. Flares are the trouser of choice for Kate Moss, Rachel Zoe and Victoria Beckham. Who the hell are we to argue? 4. Au revoir camel toe. There’s something about the fit of skinny jeans that gets right up in there. Flares are more forgiving, making for a happier hoo-ha. 5. No more buying skinny jeans a size too small to get the right fit on the leg, then tactfully avoiding the mirror every time you pull them on while they create a rippling wave of fat and skin that collects, attractively, above the waistband. Mmmm. 6. Flares lengthen the body and photograph well. Does anyone own a skinny jeans photo they're proud of? 7. Cheap skinnies + sudden rain shower = blue legs. 8. Flares don't take 20 minutes of butt clenching and step dancing to put on. 9. You have a much better chance of taking them off without asking your other half/ kids/ neighbours to assist you. 10. It's unseasonably mild for October, but shorts? Just, no. Main image: Vintage style flares by Seafarer