Another buzzed about fashion trend–initially sparked by Emma Watson on the red carpet of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and featured by Who What Wear--is the dress with pants look. I can’t say this is a new concept, but it certainly sparked conversations about whether it was red carpet worthy. I for one, love it (if it’s done right in Emma’s case) and I have been doing this with my Fancy Girls forever. For me, it wasn’t as much a style decision as it was a desire to extend the life of certain dresses that have now become tunic length.

If you want to replicate the trend for a Fancy Momma look or for your Fancy Girls, follow these guidelines:

1. Whether your dress is short or long, pair with close-fitting pants (skinny, cigarette, etc);
2. Avoid khaki’s or light colored jeans (you want the pants to almost look like tights);
3. If the dress has a busy pattern or is a light/bright color, wear darker pants;
4. For a jewel-neck dress, go for bold and choose a colorful pant to balance out the dress detail.

Below are a few ideas from The Children’s Place on how you can do the look for your Fancy Girl. All the dresses are paired with a pair of black jeggings. Like I said above, I’ve been doing the dresses with pants thing for a long time, but I never considered it for a more formal occasion. It looks super cute and I bet your FG will be more comfortable too!

1. Mod Shift Dress, $24.46
2. Shine Bubble Dress, $34.96
3. Tartan Plaid Bubble Dress, $26.97