Summer Trends: Jack Ups?

Jack ups, ankle draggers, ankle clingers, tramp pants, ankle swingers, whatever you call them, trousers that are too short for you will get you bullied. But is that the case this summer? Summer 2010 will see ankles being flashed by stylish men and women alike. Does this mean that this summer it's time to dig out old trousers too short for us? Well, not strictly, it's more about the "turn up" than the "jack up"; there's a fine line between looking trendy or trampy.

Fashionable brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Topman and Armani Exchange have all had models sporting a classic white trouser (or jean) with the bottoms turned up... It's all about showing a bit of ankle (NO SOCKS) and then a nice clean cut shoe, (it's all about the clean white plimsolls or deck shoes).

How to wear it:

For the white dress / linen trousers, it's all about wearing a white plimsoll with minimal detail, turn up the ankles of the trousers a few times creating a textured ruffle, about 2cm should do the trick but it all depends on individual height. A clean, tanned ankle looks best against the bright white background. For the more fashionable and daring look, use blue and white as the main colours and wear classic blue deck shoes (Office and Schuh are the best places to find these).

Top Picks:
Armani Exchange Linen Pant

Tommy Hilfiger Madison Pant

For the jean turn ups it's important to remember that this should only be done in casual situations. A slim leg raw look works best, but it all depends on individual shape. Inspired from the DKNY Jeans' urban feel, this trend is very "now" and very "young".

Diesel (at House of Fraser) has got the trend right with these Krooley Slim Leg Jeans
. Larger trainers make the image more urban and add a city vibe to the overall style. Wear the jeans witha turn up, showing no ankle, but a nice clean (and chunky) turn.

There we have it, the fashionable way to wear jack ups... Just be careful not to wear your childhood ankle swingers.

The Hot and Not World of Fashion

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Being Inventive With Fashion...

Ever had a day when you've nothing to wear (even though you have clothes literally falling out of your wardrobe?) Ever had a day when you just can't find the right item to make an outfit complete? Well fear not! Fashion is all about being inventive and creative, not just wearing what the shops tell us to!

People have been customising clothes for years, from tearing up shirts to using laces as hair bobbles - anything is possible. So you might not have a sewing machine but there's nothing stopping you from thinking outside of the box when it comes to dressing in the morning.

For example, the other day I was going out for a casual meal and had the perfect look. I was going for the casual nerd look, jeans, plimpsolls, a nice shirt and those fake glasses yet I could not find the right tie in my wardrobe... I wanted a skinny tie but couldn't find one in the right shade of blue I wanted. Black wouldn't go, white was boring... What could I do? I decide to look through my drawers and come across my old school tie; it was the perfect shade of blue. But surely I couldn't go out with my SCHOOL tie on? And besides, it wasn't even a skinny tie... And then I had a (genius) idea. Why not do my tie the other way round so the bit I usually took into the shirt is on the outside and the thick clumpy bit is on the inside? I did it... And yes, it looked amazing!

Another (and basic) idea I had was when I discovered my cut off jean shorts were in the wash and I NEEDED them to complete my summer look... It was too hot to wear jeans and I had worn all my other shorts a million times. And then it hit me, all that they are are jeans cut short and then turned up a little to make a "turn up". Why couldn't I do something like this? I found some jeans but I was not prepared to cut up my French Connection jeans. So instead I roll them up and make a more clumpier turn up. After sticking on a pair of plimsolls and the matching t shirt I was ready to go. (On a side note, it started to rain later that day and fortunately for me I could role them down again to keep me warm...)

Possibly my favourite idea I've had yet is when I was in desperate need of a tank jumper. I threw them all away when they started to die down last season, but I wanted to resurrect the preppy look for a nice summer afternoon. Therefore I found an old jumper and not being brave enough to cut off the sleeves on my own, I took them round my friend's house (who happens to live round the corner and used to study fashion) and got her to cut off the sleeves and tidy up the tear with a few minutes on the sewing machine.

These are just the few basic ideas... There are loads of ideal opportunities for everyone to be inventive when deciding what to wear in the morning.

Do you have any stories to tell about customising your outfits? Make sure to leave a comment about them!