Learning to love pants (again) with POOL LabShow in Coral Gables.
I’m an unadulterated skirt lover and I wear them with just about anything: blouses, sweaters and t-shirts.
I even have a special color-coordinated section of my closet dedicated to skirts: sleek, tight, puffy, loose, metallic, sweater, vintage, wool…you name it, I got it. What can I say? I’m a skirt girl, but it wasn’t always that way.
A few decades ago, I was a pant-a-holic. Yep, I used to love me a good pair of slacks/pants. Back then, they were sharp, sophisticated, and professional. Not to mention…
When I was a young, budding features reporter in Indianapolis, Indiana (and broke as a joke,) a good pair of pants could extend the life of my limited wardrobe. In those days, mixing and matching was essential. And a good pair of pants could breathe new life into my sometimes stale shirt collection.
Plus, when you’re trying to do a live-shot in 30-degree temperatures and the snow is blowing sideways, pants protect you; providing comfort and room for tights or, in my case, long underwear. No doubt about it — back then, my pant game was strong and as perfect as could be …
Until the birth of the skinny jean. Noooo!
I tried loving the trend, I really did, but my legs always felt like two sausages encased in a tight sub-mucosa. Yuck. And when I’d bend over to retrieve something? Forget about it; I was killing the world with my butt-crack one squat at a time and in the process, cutting off my own circulation at the knee.
In a prerequisite on-trend pair, I was all booty, with no bounce. Nothing moved, breathed or looked normal. As Dolly Parton would say: “It fits like two pigs fightin’ under a blanket.”
From jeans-to-pants, the skinny trend slowly trickled its way into everything (much to my chagrin). My butt and knees were doomed. I tried expensive, moderate and different materials, but it just wasn’t the right fit. At least, for me.
If that weren’t bad enough, a stylist I was working with at the time begged me to rid my closet of anything wide-legged, saying: “It’s dated and out of style.” I begrudgingly obeyed and quickly found my way to the skirt rack and never looked back, until now.
“The Perfect Pant” isn’t an elusive memory anymore. Thanks to the beautiful new boutique “POOL LabShow” in Coral Gables, I’m finding my way back into the two-legged material game, one step at a time.
High-waisted, wide-legged pants are FINALLY nudging out the skinny trend, making way for a more put-together, sophisticated, glamorous look. Think old Hollywood, Marlene- Dietrich-meets-Madonna in the 1989 music video “Express Yourself.” (Crotch grabbing optional.)
If you prefer less room, a not-so-tight tailored look is in, too, like a mix of Annie Hall and a modern-day Lauren Hutton. Personally, I love the freedom of “The Perfect Pant” because it’s easy to wear and effortless to style.
Plus, it works for any occasion: work, play, cocktail party and if you’re really fashion forward, a black-tie gala. The best part? My butt-crack has finally found shelter and my knees can bend like an appropriate joint again.
Don’t miss Deco Drive tonight at 7:30 & 11:30pm, as we team up with POOL LabShow, to bring you the latest and greatest in pant trends.
They’re also showing other styles you’ll see come spring and sharing what makes their boutique so unusual; although, I’m sure you can tell by the pictures, it’s a special place with amazing clothes and accessories.
Learning to love “The Perfect Pant” (again) is definitely one of my new favorite things and I’m sure it’ll be yours, too.
PS. I won’t judge you if you still love a good pair of skinny jeans.
POOL LabShow
376 Miracle Mile
Coral Gables, Florida 33134
Monday-Friday: 11am-7:30pm
Saturday: 12-7pm
Closed on Sunday
Instagram: @poollabshow
(website coming soon)
Styling: Beatriz Carrillo of Pool LabShow
Grooming: Odett Hernandez
Digital Editor: Jessie Neft-Swinger
Editor: Matthew “Sub-Mucosa” Auerbach
