How to Wear Flares for an Instant Dose of '70 Style

The '70s are back. Can you dig it?
Top fashion houses are excitedly peddling specifically '70s trends this season—think fringe, psychedelic prints and over-the-top exaggerated flares, and we couldn't be more on-board with the idea. For those of us looking to ease into the decade, E! Style Collective expert Zanna Roberts Rassi suggested "starting with flares as an entry point, because they are actually very versatile."
With leg-elongating, waist-slimming and backside-lifting powers, consider flares your new go-with-anything, confidence-boosting closet staple.

Getty Images/AKM-GSI

We've seen printed, textured and otherwise advanced-level versions of the wide-leg pant on the runways at Balmain, Ellery and Pucci, but the easiest way to wear the bell-shaped leg in real life is in a reliable denim fabric.
While flares have a very boho sensibility (thank you for the inspo, '70s goddess Jane Birkin), the key to channeling the '70s (and avoiding the snafus of the early 2000s bell bottoms that rode a little too low on the hips) be sure to scope out versions with a higher, natural waistline. To visually stretch gams even further (because really, there's no such thing as too-long legs), add stacked platforms for a length that hits just right. 

As for how to style them, Zanna prefers to dress them "with a tucked-in button-down shirt and an oversized blazer worn over the shoulders," just like Nicole Richie. Or keep it classic and streamlined like Olivia Palermo with a structured printed coat.
Vanessa Hudgens is the queen of boho-chic, pairing her denim with a crocheted tunic for a truly '70s vibe, while Jessica Alba goes the rocker route with a graphic tee and an edgy blazer. Zanna even loves the idea of the pant with an oversized chunky knit for fall.
With endless styling possibilities, the sassy, all-season pant pretty much looks sensational with, oh, everything you own.