Everyone laughed at MC Hammer when he danced sideways across the television in pants that hung low at the crotch and were tapered at the ankles. Some of us may cringe at old photos of ourselves wearing ‘90s style too big pants with too short halter tops. Well, brace yourselves, because baggy pants are back, and in a big way! Before you start to panic, keep in mind that this new version is much more structured and if worn right, much more flattering.

Voluminous trousers have been seen everywhere from the red carpet (Derek Lam and Alexander Mcqueen both included harem style pants in recent collections) to more casual stores like American Apparel. While the fabric varies from basic white cotton to satiny and metallic finishes, the cut tends to be narrow and high at the waist, full from the hip to the thigh, and narrow again at the ankle. As these pants involve a lot of fabric, the secret to not looking like you’re wearing a sack is in the fit. A pair that cinches the waist at its narrowest point (rather than the below the belly button waist of low rise jeans) works best and can be super slimming. Wear these with a more…