Initially I was loathe to agree with one of my friends who insisted that Balenciaga’s skinny striped trousers (left) were one of those wish-I-could-have-them designer items. I asked her to consider if she would actually wear them could she afford the price tag. To my surprise, ‘Definitely’ was the response. She’s no closer the wearing the real thing, but Topshop have come up trumps with a pair that I just might consider trying out. The cropped length means they are easier to carry off than the full length skinny Balenciaga version, but they still have the vertical stripes which will make your legs look like they go on forever. Better still, they only cost £28. [Charlotte Howells]
Gemma adds: I'm with Charlotte on this one. The Balenciaga's do nothing for me, but it looks like I'm in the minority. The originals are now wait listed after being spotted on celebs like KT Tunstall. If you love them but don't want to wait / can't afford the sky-high price, there is a closer high street alternative in these skinnies from River Island for £29.99. They're not available on their website at the moment, but you might get lucky at your local store. You'll have to queue behind Charlotte's mate, though...
