Who wears the pants?

Chloe showed trousers as part of their autumn/winter collections. Photo / Supplied

Despite evidence to the contrary - Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan, Ciara, all photographed sans trousers - pants are back. I'm not entirely sure where they went, but according to the glossy fashion press, dresses are out and pants are in. Which means many things, one being that my entire wardrobe is now considered unfashionable. Oh the horror!

But let us go beyond inane "fashionese" and look at advice on how to actually wear all of these fashionable new pants. I never wear them and don't own any, so it may be slightly odd for me to be writing about this - a bit like Donatella Versace writing a blog about Barack Obama and politics. Oh wait, she's already done exactly that for The Huffington Post. So let's talk pants, shall we?

Dresses have been ubiquitous for many years now, for obvious reasons. They're easy to wear, are stereotypically feminine- and did I mention they're very easy to wear? Throw on a dress and you're good to go: it doesn't usually require layering or matching, call it the perfect lazy fashion garment.

Some collections have been made up of an array of dresses and local designer Sera Lilly even made the decision to focus her collections mainly on the dress. Why? Because they sell. I don't think women's love of the dress will ever die. But fashion is currently mad for not just pants, but for tricky trousers. Think harem pants, dhoti pants, cropped and skinny cigarette pants, flares, the peg leg. All of these should be worn with heels, preferably a tucked-in top and a structured jacket. If you choose harem or dhoti style, may I also suggest a thick skin - you will get stared at (unless of course you're on Ponsonby Rd, where you will simply fit in).

The pant suit, seen everywhere from Gucci to Chloe to Luella to Karen Walker, is another refreshing change to the delicate girlishness of the dress. There's a reason Hillary Clinton wears them: they look professional, sharp and no-nonsense.

The fashion runways may provide a slightly chic-er source of inspiration than Clinton however, from Chloe's slouchy, big-shouldered jacket and cropped pants number to Gucci's tailored and sharp matching suit. And while I am not usually one for tyrannical fashion "rules", always, always remember this one: leggings are not pants.