All the components of these trousers suggest they should look ghastly: high waist, awkward silky fabric, ankle-hugging hems. Yet somehow, for all the reasons these trousers shouldn't work, they do. Photograph: Anna Gordon/Guardian
These are so called because they are straight and stop at the ankle, and not because they incorporate a handy pocket for your Marlboros Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP
The Vivienne Westwood dhoti pants are so baggy that you have to stand with your legs at least two feet apart to locate the crotch, from which giant folds of material billow up to the waist. Curiously, the back of these 'trousers' is quite tightly fitted Photograph: Anna Gordon/Guardian
They feel a little like knee-length tracksuit bottoms, but the elasticated waistband is nearly a foot long, like a pair of maternity trousers Photograph: Mark Allan/BBC/PA
They have a crotch you could store a football in without anyone noticing Photograph: Anna Gordon/Guardian
The stiff fabric and curved shape make your legs look like two giant versions of bananas. Despite this, they are so sculpted that they look almost elegant. The exaggerated curve of the leg makes your waist look comparatively tiny Photograph: Chris Moore/catwalking.com
These are the sort of trousers a person should wear if they need extra incentive to lose weight Photograph: Anna Gordon/Guardian
