Summer Fashion 2009

Of all the adjectives you could use to describe denim trousers, “glamorous” is probably not the first that springs to mind. Until you see Donna Karan’s design (far left), adorned with discreet brass rivets by her longtime collaborator, jeweler Robert Lee Morris. “My whole quest is how I can make myself look longer and leaner,” says Karan, who figured out a simple way to do just that through a bias cut. “When clothes are done on the bias, they wrap around and move with you,” she says. “They’re also extremely flattering.” Good news: You can mimic the sleek effect of Karan’s pair by selecting a style in deep indigo with a minimum of embellishment, the way Kate Winslet (left) did with her J Brands.

Far left: Cotton Sculpted Bias, Donna Karan New York, $595; at Neiman Marcus.