I’ve spent a good amount of time living in fear of colored and patterned pants. My phobia stems from the 90s, a time when bright baggy pants ruled the day. Sure, we thought we were fly back then, but the 20/20 vision of hindsight tells another story. I for one, looked like a clown.

I decided to give colored pants another try at the worst possible moment: when I was five months pregnant. Desperate to find a comfortable pair of pants while on a week-long business trip, I wandered into a J.Crew and met the Minnie. If you haven’t been introduced, you should make their acquaintance. The 21st-century version of colored pants focus on a slimming fit, which cuts the clown factor to nil.

I picked up a two pairs of Minnies, one in black, and the other in flame, a red-orange color that bordered on day glow. I took them back a week later. I wasn’t ready.

After Lil Ma was born, I found these lovely tone-on-tone florals at Target. The fit is great, and I can pair them with a jacket and tee to make them work appropriate.

Fear conquered. I now LOVE colored and patterned pants. They add a fun layer to my wardrobe. I even went back to J. Crew for the flame pants. You can see how that turned out here.

What is your fashion fear?