One design that Mr. Lam finds many women can wear has a slightly higher waist and a leg that gently flares out from the knee. Since the reign of skinny, legging-like silhouettes began almost 10 years ago, getting customers into a different shape involves some cajoling. "At trunk shows, women will see those pants on a rack and say 'No, I need something skinnier,' " he explained. "Then they put them on and say 'Oh, they make me feel taller.'