Thanks for this post, Angie. I like the look and may want to try it when I wear pants again. However, I want to wear it “right” and flattering to my short legs. For now I’ll stick with rolling my boyfriend clams that end at my knee.

I haven’t tried this look due to the leg shortening affects, but I have been wanting to. With these guidelines, I think I might give it a go! (Once it gets cool enough for pants again)

I like this look, though it’s not one I employ all that much. I have some cuffed Bermuda shorts and some cuffed clams (converted from jeans with ragged hems), but I typically don’t cuff my pants. As u mentioned, bootcuts and other wide-hemmed pants don’t lend themselves well to cuffing.

I have 2 denim clamdiggers (that I purchased with Angie) that are cuffed right below the knee. They work great. Other than that I don’t cuff my pants other than (ahem) the jeans that I have been too lazy to get hemmed in which I roll about a quarter of an inch when wearing with flats. OK, I’m off to the tailors now

Thanks for posting this, Angie! I tried on the Trina Turk cropped trousers at my NAS pre selection, and I was dumbfounded – I loved them. This explains why. I had on a nuetral heel (high) and tucked in a blousier top. I would have bought them in a heartbeat, but I didn’t want to pay that much for something so trendy. But now I know when and how they could possibly work for me.

I haven’t tried this yet, I have been too confused to attempt it, but this might just provide the coaching I need to give it a whirl. Thanks, Angie, for this idetailed guideline.

I only roll at clamdigger length per your recommendations. I’m short and this is the only length I find appealing on me. I do admire a slightly longer cuffed tapered length on taller lasses with a heel.

I have to admit that I like the look somehow. It provides the opportunity of sporting booties or high gladiators that wouldn´t have been fully appreciated with long pnats – so yes.

I have a pair of David Kahn “Boyfriend” jeans from last Fall that I adore but now I am thinking that I need to roll them up a bit higher. Thanks for the advice! I love this blog!!!

Like Patience, I will do the roll at clamdigger length only and this also is only a summer thing for me. I have two pairs of DKNY cotton cargo pants in khaki and olive that look something like the pair pictured on the top row, far right. They are nice and cool on hot summer days with a blousy top. They do look best with a heel, and since I don’t always like to wear heels my nude-colored Dansko slip-ons seem to also do the trick.

I think the rolled pants look is very cute. It’s not one I often wear myself, but I appreciate it on others.

I’m relatively new here, and maybe complete obtuse – but why the obsession with lengthening the leg line? I see this come up over and over on this website. I think it is a matter of personal taste, because it’s not something I find particularly good or particularly bad. But on this site, it’s presented as an absolute: shortening your legs looks dumpy and bad. To me, it’s just another style choice. Not everyone really cares about a long leg line. Or maybe I’m the only one that doesn’t care? I have short, thick legs, and it is what it is. They are never going to look long and lithe, so it’s not something I choose to fret very much about.

I only roll my clams (or regular length jeans if I’m riding a bike to keep them out of the chain – but only while i’m actually on the bike).

I’m short and only wear heels on rare occasions, so I’ll stick to clams as the only rolled look. Just looking in the mirror at skinny jeans rolled to different lengths is enough to convince me that I look stumpy legged in short pants, especially rolled.

What a great post!!!

I have a couple pant that I roll. They are VERY slim legged and I just roll them a couple turns , so they drape( snugly) around my ankle. Always with heels!!
I took me a bit to work out the kinks with this look, but I followed your guidelines and found just the right mix for your approval!! Thank You

crasdy – I think the bigger point in lengthening the leg line is to put the body in visually appealing proportions. BEfore YLF, I didn’t pay any mind to it either, but now after educating myself I am more sensitive to things like PPL and where the belt hits on the body because of how they bring everything into proportion.

Crasdy, your figure flattering priorities are your own. For some it’s a defined waist, for others it’s a longer leg line or elongated neck. I am not obsessed with a defined waist and encourage surrendering it whereas other fashion stylists do not encourage this at all. We all have visual sensitivities and for me that happens to be pant lengths. So on YLF I do encourage a longer leg line – but that doesn’t mean you need to have long slim legs. Anyone can create a longer leg line with the way they dress. Also, if you read this site further you’ll gather that I’m one of the few fashion professionals who does not deem heels as the height of style. I wear flats most of the time and so do most of my clients. Hope that makes sense

That does make sense, Angie. Thank you. I happen to find short/thick legs just as visually appealing as long lean ones, so lengthening that line is not my priority. But I always define my waist, so I guess that is where my asthetic focus lies!

I just want to make sure I will not be run out of town if I don’t embrace the long leg line point of view!

Crasdy, thanks for chiming back in and understanding my point of view. We appreciate ALL body types on this site and that will become apparent very quickly if you’re new to YLF. Of course, I respectfully hear, welcome and think about all points of view too even though I may not agree with them. Also, you might actually find that you instinctively lengthen your leg line without even realizing it. Glad to have you on board

Great post. I have a pair or two of pants that might work like these do and now I know to try them with a nude-ish heel. I see an outfit idea in my head right now! For me, personally, I prefer rolled pants either on the much longer side or shorter, just below the knee.

Crasdy, you’d never be run out of town here! We all have our preferences – I’m sure you are not the only one who does not care about the leg line. On the other hand, you might be encouraged to try something that might lengthen it, just to see how YOU feel in the look.

I really, really want to try the pleated pant look with a rolled hem. I played around with a potential pair I found recently and found that rolling up to the widest part of the calf and pairing with heels works well for me. Though, I did return the pants as the fit elsewhere wasn’t as fab. I’m still on the hunt and will always have you over my shoulder telling me what to look for

I’m on the other end of the spectrum. While I love my long legs and wouldn’t trade them for anything, I have a short torso, and sometimes I can look out of proportion. I love lower rise pants, which lengthen my torso a little. Then the cropped pants shorten my leg line-and I’m more in proportion.

I do like the rolled leg look. I may try it with some J. Crew Capri’s I haven’t worn much yet this summer. Unfortunately, I will be doing it with flats due to my stupid tendinitis. Have a great day!

I guess I’ll be one of the few who really doesn’t care for this look. I’m finally getting the hang of perfect pant length, the last thing I need to do is start messing around with cuffing. Also, as a pear shape, I’m heavier on the bottom than the top and to me, cuffing draws more attention to the legs, this is not the area that I want the focus on. I can and do appreciate this look on others. On a taller person with skinnier legs than mine, this look just seems to work. But I still think “wouldn’t that be nicer with the pants rolled down.” I guess I’m still getting used to the idea of cuffing. But I love that you can learn about so many different styles on YLF. And most important, how and why the look may work in execution on some, but not on others. Maybe I just haven’t seen pant cuffing done “right” yet to appreciate the look more.

This is what I love about YLF and Angie, even though in theory this look doesn’t work you’ve come up with suggestions to help it work- love your can do attitude x

For many years I wore skirts and dresses at the most unflattering mid-calf length and pants at the also unflattering high ankle length (with no redeeming styling points). Then I discovered YLF and how great I feel in knee length clams, skirts and dresses and in floor skimming pants (haven’t got to skinnies yet, but I will…). So having finally made it this far I’m not going to be sporting the cuffed/rolled hem look on anything except clams because I don’t want to return to those days!

BUT

as ever I love seeing how to make it work!

This is not one of the looks that instantly grabs me but I will file your tips away just in case because I can be quite contrary when it comes to fashion.

I’m with Dana — I’m not very tall, but I have a very short waist and my length is all in my legs. I’ve been loving this look precisely because it does help to even my proportions out a bit; wearing regular-length pants or skirts/dresses without something to offset the shortness of my torso always leaves me feeling like a stork. I’ve got at least two pairs of jeans (one pair baggy, the other skinny) and a couple different color chinos that I’ve been wearing this way.

Some of these looks work better than others, but I don’t think it works on everyone. On the models and other modely body types it looks cute, but I just don’t care for it on curvy or short legs. Long leg lines are not my priority either: My priority is simply to look balanced and proportionate. But it goes both ways: A short stumpy leg line isn’t ideal either, and I think curvy legs and short legs are doomed if they go anywhere longer than clam length, even with 4″ heels. Aside from the ones on the bottom left, these all look adorable, but only because they are models. I don’t think I’d like the look as much on myself, and I have proportionately long legs and relatively slim hips (though not model slim).

I’ve got a pair of straightleg jeans that look spiffy with a wide cuff – love ‘em!

Great post! This is something I have been very confused about.

Is this look best attempted on pants that are straight-legged or tapered to begin with? I.e. don’t attempt to roll boot cut jeans/pants? I’d think you would have to resort to “pinching and rolling” like we did in the early ’90s and that just seems wrong …

I struggle a bit to find pants long enough for me in the first place, so why would I want to roll them up and reverse the length I’ve sought so hard to find!

Here’s the problem I have with this look: to me rolled up pants are the ultimate casual, relaxed look. I’d want to be comfortable and able to hop, jump and skip around – NOT totter on high heels and have to catch a taxi to move 5 blocks.

Hmmm…welll I am going to go against the majority here. I recently wore relatively baggy jeans, belted, rolled up to just below mid calf length (the most unflattering length according to the guidelines), with a relatively wider cuff that contrasted quite distinctly with the darker wash of the jeans, with black pointed shoes (high contrast) with an ankle strap (cutting the leg line again) and a very small heel, added a dressy top and necklace and longer line cardi, and I felt absolutely fab!

Now, I did receive mixed reviews on the look in the forum, especially regarding the ankle strap on the shoe…but somehow I felt it was flattering on me. I might go against the grain on this one. Bear in mind I have long legs and am relatively slim.

I too like the look on others, but am uncomfortable in it myself. For one thing, I have trouble keeping the roll intact (someone posted early on that they roll a pair of slacks 1/4 inch – how in the world would that stay in place?).

I’m finding that though I like the casual/rumpled/rolled look on others, it *feels* wrong on me, whether it’s wrinkled linen, rolled sleeves, rolled pants legs, loose fit, voluminous fabric, etc. Just makes me feel frumpy. I am more relaxed in a tailored (though not tight) fit, cleaner lines, etc.

I am rolling and cuffing, and not always with heels. But I have fairly long legs. I am very picky about the cuff. I want it very narrow. I do not wear the style of cuff in the bottom middle picture. To my eye that’s not a cuff it’s a fold. I think I’ve seen this particular cuff worn badly and to an extreme. A full length pant folded once where the bottom hem is just under the knee is not a look I care for.

I think this is a look I’m warming to because I’ve seen a lot of it over the last few months … I have just bought a J Crew jumpsuit (seriously!) that I will be wearing rolled up with casual heels this summer (southern hemisphere).

I’ll admit that I’ve been doing the same thing as Tara, but with a pair of skinny white jeans. The white provided less contrast so it might not have been as stumpifying. I also have an extremely short torso with comparatively longer legs.

Thank you for this very useful article Angie! I own the last, olive silk BR pair, and wear them cuffed higher than the model -to clam digger length, with 4# nude strappy wedge sandals. I don;t think I could pull it off any other way with my long tors0/short legs body types. I wanted to a purchase of a pair of cuffed denim shorts, but had to pass since the high contrast cuff made my legs look really short and stumpy.

Oh, good–I knew I had seen women pull off this look in a flattering way before, but wasn’t quite sure how they had done so. Now I have more guidelines to put in my binder and study when I have some free time. Maybe I will be brave enough to experiment with this look at some point…

I do like this look but agree that it looks better when the roll is just above the ankle. For me it makes skinny jeans that I have hemmed for heels wearable with flats. I’ve even rolled fairly wide legged khakis close to my ankle to give a more current look and it worked pretty well, (I think).

I like the idea of this look – it’s fun, casual, summery. In practice, though, I’ve learned from Angie/YLF that longer or shorter lengths are much more flattering on me at this point, and so I leave this for extremely casual occasions. Still quite nice on tall skinny women, though!

Hmmm…very interesting. I shall play around with this, my dear!

As always, thanks for these enlightening posts, Angie. I’m a bit confused, ‘though. It seems like the examples posted do, in fact, roll the cuff to the widest part of the calf (you suggest angle length or above the widest part of the calf. Am I missing something?

I’m only 5’4″ but I have long legs. My most comfortable and flattering pair of jeans are about 4-5 inches too long for me to walk with out stepping on the hems all the time unless I wear platformed shoes. For practicalities sake I flip the bottoms up when I’m wearing shoes with no added height. The look reminds me of boats, since I’ve seen related advertisements where people are wearing pants that way.

I do wear them properly when I wear the right shoes, and my legs appear very long and I love how it looks, but I can’t go charging around on stilts all the time. When I’ve tried wearing the looks above, I just don’t like the end result on me. I think it looks cute on others though.

I am 5ft 9 inches and my legs are longer than my 6ft1inch brother. It has taken 40 yrs to see this as a good thing! I wear a slim boot jean very long with a small heel, but i love to roll it up 2 smallfolds and wear with ballet flats. Ballet flats lengthen the overall leg line by making the top of your foot look like part of your leg. If i were 5 feet tall i would do exactly the same thing , but i would wear heels more.