Wide crops are cropped pants or jeans that are wide or very wide on the leg, usually higher in the rise, and cropped two to ten inches above the ankle bone. They are flared at the hem to create an A-line shape. Fabrics can be soft or rigid, solid or patterned, and neutral or non-neutral.
The lines blur between the descriptions used by different retailers, but I think culottes and shorter palazzo pants are a version of wide crops. Wide crops are NOT the same as cropped straights or cropped flares because wide crops are wide from thigh to hem. The collection below shows a good assortment of wide crops.
Wide crops were a fringe trend about four years ago, and went mainstream over the last two years. I’ve seen many women across a range of ages and body types in wide crops on the street this year, which has been a fun change from skinnies, shorts and leggings.
My clients, on the other hand, have been slower to adopt the trend. Some loved the look right away, because they abhor skinnies and tight bottoms. Interestingly, these clients spanned a range of body types and sizes. Some added a pair or two this year, and are thoroughly enjoying them. Others committed to a pair or two, left them hanging in their closets for years, but fell in love with them later when they were ready to sport them. Some tried them, but passed them on because they have a hard time breaking out of the “easy slim bottom + fluid top outfit formula” that makes them feel slim and comfortable. And some flatly refuse to try them because they are committed to keeping their bottoms narrow in silhouette.
My clients who don’t fancy wide crops, who span a range of body types and sizes, generally felt the same way about them. Wide crops draw attention to their midsection and/or thighs, which are the areas of the body they want to keep streamlined and without bulk or constriction. Finding UNTUCKED tops to go with wide crops that were not too cropped or voluminous was another challenge. Occasionally, a very slight and small size client would feel that wide crops overwhelm her. Generally, wide crops made these clients feel wider than what they would like.
I like wide crops, and was an early adopter because I was desperate for something roomier than skinnies. I got my first pair four years ago and LOVE them. They’re denim crops that Greg spotted and bought for me because he thought they were super cute. He was dead right! They are wide and stiff, yet drape beautifully. I then got into wearing cropped flares and cropped straights, which took precedence over adding more wide crops to my wardrobe. This year, I got a little tired of my flared crops and straights, and added a second pair of wide crops in a micro check. The micro checks became instant workhorses. I’d have liked to add a pair of white wide crops but my Summer shopping is done for 2019.
Here are both pairs of my wide crops in the collection. The checked pair doesn’t look wide in the photo, but they are, although less wide than the denim.
I semi-tuck and tuck fluid tops, wear body-con tops, welted tops, and boxy cropped tops with my wide crops so I haven’t felt challenged styling them. And all with flats since I don’t wear heels. I do feel challenged wearing them in colder weather because the draft runs up my legs, so unless I find a solution for that, they are a mild and Summer weather look for me.
Over to you. How are you feeling about the wide crop pants and jeans trend after several seasons?
