Ask Angie: (and everyone) bootcuts - "baby boot" or wider flare

I am continuing my closet cleaning with a sweep of my pants and jeans. I have a couple of pairs of bootcut jeans that are going unworn. I think the issue is that they have quite a flare at the bottom of the leg, and it feels and looks like a lot of fabric to my eye, now that skinnies and slimmer cut legs have been so prevalent. I have one pair that is long enough for 4" heels, and the balance of width on those seems right, but for shorter jeans (to be worn with, say a 1-2" heel), the flare seems too much.

I'm thinking of having those two pairs altered so that the leg opening is about 16" instead of the current width, which is about 21". I have a pair of Hudson Beth "baby boot" cut jeans that have about a 16" opening, and they work really well for me. Does this sound like a good idea? One pair is a dark wash blue (Paige) and the other is grey (BR).

I've come to realize my jean collection is dominated by skinny jeans. A couple of years ago I never would have guessed that!

12 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Do you love the jeans enough to alter them? Will you wear them as "baby boots" or will it end up being money that you could have put on a pair that you'd like better? I ask because I've occasionally tried to eke more wear out of an item by altering when really, I was onto something completely new.

But in theory, this sounds like a sensible change -- you know you like that width, so why not?

Janet

It's a great question, Suz. They fit well and look good on.

I guess I'm kind of wondering about the denim forecast in general, too. Skinnies have been so dominant. Boyfriends are big now, but I haven't embraced the boyfriend silhouette as much as many other YLFers have. Not sure why, I'm not sure it looks as great on me as they do on others.

Bootcuts seem to be so out of favor now, I wonder if they're worth hanging on to in any quantity. But they're the most flattering cut on me. Humph.

cinnamon fern

I feel like I've been seeing more bootcuts in stores this year than last year.

velvetychocolate

Very good question Janet - I am also wondering too about the 'general denim forecast' as well. I do have skinnies and BF jeans, but the truth is - bootcuts look better on me and while I haven't been wearing mine much, I haven't tossed them yet either. I also have some flares as well, and they do seem a bit 'much' to my eye these days. Hadn't thought of altering them to trim them down a wee bit.

Meanwhile, my next conundrum is how to wear the few pairs of BF jeans in winter. I'm used to them with sandals and so on, but haven't quite managed to figure out how to wear them with boots ...or which type of boot either.

You know what? I'm actually Sick of Skinnies! How about you?

annagybe

I have a pair of flares languishing in my closet. As soon I get real time off I'm going to try and style them like this

http://pinterest.com/pin/371758144211459104/

I think it will be a good challenge for me.

AnnieMouse

I've seen a lot more boots and straightcut this year than the list several. If you like the rest of the jean, it might make sense to have them altered to the baby boot shape you prefer.

That was a nice photo/link you provided Anna - thank you! Those look much better than the usual bootcuts/flares.

So, what is the difference here? They are tapered/tailored a lot and have just the barest hint of a bootcut/flare-ish thing going on at the foot/ankle?

jennifer

I find that bootcut or flare fit and flatter me best and so that's what I choose to wear even if it isn't the latest coolest thing. So my opinion will tend to be biased towards favoring wider widths if it flatters the figure better.

Firecracker (Sharan)

I've been wondering the same thing about flared jeans, Janet.
I actually just bought a pair of bootcut jeans, betting on the silhouette staying around for a while longer. They are a little less flared and a slightly more relaxed fit through the seat than my old faves, and I got them thinking that I wanted to refresh my look a bit. I did not spend a lot on them, however, because I have been getting a lot more wear out of my straight/skinny jeans in the past year. So I would second Suz's point about making sure they are the fit and look you want enough to invest in altering. I think as long as we look good in flared or bootcut jeans, we should keep wearing them until they really no longer feel current at all. I don't think we're there yet, but it will be good to see what Angie says!

Pawprints

Active Member

Similar thoughts here. A couple of weeks ago I bought a pair of BR "limited edition" trouser jeans, something I haven't worn in years. They're slim enough in the thigh, the flare is subtle, the barely-above midrise waistline felt elegantly trouserish instead of dated. I was so surprised at how good I felt in them that I bought them (half off denim sale) and had them hemmed. I decided WTH, if they're current season in a fashiony brand and they feel great in on and in the mirror, and they conveniently fit over the boots I'm soon going to be wearing, thus lengthening my short leg line so much better than a tucked, rolled or scrunched skinny, I'm going to buy and enjoy them no matter how imperative the skinny/BF option has become.

Of course my skinny is a slim straight, and my BF is null because I'm old enough to know what looks on me in most cases now, and to feel nearly cocky about doing what suits me more often than bowing to what "they" say I'm supposed to do. So maybe I'm not the right one to weigh in here.

But you know what Velvetychocolate, I'm getting pretty tired of skinnies myself, and getting cantankerous about it. I don't have a poison eye about it. I think it is a classic now, and a nice choice of proportions for many and for variety. But whenever something becomes virtually the only choice, as ankle pants have also become, my appreciation turns to tolerance and then to intolerance.

Let's wear some bootcuts when we like. I think they, or some version of flare, will be holding its head higher in the future.

Anna, I really like that outfit and I pinned it too. I don't have white shoes but I could definitely duplicate that outfit pretty closely as well, now that I have that white moto from NAS. The cut of those jeans is close to my Hudson's but a little looser on the upper leg (at least after the first half hour of wear, since they stretch out a bit).

I'm still hoping to get Angie's take, but I'm leaning towards having both pairs of jeans altered. I really like the blue wash on the Paige's -- it's dark but not overly uniform, and the grey BR ones are very soft and comfortable. I just don't love the more dramatic flare unless they are cut very long for heels (which means a 35" or so inseam which is nearly impossible to find these days anyway). A slight boot flare makes them very wearable with low-heeled booties, which dominate my fall/winter wardrobe.

unfrumped

There was a whole long thread on bootcuts not long ago.

I realized that a slight Bootcut is one of "my" silhouettes that looks good. It doesn't take a big flare to get the benefit. So I plan to keep including some form of that in my basic bottoms.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

You are Queen Bootcut Jeans, Janet. I see few people rock a pair of bootcuts as well as you do. Lisa, Diana, Zap and Rae spring to mind too.

Try to convert one pair of flared bootcuts to baby bootcuts first, and check whether you like the effect. Great idea. I'm excited about this.

I see baby bootcuts and flares being revived on Shopbop. I've been wearing my own bootcut trousers again too. (Not bootcut jeans though. I prefer bootcut trousers for my style). So fun. I love the change.

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