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Crazy pants, my way? Opinions needed. ETA shortened with boots

unfrumped

Veteran

Anthro strikes again, maybe.

Plaid pleated ankle pants. I know, I do not need ankle pants.

However, these tickled my fancy. Fabric is poly-rayon but looks nice.
The plaid is lively for me, but does have rich play of murky gray/blue/teal/black/taupe/gold depending on how you look at it. Love plaid for that ability to be indeterminate-everycolor.

Also shout out to alaskagirl for the teal in them, but pleats may not be your thing, you do skinnies and flat fronts so well.

So--length may not be PPL for this style, but I would probably wear as-is.
There are belt loops in front and a button-tab in back that is not adjustable as made, but I'll probably wear a belt if tucking. I can also take up the tab a bit to help the backwaist; it has real buttons I can move all by self!

1) Shown with what I was wearing when first tried on--JC taupe linen sweater and pointy low heeled shoe
2) Taupe shell and too-small Talbots cardigan in teal
3) AT teal knit top I usually wear long, untucked--to show teal combo
Forget which photo, but shown with Halogen laceless oxford in an olive-gray, and gray PG oxfords
4) Camel cotton sweater + Munro ankle boots. Need help here--does this work as a modern "no, my pants aren't too short-- it's intentional" look? I ask because these boots have a very narrow shaft and the pants actually fall correctly back into place over them.
5) Soft woven top, kind of a dark taupe--I think a dressier or feminine blouse would work well and this is the closest thing I have that matches.

Most of my fall-winter pants looks are long trousers over boots as more conventionally flattering, but even though these are a bit schtumpifying, I think they're versatile and a look I could have fun with.

They could be borderline seasonally confused for me --like Thistle, I need socks if it's cold, and warmer pants or an underlayer. Hence my question for the fabbers, as to whether the boots look would work If it does, I could wear tights under, and extend wear quite a bit. Or are they bare-(looking) ankles-only?

What say the eagle-eyed stylists?

ETA added 6& 7 trying to turn up cuff--with PG gray ankle boot and taller Clark's boot.

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Anonymous

I think you've got a winner here. They look fantastic to me.

catgirl

Veteran

I am no help at all with this length as ankle pants continue to confound me. I like them, but will await wiser feedback and follow along!

Diana

Veteran

I want them to be narrower at the ankle. Or maybe shorter so it's more obvious they are meant to be short. But I might be confounded like Una.

I do like the plaid and the fit on you.

unfrumped

Veteran

Well, that is the dilemma! Thanks for commenting.
I have learned that too much taper works against me, due to the ice cream cone effect mostly, but also because pants ride up. But maybe it works best with naturally drapey fabrics.
I could try an extra roll at hem to get the effect, but just not sure where I am on that, as would have to have them formally hemmed to preserve the more formal cuffed look ( or eliminate cuff).

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I really like the pants, unfrumped, and I think they are keepers. The colors, the fit, the cool retro vibe--all winners in my book! I'm not sure about the length. I wonder if they could be an inch or two shorter. For myself, I'd be tempted to do that or to let the cuff down so they scrunch a bit at the shoe. But I'm very uncertain about what's most current or even flattering with ankle pants.

unfrumped

Veteran

Firecracker, yes , I'd be more likely to try to lengthen than to shorten, as j just think that would be likely to be more "me" . Though it still might not be enough length to be fish not fowl.
I think also more cropped is hard because these are not at my natural waist. The culottes are at waist and so tend to work at midi length.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Hmm. I feel like they need to be either shorter or longer. Right now they're neither here nor there, lengthwise. I like them, though. I saw them in the store and they looked awfully cute, but I had such dim hopes for them on my body that I didn't even try them.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I love them on you -- the fit is terrific and what a great plaid! I would absolutely shorten an inch to make them like the photo; right now they seem a bit neither here nor there in length. But if you are worried that will be too seasonally confused, -- do you have some high shaft booties that could work with that length? Color-wise they look "autumn" to me.

Another option -- just tuck them under by an inch without hemming. If they won't stay on their own, use some fashion tape. See how you feel wearing them at that length.

Diana

Veteran

Lengthening them might be a better idea, particularly if you want to wear with socks.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

The color and fit are both fab and the button detail is lovely. I am seeing a lot of plaid and have pinned a number of outfits for fall. I think they are keepers if you can sort out the length. I lean towards lengthening if possible for practicality rather than fashion.

unfrumped

Veteran

These are helpful ideas.
There is a lot of hem available , because of the cuff. Probable h could get 2" and still have a normal hem, or more if use hem extender.
For the sewists out there , the hem is topstitched down, not hem- stitched, so I worry will leave tracks, but I think the plaid and the weave would absorb that.
So, one option is to redo them as relatively narrow " straight" pants just to get the plaid and fit and to be more versatile. If that would actually look good, I think it would be a fun addition of color and pattern for fall and our relatively mild winter.
I'm afraid if I shorten them, I will have no leg, and they will also feel like summer pants.

Maneera

(website)

Veteran

Love these pants on you Unfrumped. Wonderful fit and colour. I am not sure of length because I like them just as they are...

Echo

Veteran

I am not great with PPL, but while I like these with the ballet flats, they seem awkward with booties. I'd opt to lengthen, too. I really love the plaid, though.

unfrumped

Veteran

So I do remain conflicted except it seems less likely I'll wear them shorter.
Suz, I'm showing them worn over Munro black ankle boots, though I think that is not the intended way to wear with booties, as maybe are to be short and fall at the top of a bootie..

To try lengthening, I could start by just ripping the small stitch securing the cuff fold. And maybe could slouch them down to see what another inch would look like.
In theory, I have multiple tops and footwear and toppers that work with these, but maybe only if they are more typical narrow trousers!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I love the way the trousers fit on top, unfrumped. I'd prefer to see them with a narrower ankle fit and slightly shorter length though - and then wear them with high shaft booties.

unfrumped

Veteran

Angie, thanks. I may be stumped. I'm having trouble finding inspiration pics of someone who looks like I think I would look styled that way. I will try searching for some images to see.
So I will have to think would that be with existing boots, or none work; and then sometimes more taper leads to that calf-grabbing thing that seems to plague me more than others, where I walk around with my pants hiked up; or too much taper and I feel unbalanced; and then whether I look totally schtumpy.
So, points to ponder, as to how and whether these will give joy or cause angst.

unfrumped

Veteran

ETA up top I added photos with the cuff turne UP more and with 2 other boots. The Clark's are a nice color contrast and I think, as a boot, look fun as a "higher shaft boot" but have a heel height that pushes my limit for work. Sorry photos seem more dark than usual.

However, it's hard to know how to do this length--it seems like it will be very boot-specific. To keep them above the shaft of the Clark's, they would have to be hemmed up more than one cuff turn's worth. For the shaft of most of my boots, they will not slide back over, if they are hemmed to fall just over the boot. The Munro's I have (in both brown and black) do allow that.

I still love the pants, but remain perplexed as to whether to mainstream them into longer trousers or hack them.

Anonymous

I really like these pants!
I like #7 - the length is fun with the higher shaft booties.
For a classic look, I like #4 and #5 -- I think because the tops might be a little looser/boxier/less clingy and balance out the pleats in the pants.

E

Veteran

I think they look marvelous in the turned-up photos, but would you get enough wear out of them? If not, lengthening them seems most sensible, since you'd get to wear them more. But perhaps it doesn't matter if you can only wear them with one or two pairs of boots, as long as those boots work in whatever season you'd wear the trousers!

Also, to my eye they look best with that untucked welted sweater in 4, vs the various tucking & belting options.

catgirl

Veteran

Yes to the shorter version! Here is a picture of me wearing plaid Zara pants in a similar way to Angie's suggestion (ignore my grim face!):

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....nkle-pants

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I was on the fence, but I vote yes to the shortened version!

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

Another yes vote here. Also, thank you for posting the pics and follow-up for the visual. This helps me decide on a pair of cropped pants I have.

unfrumped

Veteran

Una, I think that is helpful!

So I'm starting to maybe get the picture of a shorter pant working, but still having to think through things like exact length and to keep cuffed or depense with cuff. No cuff would look more like yours and be sleeker, but it's possible that retaining a cuff helps me with proportion balance, Not sure.

I can actually get my head around wearing only with boots. I don't think that is a problem; I was interested in "footwear options" with both low- and high-vamped footwear, but the covered boot look is certainly good for me.

So my next concept is, your pants cover the boot shaft, rather than end above it. That was what I was trying to show in pic 4, but maybe mine are a tad longer, and did not get love. Is it so key that more boot shaft "show"? More intentional? Covering boot shaft is a better goal, since ending above it is a "moving target" and also puts me into almost bermuda shorts territory!
My main problem there is that I need a very narrow boot shaft still, to keep the pants from hanging up. That's always a HEWI, though I have the Munro's which are a tad taller than average "ankle boots, " but maybe not quite as high as "higher boot shafts".

Aziraphale

Veteran

I love the plaid print, and I think they look best with darker footwear and no skin showing. In pic 1 they make your legs look short. In pic 2, with light footwear, it's the same problem. I also think they look good with the camel sweater.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

The shorter version does look more intentional.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I like them just as is, with no shortening. You could go a bit longer, true, but I think they are fine as is. They don't look exactly like cropped pants but rather ankle pants to me. I think they are very flattering at the length they come in. I like them in all versions except the light ankle booties, the high color contrast is leg shortening. Very Audrey with the ballet flats. I wouldn't fuss with them. I don't care for them shortened like everyone else does. Sorry hope I'm not offending with my frankness.

I do think you can pull off this shorter length but the rest of the outfit needs to be runway fashionista to read as truly intentional. The current length looks modern classic to me, in tune with current trends. What am I missing here, my views are so different from everyone else's on this one.

unfrumped

Veteran

CocoLion, you are one of my style icons so it's so interesting to get your take on it. You hit upon something that is an issue for me.

If I did them shorter, I also have the sense that it would demand more of the supporting pieces, kind of another dimension of the proportion issue. Because I'm not sure that shorter is better proportions, but may be more on trend. Maybe that's just because it doesn't come as naturally, but I would be more likely to make a mistake, if you will, unless perhaps I had one or 2 designated outfits. The shorter length would be a very fashion-forward, trendy look, not just for me, but for my workplace. So I need to ponder that. At work, "ankle" pants and crops are at all types of lengths, as are "regular" length pants.

Now, one good take-away is that darker footwear looks better.
Also I'm intrigued by the no-tucking brigade, as I had thought the boxy top might be too much volume-over-volume. But having that and a similar sweater was one impetus to buy, because I felt I had some tops ready to go.

unfrumped

Veteran

I really appreciate the Fabbers' input, and I know it's been noodled well, with pro's and con's of different lengths.

In the above outfits with length as-is, I like #4 and 5 best, I think. I like the continuous line over the bootie, and I like the more feminine soft blouse in #5; will try some more "soft" top looks . (the shoes are actually a slightly pointy wedge shoe that I found, that is reasonably comfortable due to part fabric upper). And of course can combine boots and blouse.

So I think I will try wearing them a few times at the current length and see how I feel, with the idea that I can go shorter or longer if the fit and feel are doing well. Meaning, I don't think alarms will go off if I leave the house that way, and I may get a better sense of where I'll get the most use. That does run the risk of being something I just don't get around to doing, but I don't want to lock myself in just yet.

Anonymous

I do too. I like 4 and 5 the best
The higher pant length is more on trend, but not better proportions-wise, at least to me.