I’m not the biggest fan of culottes for my particular body shape or my casual style, but if any work, I think these might. They’re by Cloth & Stone, so they’re a light but forgiving tencel that drapes nicely and releases wrinkles quickly. The hems are raw, which keeps the vibe casual. The waist is elasticized but subtly so, so I can nudge it down below my natural waist a bit to even out my proportions a little. I’m not wild about self-tie belts (or any belts at my waist anymore) but this one is not bad. I’ve removed it for some of these photos.

Ignore the goofy facial expressions and no makeup, and no, these aren’t truly styled. I was hurrying to just try a bunch of shoes and tops with these to see what might work. The color is a grey that reads a bit warm, maybe slightly greenish, so not the easiest color to work with for me, but still pretty neutral.

It seems to me that gently fitted tops work best, and even though I never tuck anymore with my squat torso, I think the ones with a low contrast top, tucked, are working best to my eye.

Footwear wise, I’m liking the platform sandals and lighter shoes with these, as well as the Freebirds. Not as crazy about the black high-vamp sandals — too much contrast with my leg, making my legs look stumpy.

I’m not fully trusting my eye, so I’d appreciate frank feedback. I got these on sale at Marshall’s last week, so if I kept them, it would be a low-cost way to try something different for summer. But if the consensus is that this is a style best left to others, I’ll return.