I think you nailed it too Suz and these look great - no shortening effect from my view and they seem perfectly on trend. Have you tried them with a simple white shirt and blazer? I'll bet they'd look fantastic on you that way too.

Have not read comments other than Leopardluxe but I love this, Suz - it is right along the lines of the look I posted with tee and blazer. LL's version is more like the wide leg trouser jeans I used to have, but I think the bell look is what is trending right now. And I don't see this as unflattering - I want to look like this! I think a huge flare could overwhelm and needs to be proportionate to our size but still maintain the integrity of the look.

Off to read comments!

Suz, I don't see unflattering. I see fresh fabness. (I may have two inches of extra height but I do not have long legs. They are just regular length. My neck and arms got all the length).

Diana, my new flares are 21 inches so you are spot on. And like you, I find baby bootcuts an odd style with heels. The break line looks weird.

I agree with the others - these pass as flares on you, and look perfectly proportioned. Way to go, closet shopper!

Suz, I think you look fantastic in this outfit, whether or not they are acutally flares.

I know I am telling my age but...when I was in elementary school I had several pair of flairs--both jean and otherwise (polyester probably--hey this was in the 70s after all - and yes they were worn with a matching bodysuit--I really thought I was "it" in those outfits...:) Anyway we always called those really large flairs "elephant ears" and I think that is still a really good description for them.

Now I don't think I'll go that dramatic but I really like the silhouette of the flairs and can't wait to put them back in rotation. (Not in polyester though!

I think they pass just fine. May I ask how you had the hem done? Is it like in the examples in the blog post today - an inch or two wide? To me, that seems to be a factor in what makes a flare a flare, versus a bootcut.

I'm 4 inches shorter than you, but I do wear and love flares -- even more than boot cuts. In boot cuts I tend to feel dumpier, wider, shorter. Unless it's a baby bootcut. Go figure?

... and now you compelled me to go haul out my jeans and lay them flat to compare... I compared:

My old CoH Huttons, which don't fit at the moment (22 inch flare)
New BR trouser cuts (17 inches)
and two pairs of Paige's I am considering right now --
The Canyon, which is marketed as a high-waisted flare (22 inches)
The Skyline, which is marketed as a mid-rise bootcut (20 inches)

I have not let the CoH's go just yet, they were such a favorite, I am looking for a replacement, now that flares are trending again. I had to remove quite a lot of length from those but the flare still measures 22 inches. They were quite fitted in the thigh -- all the way through the knee. As fitted as my skinnies are, in fact. Then at the knee, they flared. I preferred them with a 2-1/2 inch heel, but duplicated and had second pair hemmed for flats. Not quite as ideal but to my eye, they still somehow magically worked. Yes, even though I'm only 5'0 tall.

I am leaning towards keeping the Paige Canyon's, they fit me very similar to the old favorite CoH Hutton's, including ideal rise (9 inches).

Comparing the Paige's, I cannot see much of a difference when laid flat, except of course the rise is lower and the Skyline's are 20 inches vs 22 inches for the Canyon's. 20 inches sounds awfully wide for a bootcut, doesn't it? Hmmm. However on my body, yeah, I could have sworn the Canyon's were much more of a flare and the Skyline's look like a bootcut. I dunno... I wonder if RISE could make such a difference in what the eyes perceive? What do you think?

I do not currently have any other boot cuts to compare. I had some CoH boot cuts but they are languishing in storage. There was something about those that just never worked for me, I felt short in those.

Meanwhile he BR trouser cuts are pretty close at 17 inches, but when I lay them flat, the difference is that the leg is pretty much the same width all the way down from the crotch point. I do like them, they are a classic. But I think I look TALLER & SLIMMER in the Canyon's, and also the Hutton's.

I will add here that in general any sort of trouser cut pant, if not petite, tends to fit me like a wide leg pant -- i.e., way too much width so that I am swallowed up, and do look wider and shorter than I am.

Late to the party *waves to her sweater twin*

But I like these on you. They look fresh and modern, and spot on to what Angie posted.

I am not sure what look you are going for . . . maybe a bit more 70s, but I think these are totally 2014.

I really enjoy all these comments. What I notice is that (as so often) our body type somewhat influences whether we have sugar eye or poison eye for the look.

Una and Jennifer are ITS with slim legs --- I think that is partly why this look would work really well on both of you. Your thighs are not the thickest part of you and the flares balance your shoulders.

In my case I do think it is trickier because my thighs are my biggest part. But I do have wide shoulders as well which helps to balance it.

Shiny, I love your recommendations of brands and the measurements -- thank you! I might look up those Huttons because I'm betting they would be fab for me as well. I really, really love my CoH Racer jeans -- the fit just feels right in the upper body. So a flare that started out like that in the thigh would be ideal.

Angela, you are not dating yourself, or if you are, please know that I was already in high school through some of the 70s. So flares are for sure in my fashion formative years.

Angie, Thistle, Alassee, Texstyle, and all -- thank you.

I think these look fab on you and can definitely qualify as flares given the proportion of the flare relative to your height. I think it's all about the proportion when you're short (I'm 5'2") and yours work well.

In terms of brands, I've also got so-called generous thighs and I'll second Diana's recommendation for Lucky Brand. They're always cut a little more generously in the thigh. I've also had good luck with Paige, especially since they make regular as well as petite length, which is more important in a flare than a straight length when it comes to fit/hemming.

The only jeans I own are GAP Long and Lean (bought the last few pairs left since they were discontinued) and I always thought they were a flare. I never had to hem the average lengths because they work prefect if I wear sneakers or a low heeled shoe. The talls I hem an inch and can wear with high heeled boots or shoes and I wear them year round, unless of course we have a foot of snow.

I like the GAP because carry jeans for short, average, and tall gals.

Oh, and count me in as a girl from the 70's in her bell bottom pants. I loved that look while my parents just shirked.

Suz, these are "your" flares. There were all different kinds of flares back in the 70's and I happened across an extreme example just today. They were cut like skinnies, tubelike to the calf then flaring suddenly and dramatically at the heel like an Art Nouveau lily.

Suz, I think you look great. I think of these as flares, and I'm quite partial to the look, having never given it up all through the skinny jean era. I've been wearing the Jag Foster Flares (no longer avail) for a good while now, and feel taller and leaner even with only 1 1/2 " heels on. I think most women look better in this look, with PPL. However, I definitely understand the love of skinny jeans esp in areas that get snow, ice and rain. My climate gets almost of none of that. I also thought that the pants with wider legs all the way down were known as "trouser" cut....?

I think these are perfect.

I think they work perfectly - as simple as that.
I think proportions are spot on and his is the main thing for me.
Now if only we can master that weather to cooperate: I so hear you on limiting opportunities to wear them in our climate with wet springs and hot summers...

Yes, they look like flares, and you look terrific in them. I lover your styling--perfect. Thanks for taking the plunge with the look-- and posting!
Very interesting discussion on flares versus bootcuts. I just tried on some jeans I haven't worn for a few years, which I think are flares, and I'm jumping on the bandwagon soon!

This makes me wonder if GAP will bring Long & Leans back in store (last I checked they were relegated to online only), because they look so fresh on you. I do love a faded flare for summer with platform sandals!

VERY late - just wanted to say yes!!

1. Yes and I want to look like this too please!

2. Ditto Astrid. FWIW, I look awful in wide leg denim unless I go all the way to worn boyfriend territory.

3. It is a given that things won't look like they do on the model if you deviate at all from the typical proportionate person or dress form... and most of us do. Most straight legs become bootcuts on me due to the butt and thigh and calves needing extra room to fit while bootcuts become flares often enough... this is ok, isn't it? Like Angie says regarding size labels, how does it matter when no one knows what's written there?

Once again I am late to this party, but it's been a crazy busy week and today is "YLF catch up day!" So with coffee in hand...

These look like flares to me! Maybe just-barely-flares as in a step above bootcuts, but flares none the less. I also think the fit looks spot on. They make your legs look a mile long!

I do love a nice flared jean, and of course since I'm on the tall side of average and the short side of tall, they are hard to find at the correct length.

I say you've once again hit the nail on the head with another perfect outfit

I think these look great on you Suz. I bought white L&L's last year, guess I was ahead of the trend

LOVE!

I am getting very into these flares looking at all these fab pictures. You look terrific to me!

I think that they look great on you. I had Long and Leans and sadly think they were purged last fall, but I'd be having the same issues as you do except that they were not tight through the thighs. My biggest issue was that they needed more of a heel than I wear on a daily basis.

I think it's fabulous and is definitely the flare style you were aiming for. The facial expression on your second photo option says it all.... if you feel that way, then it's a nay in my book...

Well, if these fit wrong, I have been wearing mine wrong for years. I think they look amazing.

I think they do good things for your proportions without being over-dramatic-- they look more like a flare than a bootcut to my eye. Wear them in good health while the weather is working in your favor.

I see nothing wrong with the proportions on these bona fide flares. I am only 1 inch taller than you at 5'5"and I happen to wear petite tops and jackets (go figure - I'm not a petite either ;-)). I say wear with wild abandon. They are perfectly dark washed and will look so fresh and crisp paired with white button-down tops or your b/w patterned tops. Have fun with them!