Help! Seeking PPL - YouLookFab Forum

I bought these NYDJ ponte trousers last year to wear with a pair of high-heeled black boots. The boots are fine. The trousers are fine. Together? Not so much.

I scored what may be the most comfortable boots I've ever had! I'm already wearing them with ankle length jeans, with shortish slouchy trousers, with rolled straight-legs (not a fan of skinnies on me); they will even work with black boot-legs for a slightly more conservative vibe. I'm looking forward to wearing them with skirts and tights in cooler weather.

So what to do with these poor orphaned pants? These wash so well that I'd rather update them than consign them (a laundry bottleneck in the black pants department just might unhinge me).

So what's the PPL I'm after? Hem them with a break for flat ankle-strap wedges or hem them to show a bit of the strap? Hem them for sneakers? Hem them to the ankle? Dare I shorten them to show some skin over the boot?

TIA, everyone!

Nordstrom

NYDJ 'Ski' Zip Pocket Ponte Knit Pants (Regular & Petite)

$120.00 $90.00

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Nordstrom

Aquatalia By Marvin K. 'Sophie' Weatherproof Boot (Women) (Nordstrom Exclusive)

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8 years ago

Aquamarine

Veteran

Bumping this for you. With the plethora of pant widths and lengths out there now, coupled with different shoes and boots, I struggle mightily with this very same issue. While all the choices in fashion are fun now, it can be hard to get a grip on some of the finer details.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Have you tried wearing boots over the pants?

Cerinda

Thanks, both of you. There is so much scrunch on these pants that I will have to hem them to tuck them in. It's probably an excess of scrunch that keeps them from working for me anyway.

So, hem to a length with more appropriate scrunch for flats and see what happens?

unfrumped

Sometimes pants only "want " to be worn at a certain length, but others may afford options. As to how to figure it out when making hemming decisions, I really focus on what footwear I have that work best with the pants--and also the season of wear influences this-- OR whether I'm getting a particular pair of pants in order to branch out into some footwear (if trying to emulate a certain style or look). And yay if a certain length will work for both. Sometimes I have to give up multiple footwear looks if the PPL and how the pants fall over the shoes is very tricky. Then its pants + one pair of shoes + different tops, for the variety. This sometimes works better than trying to force a combination of pants and footwear that is just meh or detracts from the outfit.
If you like to wear loafers with scrunched slim pants worn long, then try turning them up for that, and see if also works tucked into the boots (if you can tell) and then that would be a win-win length.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Cerinda, I have the same pants (in espresso) and they were way too long on me. I hemmed mine to just below the ankle, or to the top of the foot, maybe with a tiny bit of scrunch. That way, they fit inside boots like the ones you've shown, and I can also wear them with ballet flats or oxfords. Or I can wear them inside tall boots.

eta: Okay, I guess I lied. Looking back at photos, I seem to have hemmed them a little shorter--just below ankle and clearing top of shoe, no scrunch at all. I kind of wish I had hemmed them 1/2 to 1 inch longer.

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Adelfa

This has been bugging me too, especially since I've been reading that too much scrunch isn't good anymore. I am 5'5" with short legs. Firecracker, how tall are you? Do you think the petite size in this particular pant would work? That's what some of the commenters said.

Firecracker, what shoes are your wearing in #1? Are those high vamp loafers or low cut booties? That slice of skin is pretty much what I had in mind.

But the more I think of it, I would probably get the most use out of them wearing them on airport/clinet days, with 1 1/2" oxfords (my "little nun shoes"). Firecracker, if you were hemming them now, would you go for just a little more than a break? maybe just a wee bit more scrunch?

Sharan, GREAT visuals for Cerinda. Thanks for providing them.

Cerinda, I vote hem them right below the ankle - no scrunch - to wear with oxfords.

Cerinda, in #1 I'm wearing Naot Kedma oxfords. Actually I think the pants might have shrunk a little after I hemmed them. Or I fill them out more, drawing up the length. I like the length in my photo 4, and photo 1 is more recent.

Amazon

Naot Women's Kedma Flat

Thanks, ladies. Measuring, marking, and taking scissors in hand.

Adelfa, I'm 5'5". My height is more in my legs than my torso. Sometimes petite tops work better on me, but whenever I've tried petite pants, they are too short.

AviaMariah

My ponte pants have quite a bit of scrunch and when I wear them with boots like this I just fold them under and wear the boots over the pants. But I do have a lot of room in the boots I wear that way. Sometimes I'll pull my socks over my pants to keep them in place (make sure your socks are black).

Stylinbyarrow

Member

What to do with your black orphaned pants?

I recommend you leave them the length they are, as long as the properly fit you. This is so that you can roll them up to wear this fall with a super cute flat.

That way, if you desire to wear a short heel bootie this winter, you don't worry about having skin freezing/showing between the pant hem line, and the top of the bootie.

Plus, when you have a pant that goes with tons of items (sadly, except the cute boots above) then your not leaving the pants in the back of the closet while you go shopping for a better-not shortened to a capri length pant.

Here's a great example for rolling up pants (I do it 90% of the time) and LOVE it.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/369435975659793866/

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