I love the darker wash on this larger pair Shannon. What do they look like if you unroll them completely and allow them to scrunch? That might even be *more* lengthening.

As long as you keep your BF jeans outfits feminine, I love you in both styles! I really do.

Claire - check out pics 6-8 in this post about the houndstooth blouse. I have the BF's full length in these outfits.

Angie - thank you.

Rae - am I right in that you think I should tug them down a bit?

Okay, I'll look on your blog.

ETA: Help. I need a link.

OMG, I feel like I have put my foot in my mouth all day. Shannon, I hope you did not take it as if I was "casting out" the BFs from your life. I just feel like the BF is a fun style to try on, but generally speaking, there are other cuts that are more flattering to body types like ours. Just the same way BFs seem to favor and balance the lovely ITs.
... I'll go hide under a rock now...

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....oth-blouse

Sorry Claire - forgot the link - here it is

Get out from under that rock Zap - and anyone else who feels like they said something they shouldn't. Goodness gracious - I appreciate all comments on my posts as this is how I learn. Please, please do not feel bad Zap (or anyone else for that matter). I stated how the jeans were making me feel and asked for feedback.

Shannon, I agree with Rae, they look best lower, just around where your hip bones flare out. Then they kind of drape like your hips are the hanger as it were.

This is such an interesting discussion!

You know, Shannon, I truly like you in both looks. TRULY.

But you have to FEEL great to make it work.

And if you don't, why sweat it? No need to wear the trend.

My personal faves are the looks with the Marcies, and as you know, I am hoping madly to copy you with those as soon as it gets cooler here. I may have to acquire a SECOND boyfriend in a darker wash to match you, though. Heavens!! What will my husband say. He was cool with one BF but I don't know how he'll feel about two.

I have a love/hate thing with bootcuts. I used to love them (on myself and others.) Now I quite like them on others...and like them on me but only for a deliberate change...with heels. Not without. Hell no. I don't know what that's all about.

My hubby has just commented that I'm completely neurotic and need to learn how to relax!

Seeing you in the white shirt and longer/darker bootcuts, penny has dropped for me, but realize I may be totally projecting, if so ignore...

It's not about fit or flattery. The two BF outfits are different in that the second is slightly less casual. I mean, yeah, it's still BF jeans but they are darker overall. And you are wearing with a crisp shirt rather than a tee. It all reads a little more dressy. I want to use the word polished... but that's not quite right because you can look polished in a casual outfit too.. . this is really about where you are landing on spectrum of casual ---> dressy.

Again, I may be projecting here. As I move my own eye towards more dressy outfits, even "smart casual" doesn't quite feel dressy enough or right to me these days. It's a gradient, of course. ...

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the white shirt version on you. I want to see it with leopard belt and the new red booties.

Hey Shannon - just checking in on the forum before I hit the bed and I want to answer your questions - so, I'm trying to think how to explain why the BFs look better to me. I think that part of it may be the tops you are wearing with the bootcuts - you've got two different hemlines there - thus, 2 horizontal lines which are cutting you in half. Also, In general, I think that bootcut jeans need to be worn with higher heels in order to keep one from looking stumpy/frumpy.

To me, the BFs look purposely slouchy and baggy - we get an idea of your bootyliciousness underneath the fabric, but its not outlined by the fabric like it is with the bootcut jeans. Also, there appears to be a bunch of fabric just behind your knee on the bootcuts (it may be from the way that you are standing), but my eye went there - if they were the BFs I don't think I would have noticed that.

I think that the BFs can be more slenderizing on you if you wear them as low as possible on your hips, IMO they need to be just barely hanging onto your hips - other wise it just looks like you t got a size that's a little too big for you, but you're trying to "make do."

To me the white shirt looks better than the striped one - but not necessarily because its white or non-patterned - but rather, because it is more tailored to your body - the red striped one almost looks too baggy or boxy for the BF silhouette!

Sorry, a downer here....this sounds like alot of work to make a look (i.e. BF) work for you. I don't see anything wrong with deciding it isn't for you and letting yourself wear what you feel fab in. Your energy can be better used for other things, heh?

Unless you really love it, of course!

Shannon, I truly like you in all three outfits - my favorite is the one with the white shirt and the BFs though. I think that for me, it comes down to: I wear a ton of jeans, and I would be really bored if I could only wear one style. Each style has its strengths and weaknesses and you sometimes have to be OK with making some compromises. I think it might be interesting for you to write down some pros and cons for each style, and ways to make them flattering enough to wear.

So, for example, my list would be (keeping in mind my fit issues are totally different than yours):

skinnies/straights: pro: shows off leg shape, can be lengthening if worn with scrunch, shows off shoes, good for snow/rain with boots
con: (a big one for me): emphasizes big hips and thighs
solution: wear longer tops, tuck into boots, make sure there is scrunch

BFs: pro: looks cool and slouchy, oddly makes hips/thighs appear narrower, really comfy, shows off cool shoes
con: leg shortening (and I don't wear heels), can look too boxy/masculine, can run the risk of looking like a poor fit
solution: sometimes wear platform shoes, but honestly leg lengthening is not a big priority for me since my legs are pretty long; wear something fitted or feminine to balance and show a little body shape; wear the slouch deliberately (low slung, belted, with attitude!)

bootcuts: pro: long line, bottom balances out hips
con: need to match PPL perfectly, hides shoes, better with high heels (which I don't wear), needs to have knee break at the right place, a bit too "safe" and boring, dirty, wet hems in bad weather
solution: wear low heeled shoes; pay close attention to PPL and knee break; be OK with the fact that they are flattering but maybe a little boring; don't wear in snow/rain.

jeggings/really skinny skinnies: pro: looks good with boots, comfy, shows off legs
con: really emphasizes hips and thighs, looks a bit too tight/bootylicious for my taste, too stretchy and shows too many lumps and bumps
solution: wear boots to balance ice-cream cone effect, longer tops to hide hips/thighs

wide legs (I don't wear these as jeans at least): pro: ??? they do look elegant and sophisticated on others
con: needs heels, hides shoes, looks stiff/boxy, and I HATE the shoe-eating look of really wide legs
solution: not worth it for me!

Anyway, hope this helps!

Marley/Diana - these are EXTREMELY helpful comments and I appreciate you taking the time to write them down for me. I'm going to mull these points over for a bit.

Jayne - that's what I'm beginning to wonder!

Interesting thread and I am not sure I have much of value to add:). I think you look "good" in your BF's particularly the darker wash ones. However I dont think they are your best look. I agree with comments that the dressier BF outfits look more "you". For me, how I feel in an outfit or garment is as important as how it looks. I think we have already established that BF jeans are not about figure flattery but Shannon perhaps figure flattery is more important to you than you realise (though it sounds like you are realising this). I wont be wearing BF jeans because figure flattery is one of my top style goals, and I am short and have a tummy and a wide, flat bottom! I see no way that this look can be flattering on me. The wide legs rolled on the BF's are leg shortening and some figures can carry that, others can't, mine can't:). Also I agree with Jayne that perhaps having to work so hard to make a look work may not be worth it. If you really like the general vibe of the look, why not try it with a straight leg jean that creates a slimmer more fitted look but can mimic the BF look with the right styling? My thoughts for what they're worth:)

Just saw your picture in an "ad" from Pinterest sent to my email...You are in the boot cut (?) jeans and you look just adorable...That is your look...
As for BF...IMO this is one of the worst looks going for women...A very few look ok but mostly this is just not a figure flattering look...I realize that I am in the minority...
I hope you will concentrate on the jeans that look so cute on you and not on these that are just too hard a look for most women to pull off...
I can't wait for us to say...Remember when..we wore BF...