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Something confuses me

Anonymous

My eye has completely adjusted to all styles of cropped pants (not to be confused with ankle pants). I love what I see. For example, I adore the photo that Angie used in yesterday's post. I keep looking at the photo thinking I must buy a pair of those exact jeans. And let me add that cropped pants in my climate would rule all other pants.

Here is the problem. When I attempt to wear cropped pants in real life, I look ridiculously wrong. I am 5'9" so you would I could pull off cropped pants, but what I see in the mirror are laughable proportions. AND if my shirt is not tucked in, then my legs look even weirder.

How can my eye have adjusted so much to the look in photos and then rebel at that same look on me in real life? I would love to embrace this trend because it really is so incredibly well suited for my climate and my life style. AND I do adore those jeans shown yesterday in Angie's post.

Sad face.

Dressing

24 replies

Latest reply was from

Sisi

Veteran

Hm, difficult to tell. Actually, with your height you should wear cropped pants very well. Maybe it's the shape of your legs? For example, I avoid cropped pants and midi skirts because I have muscular legs and I find that a horizontal line in the middle of my calves does not do me any favour. Or maybe the pants are wrong for some reason (too large - not well fitting) ?

Style Fan

Veteran

What is the problem when you wear cropped pants Sterling? I resisted cropped jeans and pants for lots of reasons but I am coming to the cropped side. I am 5' 7.5". My issue is footwear but I don't think that is your concern.

Deborah

Veteran

I'm wondering if it's a shoe issue! Maybe you could show us and we could help??

Summer

Veteran

Maybe it's just a matter of confidence for wearing something different, Sterling? If it's any consolation, I have the same mental block with cropped pants, but in my case it's only wearing them with ankle boots that causes the problem. I don't have trouble wearing with other footwear. Like you, I like the look on others, and have tried to wear, but I always bottle out at the last minute! I think we both need to just take a deep breath and take the plunge!

I'm sure if you were to post some pictures, the cropped pant wearers would soon reassure you.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Sterling, I have trouble with cropped pants too, particularly cropped flares. I'm not as tall as you, only 5'7", but all my height is in my legs so one would think that I can pull off "stumpifying" looks. However, I think *my* personal stumbling block comes with the fact that my legs are not slim -- I feel like crops emphasize the difference between how wide I am at the hip and how narrow/delicate my feet and ankles are. I feel like cropped lengths are easier on me if I 1) stick with straighter cuts that skim my legs or taper slightly (explaining my preference for rolled/cuffed hems rather than crops), and 2) wear shoes or booties that have heels and some visual heft to them to balance out my hips/thighs.

Put simply, I'm always trying to streamline my body when dressing. Crops go against that, so I have to do other things to add back in a long, lean feeling -- heeled boots, keeping the whole look tonal and low contrast, etc. I feel really frumpy in my cropped pants until I style them the way that makes me feel great. Then the pieces click.

Now, IIRC, you don't have a pear-ish body type, so I can't help but think that either your eye hasn't adjusted to the look *on you*, or the devil is in the details and you haven't found the styling solution that makes you feel great yet.

What do you think?

viva

Veteran

I think cropped flares are particularly challenging to adjust too. I really love them but when I haven't worn mine for a while I need time to adjust my eye back to them. Have you tried cropped wide legs? With chunkier shoes/booties with some kind of heel? I think this achieves the balance Janet mentions and might help you, too. And in general, I think long legs are so well-suited to the wider looks.

But, in any event, maybe if you could post pictures we could help, because whatever the specific style it may be a matter of needing some styling feedback.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Sterling, I think you will look fabulous in cropped pants. But I understand these concerns. I am in favour of Vivian's suggestion. Photos. I suspect some of your discomfort about the cropped look on yourself in the mirror has to do with the angle of vision. You are looking at yourself from a different perspective when you look in the mirror (as compared with how a model or another person looks in a photo). Even if you only look at the photos yourself, I suspect it will look different than the mirror. Note also -- look at the photos with your head (even if you don't show the forum). You'll get a clearer sense of overall proportions that way.

For me, personally, cropped jeans and trousers were a hard sell at first because basically, I am your opposite -- a short legged person who lives in a cold climate! And it it true, on the face of it, they are not my most flattering or practical look. Nevertheless, I wear them with pleasure. How? Well....

Janet makes a good point. Slim crops are much easier than flares or wide legs. I wear these most often, partly because they are easier to pair with tops currently in my wardrobe. Note, I do not say "skinny." I prefer a non sausage casing but slim fit for this type.

Try a higher waisted pair -- not necessarily true high waist (depends on your own proportions) but mid-rise at least.

Start out with an outfit that is not high contrast. Low contrast footwear and top. If you need contrast to feel happy, add higher contrast in jewellery or a bag or something.

Wear a small block heel.

Try with higher vamp or cage sandals at first.

Try with a shoe that "closes the gap" (like a bootie or hightop); try with a shoe that is low vamp. Try with cage or ankle strap -- experiment a bit.
Experiment with the length. As a shorter legged person with particularly short calves (this is where I am disproportionately short), paradoxically, I find that I look better in the longer of Angie's recommended range. (2" above the ankle). Any shorter and it is in the "dangerous" part of my calf where it widens and this is tougher to wear. But everyone is different.

Cropped flares are especially tricky. I am wearing mine today. They are definitely leg shortening, even with my various "tricks." I have decided they are JFE and am okay with it.

Bijou

Veteran

I find boots great with cropped flares as they close the gap between the foot and jeans. This summer, cropped flares have been my summer alternative to wearing shorts. I hope you find your perfect pair.

DonnaF

Veteran

Going against the tide here: I am 5'1" with short chunky legs. I like flared crops under dresses. They highlight my ankles and seem to give me better proportions than with a top.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sterling, I'm keeping it short and candid. There is NO CHALLENGE with you wearing cropped pants. It's going to take less than half a day for you to get used to the proportions on your body. You do have to get the footwear right, so bring on the pics. We can help you.

Anonymous

I like a post that starts with confusion I was going to say, before reading anything here, that I'd suggest working a Janet look with a longer jacket and tonal colours. And then, just do it. Wear it, don't fuss with it, and get used to it. It won't take long to figure out .

Janet

(website)

Veteran

The more I think about this, the more I think footwear is the most critical component to this look being successful for me. If the footwear is too classic or delicate, I feel all wrong. I need edgy/stompy to make it work. YMMV.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

And I need the exact opposite to Janet to make it work for me - refined and dainty footwear works best. (Although my chunkier Converse are a dream with my straight and flared crops).

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Yeah I was gonna say you just need to find the right ones for your shape and eye. This could be fun if your will with the help of ylf. Oh to be 5'9

kkards

Veteran

echoing Ledonna ---oh to be 5'9....can I tell you that it was my dream to be 5'9?

excellent advice, but just want to add, something that I've personally experienced. many times when trying something that pushes me outside my fashion comfort zone, even if I've loved it on others, and made a concerted effort to wear it, it still look me a while to get used to it...and many times I just had to force myself not to change back into something in my zone...also posting Help Me WIWs really did help.

Anonymous

I will post some WIWs this weekend. Thank you all that weighed in. I am encouraged.

Sal

Veteran

You have the figure for it Sterling...

Footwear is key - for me (about 5 7 ish) I will wear flats but if I do I need them to have the ankle showing or to have a pointy toe. I prefer them with a heel to be honest even though I have long legs. I think you prefer flat shoes. I will wear mine with a sneaker though.

A column of colour is the easiest way to do it - all navy, all black, even all white...

Brooklyn

Veteran

If it's any consolation, I am tall and feel exactly the same way. Most of my length is in my torso and I feel like the look emphasises the relative shortness of my legs (and my thighs). But I love the look on others and am determined to persist with it this year. As you say, perfect for our warmer climate. I am sticking with tonal footwear with a high shaft. I mentioned in Janet's thread that I also prefer crops with a longer jacket (or with a sweater). With a shorter jacket everything starts to look and feel too shrunken for me (but, again, I can enjoy this look on others, so it is a bit of a puzzle to me that I feel that way). I hope you post some pics.

Staysfit

Veteran

Sterling I am the same height, I have not been a fan of wide leg crops but my legs even though long, are proportionally short for my height. I prefer narrow/straight leg crops or skinny crops. The right footwear is key. My feet and legs look very different depending on the shoes I wear. Some styles do not work well for me and I am learning what to avoid.

Style Fan

Veteran

Sterling this has been helpful for me to read. I prefer wide legged crops. I find narrow legged crops emphasize my hips. I don't wear skinnies of any kind. I end up looking like an ice cream cone. My head is the cherry on top.
It seems that there are lots of factors to consider. Your height, body shape, what footwear you are going to wear and probably others that I have not thought of yet.

RobinF

Veteran

To echo Ledonna and Kkards - oh to be 5'9"! Anyway, I am short and love crops, weird because I know they aren't supposed to look as good on short people. I do like narrower ones but I think that is because my eye hasn't adjusted yet to wider ones. I think the important factors are the length and the shoes.

Lisa

Veteran

Already great advice here, as someone who is very short and runs into fit challenges all the time, all I can add is, lots of trial and error will bring you the item that will work best. I've been known to pull a dozen or more of something into the dressing room to find only ONE item that works for me.

Anonymous

You'll figure it out. And, yes, crops do sound fabulous for a warm climate. If I were planning to purchase any more "dressy casual" clothing in the near future, I'd be working to figure out a way to make them work, too.

Anonymous

There is a woman at work whose style I admire greatly. I am going to study what she wears and how she wears it going into the Spring/Summer season. She is incredibly generous with her time/advice. She'll help me.