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This post just kills me

Anonymous

This posts speaks to jeans and how they telescope your trendiness. I didn't want to use that particular word, but the correct word escapes me at this time. http://www.popsugar.com/fashio.....o-42582988

It kills me because I think it is true. Although I try hard to refresh my wardrobe by closely following Angie's and Forum Member's style journeys, I have the hardest time with slacks/jeans.

When BF jeans were all the rage, I just couldn't make them work for me. I always felt sloppy and somewhat ridiculous wearing them. I could never make them look effortless or intentional. Hence, I looked ridiculous and like I was trying just too damn hard.

I have issues with cropped jeans as well. Although cropped jeans would be ideal for both my climate and my lifestyle, I always felt like they made me look oddly stumpy. Like the proportions were all wrong. I wore them, but I never felt fabulous in them. Eventually I resolved to not add any cropped pants/jeans to my wardrobe because of how they made me feel.

I have yet to dip my toe into this current trend of cropped and wide-legged jeans. My eye has adjusted to it thanks to all the Forum Members that have posted WIWs. I haven't had time to shop or experiment with them yet. I kinda think I am going to look ridiculous in them though because they combine elements of BF jeans and cropped jeans. How funny will that be?

So currently I am wearing full length dark denim jeans. I have also embraced ankle length and come to love it. For some reason I can get the proportions more correct with ankle length than cropped length. But I still wear slim cuts.

I am sad but I take some solace in the fact that I don't see cropped, wide-legged slacks/jeans anywhere in my real world.

Dressing

50 replies

Latest reply was from Ledonna N.

Gail

Veteran

I get it. I have tried to make the cropped jeans work and do have some but like you I don't feel fab in them. I am sticking to skinny jeans that are either ankle or full length . They work well for my lifestyle and are quite versatile with all my foot wear. I can wear tall boots, sandals, booties, shooties and I don't need to worry about any hemming.

Anonymous

Gail -- I agree!!! The slacks/jeans I wear work perfectly with the shoes I have amassed. I also don't want to buy new shoes/booties to make a new style of slacks/jeans work.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I want to see you BOTH in cropped jeans! All my clients wear them - all sizes, heights and body types. Once you break through - you shan't look back. Choose the version that works FOR YOU, and run with it.

El Cee

Veteran

Sterling -- If I remember correctly, you are a tall gal. No? I am admittedly biased here (as I am 6 feet in height)... but I think tall women can pull off cropped jeans with ease. Yes, it does take time for our own eyes to adjust to the new proportions. I had the same negative feelings when I first experimented with crops a few years back. Now I love them and cannot even recall what specifically was bugging me about them. My husband and a few random friends still give me the occasional stink eye over some of my sartorial choices (especially cropped flares and culottes), but I laugh it off.

But, in the end, it is only YOU and your comfort level that matters. The cropped jeans trend just may be something that you do not ever wish to embrace. And that is perfectly OK and does not mean that you are in any way "unstylish". I have a good friend who is also very tall. She always looks lovely and very stylish but has chosen not to embrace a number of denim trends over the years. She prefers to wear only black or dark wash boot cut jeans. She knows what works for her and always looks like a million bucks.

Alexandra

(website)

Veteran

I'd much rather look not-trendy than ridiculous, and the fashion victim look is always ridiculous. Your eye might adjust to trends, but it sounds like you're really paying attention and realizing that it's simply desensitization to seeing it around you, and not redefining what looks good. Certain proportions look right and others don't, regardless of the latest trends.

Diana

Veteran

Well, I think the thing about trends nowadays is that you can pick and choose which ones you want to participate in. Personally I'm liking dha cropped lengths but you won't ever see me in high rises. They look silly on my body type and more importantly i find them super uncomfortable. I don't feel like I'm missing out at all my not choosing to wear them. *shrug*

LaPed

Veteran

There will always be trends you can't make work for your own eye or body type. I agree that jeans are an easy way to show that you're current. But they're not everything. I remember, back around 2008-2010, consciously rejecting the skinny/jegging trend, just like you've crossed crops off your list. I'm pretty open to new silhouettes, and I've dipped my toe into skinnies now and then, but ultimately I just don't love the look or the feel: as someone with a lot of leg muscle, I always feel like there's way too much emphasis on my thighs, and except with tall boots I also feel like skinnies make my feet look big. I'm a very body-positive person, but skinnies have tended to make me more self-conscious of the parts of myself I struggle to embrace, so I had to move along and remind myself, "if it's not fun, don't wear it!"

So right along, I've preferred rigid denims and dungaree styles. I like mid-rise boyfriends and girlfriends, slim-straight fits, and "mom jeans" can work great for me if the taper is just right. I'm happy to make tomboyish jeans a "signature" for myself; my only regret is that it limits to a certain degree my experimentation with oversized/asymmetrical tops and tall boots (I still do both of these, I just do them with skirts and dresses rather than with jeans).

I'm excited all over again by flares and bootcuts with the right footwear. I'm still waiting for "my" wide legs and culottes to show up. I love the wide-but-structured look, but I'm not married to the raw hems yet: they look too summery to me to wear for F/W -- but I've never loved heavy distressing either. I'm keeping my eyes open for gorgeous flares with a 30" inseam, and some fun culottes for next spring. Ankle-bearing in the winter is a little to fussy for me, although today it's in the 50s and sunny, so I'm doing ankle length while I still can!

RobinF

Veteran

I feel this way more about shoes than jeans. Like if I have a trendy pair of shoes they elevate almost any outfit. With jeans I tend to lag behind the styles, partly because around here you don't see trends until a few years after they start, and partly I think because to me they are more of a basic and when I get a new pair I want to wear them for a while.

Personally I love the cropped pants of all kinds. Being short, they might not be the most flattering but I love how they show my ankles and shoes (there are those shoes again!), and I'm finding this year that I am wearing them way longer into fall because of the taller boots.

tulle

Veteran

Oh I hear you, Sterling! The truth is, a slim 15-30 year-old can wear almost anything and still look good. After that it gets complicated. Gravity and body type assert themselves, and strategy is required, especially with pants. I've sort of come around to a "let's not and say we do" formula for myself: I really only look good in straight, narrow-but-not-too-tight trousers or jeans. I can cheat into a boot-cut if there's not too much flare, and cropped (Summer & sandals only) or rolled versions of the narrow pant are good for me, too. When skinny jeans were in, I called my narrow jeans "skinnies". When boyfriend jeans were the thing, I called them "slim boyfriends". My boot-cuts are my "flares", and so on. Makes me feel somewhat current, and saves my dignity.

Joyce B

Veteran

I also think ankle lenght pants are easier to style but wearing cropped pants may just be a matter of proportions, I am sure they would look good on you but you have to feel happy wearing them, otherwise they will not work.
As for me, I am also wearing full length pants. It's getting cold here and I like to wear whatever keeps me the warmest.
You can wear crops with boots and they look really nice but I doubt they will be warm enough in the Winter. I will be in my ponte pants for a while.

Joyce B

Veteran

Something else for me with the cropped lengths is that I don't know for how long they will stay in style, maybe they will only be for a few seasons and after that the money will be wasted?
At least one can always count in the longevity of full length pants.

Joyce B

Veteran

Back again to say that I just read the link you shared and it made me feel more in style as I always seem to have an easier time getting on board with jeans than with anything else. I wonder why it's like that?

Bonnie

Veteran

This article may be true. I have shortened and fringed a few pair of skinny pants and have received many compliments from my fashionably conservative friends. They are not yet wearing them, but notice and comment when I do. I don't think the pants flatter my figure at all, but having 3 DIY pairs and now a real pair (found on sale) is not that expensive considering that I will be wearing them almost daily.

Jules

Veteran

Well there's trendy and then there is current. I've realized I don't need to be trendy. Maybe even actively don't want to, frankly. I do want to look current - aka not dated, like I take care of myself and am paying attention to the world, etc. As it stands skinny jeans still look current to me and work great in my winter climate. I'm glad boot cuts and flares came back too because I love those styles. And still rocking boyfriends when weather allows a bare ankle.
As Angie has mentioned, we live in an era when so many styles are available at the same time and I really enjoy many of them without feeling any need to project "trendy". Only when I love the trend will I buy in.

always trying

Veteran

I am just glad there are so many styles out there. Only one I will not wear are ripped ones. Never wore baggy BF's. Found some that when I sized down they fit sort of like old Levis. I sure hope I can continue to buy jeans that can be worn unrolled like ankle, and not so skinny that they can be rolled up a bit like crops. To me crop flares look like your flares shrunk.

Summer

Veteran

I'm much the same, Sterling. At the moment I just want to wear slim or straight jeans, and I, too, tend to buy dark wash most of the time. I don't mind wider legs, but they're not that practical for me in the colder months.
I have bought into crops, though, as they seem that little bit fresher to me - thanks to Angie and YLF - but it's a very new departure for me at the moment, especially when worn with boots.
In the end, I suppose we have to wear what feels right for us, but always with an open mind as to newer trends.

shedev

Veteran

The article had a link to falls denim trends. Some of the other styles, patchwork, color block, or embroidered come in different cuts. The crops that I have are full length on me. I have rolled them to crop length a couple times, but I usually wear them full length. I may be buried under a foot of snow next week, so I'll revisit the idea of crops in the spring. They would most likely be a straighter cut.

Liz

Veteran

The article might be true in general for those in the fashion world without being relevant for you personally.

If you like being on-trend according to what you're seeing on the internet and you find it fun, then you might want to figure out how to wear these different styles of denim. Otherwise, why let it stress you? We get to choose what trends to participate in.

Personally, participating in fashion trends isn't fun or motivating for me, so I'm usually OK with being current according to what women around me are actually wearing (unless I just happen to really like an incoming trend and have been waiting for that silhouette or color to show up again).

kkards

Veteran

I do think jeans can tell you a lot about the level of trendiness a person is comfortable with....but not everyone needs to be trendy...

Anonymous

I think you should pay serious attention to Angie
Do you like the look in magazines and online?
If so, maybe there's something in your support act that's not measuring up.

At this point, I have the high shaft booties, but I still can't find the right straight crops for under $100. I really really like Angie's and Viva's jeans, shown in finds, but they just feel too expensive for me. I might get them anyway.

AG The Jodi Crop Side Slit Jeans

$188.00 $131.60

Sale

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Top Pick

42

10 Inch Crop Straight Jeans

$185.00 $129.50

Sale

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Anonymous

Oh, and I don't think jean style is the be-all end-all style "tell" but the cropped jeans do look more stylish to me than skinnies

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

I think...that is not bad news. Jeans are a staple in my wardrobe and if I can look fashionable by shelling out for one new pair every year or six months (which I'd have to do anyway just to keep up with wear and tear) it seems an inexpensive way to give my fashion a boost. No heavy distressing or ripped hems for me, though...I'll choose one of the other denim trends to follow.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

My eye has definitely not adjusted to these new(/old) styles, I will say. The high-waisted 'mom jean' fit can be really flattering if you have a long rise and a trim figure, but I have neither, plus I remember how freakin' uncomfortable wearing high-rise jeans with little to no stretch was.

I am struggling with a similar issue myself. Jeans have been my go-to for everyday for years, and I just don't feel like my outfits right now are particularly interesting or current. Cropped flares are not for me for multiple reasons; I'm still wearing the skinnies I own but not buying new, but they look really boring to me. I do have a couple pairs of full-length flares which I can make work with a tucked-in or shorter top and higher shoes, but that's not practical for everyday. So then I'm in straight legs, and I can't seem to find a lot of new ways to style them. I don't really aim at being trendy anymore, but something a little current but not laughable would be nice. I haven't been this frustrated with fashion for a long time.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Well, I agree with everyone.

First, that you should not have to adopt a trend you don't enjoy! There are other ways of ensuring you look current, if that is a goal -- footwear being a prime example, as Robin said. This year's shoe or bootie is as big an indicator as this year's denim of whether or not you are aware of what is going on in the fashion world.

And anyway, most of us here really don't care about being seen as up-to-the-minute. We like to play with trends for the fun of it and if it's not fun, or it's not practical for lifestyle reasons, well --- why bother?

Having said that, I also think you should listen to Angie -- particularly if you like the look of this on others. It may be a question of finding the right version. It took me two years to find a pair of culottes that were going to work for me, and not for want of trying. Now that I have found them, I'm sure I will find more.

As someone who wears denim all the time, I feel, like Emily, that finding my version of the current denim is a really great way to update my style at a reasonable cost. Even $200 seems pretty cheap considering I can usually wear with an already existing support act.

The cropped lengths do pose some challenges for me due to body type and climate, but I am finding ways to make them work.

Style Fan

Veteran

I wear jeans a lot and I do like to look current. I have not embraced the cropped jeans because I have so much trouble finding footwear that works for me.
I do wear high rise jeans and love them. I roll up and cuff my straight leg high rise Levis so they sort of look like cropped jeans.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I wear denim almost daily during the colder weather.

I have concluded that since I get so much wear out of them, it's best to update seasonally or yearly and consign older ones before they are too out of fashion for resale.

Now to find some invisible, highly warm, micro fleece, glittered knee highs to wear under the crops.

Aquamarine

Veteran

For affordable cropped denim, check out Madewell. I wandered into one of their stores, and found a pair of cropped boot cuts marked down. They were also running a one-day sale, and the final cost was $35. I had tried on several $200 pairs and just didn't love them enough to justify the cost for a trendy item. Also--and this killed me--a few of them were flawed. Both J. Crew and AG items had crooked back pockets!

Anyway, for $35 I didn't mind hemming them (since even cropped denim is usually too long on me) and giving the style a go.

lady

I feel you.
I clicked on the article a few hours ago and am only now getting a chance to respond. Honestly? I didn't care for a single pair of jeans in that linked article. Each person wears them well and clearly thought through the style but I just don't like the look. Perhaps my eyes haven't completely adjusted.
Furthermore, it's not a flattering silhouette on me. I'm a plus size hourglass w a lingering postpartum midsection and very full pear-ish thighs. Cropped jeans don't flatter me and I guess I have a lower tolerance for how unflattering I'm willing to go for trends.
Instead I've embraced full length flares full stop. I've invested in multiple pairs in different washes and even a pair w mild distressing. I've bought stock in this trend and plan to ride this wave, though it seems Im in the minority at the moment. That's ok. Flares flatter me and I like them.

Bijou

Veteran

Sterling boyfriend jeans were not for me as they were not polished enough, and so I never bought those. However, I have been pleasantly surprised at how wonderful cropped flared jeans work for me. I have the J-brand Selena and also the AG Jodie crops, I was fortunate to get the AG's on sale. Both are beautiful to wear and have a flat front so a different waist line to boyfriend jeans. If you are thinking of giving them a try - wear booties, as it really helps with the proportions. Now that I am accustomed to the look, I wear them with a variety of footwear.
Living in Australia, cropped flares are fantastic, because they are as comfortable to wear as shorts and more dressy and flattering. It was for this reason, that I spent as much on these jeans (as my $ per wear gets pretty low for all my jeans).

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