Tips on making those shorter wide pants look intentional?

April

Veteran

I have posted many times about the fact that, especially once you're a certain age, some looks become risky.

The idea of wide pants that don't touch your shoes is one of those, for me.

Any thoughts on how to make this look deliberately fashion-forward?

5 years ago

General

17 replies

Latest reply was from April

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Watching with interest. I'm only 5'8.5", but a childhood spent avoiding the "floods" look keeps me away from the kind of pants you describe.

5 years ago

kkards

Veteran

im not really sure, but i'm trying with higher shaft booties/boots to fill the space.

5 years ago

Helena

Veteran

April, I was reading an old post of Angie's yesterday about this; she mentioned that going two inches above the ankle bone keeps the look more intentional. Of course, cute boots or funky socks worth displaying probably help too

5 years ago

Aquamarine

Veteran

Yeah, I’m struggling with this too. Being short doesn’t help, nor having relatively shorter legs below the knees and a size 8.5 foot....

5 years ago

RobinF

Veteran

I agree, this is definitely keeping me away from the style. I like cropped pants lengths but my eye hasn't adjusted to the short but not cropped length. I think a lifetime of having a stink eye about pants lengths is making it hard to change my perception.

5 years ago

April

Veteran

Yep, 1970s flood-pants distaste is a factor here, no doubt.

5 years ago

Anonymous

To me, the shoe choice absolutely makes this intentional, or not. An updated, modern, fashion-forward (whatever you want to call it) shoe will show you know what's going on, so to speak. Does that make sense? Higher shaft boots are the easiest solution, or a chunky sneaker that isn't too literal.

5 years ago

cjh

(website)

Veteran

I’ve been I’ve been facing the same questions. Maybe it also depends on your environment. Are your friends and associates a bit familiar with trends, or do they think the same about “flood” pants? I think that’s why you have to make the look fresh and wear with super confidence!

5 years ago

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have all the same worries, and biases against flood pants. Plus I am self-conscious about chopping up my lower half in a way that visually widens me. So if I do wear wide crops, I’m likely to keep everything tonal and low-contrast. And the lengths are tricky on me — it just feels really easy to get it wrong and feel self-conscious and try-hard, rather than cool and casual.

5 years ago

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I think the key is making sure they are short enough that they obviously aren't supposed to be long. And I do think this can be a bit different on everyone. To my eye, 1-2" above the ground just looks short. But if they fall in a place that showcases shoes, or shows some ankle, or some boots... then they start to look intentional. So yeah, getting the shoes right is important.

On me, I'm finding the wide crops SO much more flattering than narrow crops. I was never comfortable in ankle pants (well, in cooler temps). I think it was the struggle with a narrow leg and boots, which I need to wear here. Wider legs balance my shoulders, and give so many more footwear options.

5 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

April, do you mean crops, or the new shorter full length? There is a difference, and you know I'll split hairs about it

Tapered versions of crops are old hat, so I suspect you mean bottoms with wider widths. I wear those al lot - WITH FLATS, most of the time. Low heels sometimes. Some of my pants are cropped, and others at the new shorter full length.

CROPPED = 2 to 4 inches ABOVE the ankle. MUST show the ankle bone to look intentional.

NEW SHORTER FULL LENGTH = Hems hit the top of the vamp of the shoes, or finish just beneath the ankle bone. This is not cropped, and quite insulating. I was wearing it with the right garb in -12C last month.

Here are my wide crops and wide new shorter full length bottoms in Finds. To look intentional to my eye:

I always show structure at the waist and hips with a tuck, semi-tuck, or cropped top. That lengthens my leg line from the hips upward.
I don't wear oversized tops. Always fluid, or on the tailored side of fluid. I am not into slouchy.
I ground the outfit with shoes that are tailored. Even when they are chunky, the fits are tailored and polished.
Toppers are usually short or long, although I DO the very fashion forward long blazer length and oversized aviator with the bottoms too. That is not as flattering for sure. But I'm a fashion professional so it's fun to be daring!
On top of all of that I create high contrast because I like brights and bold outfits. But the safer way is to keep things tonal and low contrast from top to toe.

At the end are the shoes I wear with the proportions. No visible socks ever. You either can't see my socks, or I wear warm knee-highs.

It helps that I really like the proportions! So I don't feel like I'm forcing my look. Just having fun with it.