Why must BF jeans taper at the ankle? - YouLookFab Forum

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Why must BF jeans taper at the ankle?

Anonymous

Or is this a requirement I erroneously THINK we here at YLF have imposed on BF jeans?

When people put up their BF pics for review, I often read that YLFers think they should taper more at the ankle. Why? No man in my life wears tapered jeans; they wear straight. Do people think the tapered ankle makes them more feminine?

Don't get me wrong - I love my Gap BF jeans, but do crave a more straight leg, baggy look for spring, more like the Current Elliott "Dad" jeans pictured below. Despite the name, I totally think of them as BF jeans.

Or is this tapered ankle requirement all in my head?

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19 replies

Latest reply was from Sveta

catgirl

Veteran

I don't think they have to taper- in summer I wear my pants wider and rolled that way, but it does have the wide cropped ankle pant/"standing in a bucket" possibility. I see people wearing jeans that way ALL THE TIME here, mostly over wider boots like Bogs. It's very cute-country-casual to my eye.

Claudia

Veteran

The Kut from the Kloth Catherine BF jeans I have, YLF recommended, do not taper.

I prefer them not to taper, too.

Amy

(website)

Veteran

I don't think boyfriend jeans are exactly the same as jeans worn by boyfriends. They're a feminine interpretation of masculine clothing. The taper would be a feminizing element...

I generally think tapered cuffs are easier to keep rolled up than wider cuffs. However, I don't think you have to taper them for them to look good!

Diana

Veteran

Hmm, I prefer a tapered leg on a cropped or rolled jean, which most BF jeans are. I actually prefer a straight leg on longer jeans, but I also like them to be VERY long and a bit slouchy, which is hard to find these days. I do not like a wider leg opening on shorter jeans.

ETA: examples. #1 is my SBFs which are tapered and rolled short. #2 are my MEK jeans which are straight leg but also MUCH longer than the SBFs. When I roll these I have to roll them higher than the BFs so that they are closer to my calf and not so wide.

ETA2: I actually found an outfit where I rolled the straight legs to a similar length as the SBFs (#3). To my eye, this is kind of a stumpy, bulky look, and I prefer them long as in #2. Keep in mind that the shoes I'm wearing in photo #3 are actually 3+" platforms, and the shoes in #1 are probably only 1", but #3 still looks stumpier to my eye.

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catgirl

Veteran

Scrolling through these images really helps - to my eye, it's the rolling that makes the difference at any length and width. Somehow it looks more intentional to my eye than the same lengths unrolled.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/sr?k.....tegoryid=0

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Personally, I think they look better rolled when they are tapered. But if you wear them short enough, a wider hem works well too - like in the pic you post.

Also, tapering is a way of adding structure to BF jeans for those who seek it.

Unrolled versions I like both tapered and straight.

catgirl

Veteran

Angie, I do you mean you like both ways unrolled and full length, or unrolled and cropped?

Anonymous

I think the first images I remember seeing of this look were wider-leg jeans that had been pegged and rolled (Katie Holmes, maybe?) - so a taper was introduced through the pegging. Maybe later iterations of the style dispensed with the pegging and introduced the taper directly?

Marley

Veteran

I just personally like the tapered ones better - I think it adds a feminine touch as it tapers down to show off the ankle. To my eye the un-tapered BF jeans are just way too much fabric/bulkiness/jean!

Anonymous

You know? I wished my BF's would taper less. That is why I abhor the unrolled look on me. It looks so strange on my legs.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Anne, the ones you posted look a lot like rolled up oversized bootcuts to me! I like a straight leg or just a little bit of a taper when a style is to be rolled. I do peg my old oversized bootcuts when I roll them , but I mainly wear them to poke around junkyards and such with my camera.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Like Marley I prefer tapered legs better: I think they work better to balance out the bagginess on top. Just for fun I did a search for BF jeans on Pinterest and compiled the looks I liked into my BF jeasn board. When I was done I have noticed that I picked up the tapered versions over the straigt ones when they are rolled up.
Claudia, Kut Catherine jeans to taper (at least mine do) but the tapering is not severe. If you fold up the leg you would notice that they are narrower on the bottom than on the knee. I think this is what gives them structure.
However that may be a very personal thing and does not mean it should be the same for everyone. If they appeal to you with straight legs and rolled just go for that!

Anonymous

Sounds like a personal preference thing and most YLFers prefer them tapered, thus my impression that tapering is the ideal around here. I like both looks, with a slight preference lately for less tapering.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Since most BF jeans are worn rolled to a cropped length, I think the Cropped Pants Principles apply: a wider hem at a cropped length will be more leg-shortening and require higher heels, a la the platform wedges styled with the Dad Jeans above.

cciele

Veteran

What Rae said!

Tina.b

Veteran

I think the wider BF hem is quite fashion forward but a lot tougher to pull off. I still haven't found a real pair of BF that work on me, but I definitely need to do tapered for myself.

Anonymous

Good point, Rae. I'm not concerned with leg shortening, so I rarely think of it.

Claudia

Veteran

Sveta, you are correct on the Kut Catherine's, having folded up the leg. They are called straight legs, but do taper. I never noticed this wearing them both rolled and unrolled, they are so loose in fit.

I prefer wearing these rolled.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

Claudia, I actually prefer them rolled up too but they look good unrolled as well. I think rolled up is more fashion forward?