Wide legged jeans with flats?

Anonymous

Also a tall pear. I think it's harder to pull off, but not impossible. I've found that flats with a lower vamp work best for me when I wear wide legs and flats.

12 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Stacey. Although I'm not tall, so that's another difficulty. Maybe I need some that are not that wide, just enough to pass as wide legged jeans.

12 years ago

Anonymous

Oh sorry, I see I read that wrong! I still think it's worth a try. I think another key to making it work is a pair of wide legs that drape/flow nicely across the top of the foot. Like, soft, thin jeans seem to work better than thicker ones that have a more defined line. I don't know if that makes any sense, though!

12 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Yes, that makes sense!

12 years ago

celia

Veteran

Astrid, honestly and to my great regret as a not very tall pear and I like to wear flats, my answer will be no, wide leg jeans with flats(even if they are pointy toe ones) are not very flattering.
Of course you can try to make it work or simply wear it because you feel like it without caring about figure flattery. But if you want to keep to a budget and only buy things that are flattering I wouldn't do it.

You can always buy wide leg jeans and wedge sandals for summer that you can wear with skirts also to change them a bit.

It depends on how much are you willing to pay to make the pants work.

12 years ago

Sarah A

Veteran

I only wear flats. And I do wide legs. These pants everyone here told me not to hem for flats, use at least a 1.5" heel (I dont wear those!) but I am glad I did hem them for flats, now they get a ton of wear after being a closet orphan when they were longer. I am 5'5" and wear size US 6 for reference.

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12 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Celia. Yes, I'm definitely on a budget and wouldn't want to spend lots of money to make pants like this work. I can see how wedge sandals might be a solution, but I don't even wear those. I wear no heels at all.

Thanks for the pictures, Sarah! They look great on you. You're taller than me though, I'm only 5'3".

12 years ago

Mona

Veteran

Astrid, I am 5" 3" and a pretty pear like you and I agree with Celia. Wide legged pants with flats look awful on me, something I used to wear often before discovering YLF. I do wear heels, though. I have given away all my wide legged jeans as they couldn't be worn with heels (too short pants length).
After seeing how well Aida rocks hers, I want a pair too but I have to wait for the right one.

12 years ago

Sarah A

Veteran

Astrid, I hate to say it but at 5'3" trying the style the wide legs might be more trouble than it is worth unless you have an exceptionally long inseam for your height (like Diana does I believe)... I think I would spend my limited funds on a more versatile item.

12 years ago

Sara L.

Veteran

I have to be honest - I'm 5'6" and whenever I wear wide leg pants with flats, I feel frumpy. Sarah A looks great in hers though, so it's definitely do-able with the right pants and shoes.

12 years ago

Anonymous

Go with pointy toed flats. They do look awesome together. You can also wear them with flat sandals ( The trick is to have exposed toes).

12 years ago

amiable

Veteran

I wear wide legs with flats and love them. But I'm a tall rectangle, not a not-so-tall pear, and I suspect body shape makes a lot of difference on this one.

12 years ago

unfrumped

Veteran

I think it is a hard look to pull off also if you actually mean WIDE leg. I think you can do it with trouser styles that some people now would call wide, since "straight" is now relatively skinny, to my eye. Also mild bootcuts I think still work.

At some point there's a tradeoff, since there is no end to the pressure to use more heel height for a longer leg line, versus wear skinnier pants to expose the footwear, and you have to find the right balance for you. This is one of my pet peeves (rant, rant) about showing how great and long-legged someone looks in trousers but it's only if they're wearing a 4" heel.

12 years ago

Diana

Veteran

So, even with my long inseam, I don't like wide legged jeans because I don't wear high heels over 2.5". I got rid of all of mine in fact. I didn't like how the denim made them stiff and wide all the way down and you couldn't see my leg shape. Without heels I thought it made my legs look short and wide. Wide legged trousers are fine though because they are softer and slouchier so they show your leg shape a little when you walk. Even then I don't wear them with truly flat shoes (well, also, they would pool on the ground because I left them long.) I wear maybe 2" heels (or my 3" platform booties). I guess if you found some softer, thinner jeans that drape a bit more than normal it might work better.

12 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks everybody for your input! I think it might be more work than it's worth. I would say my inseam is normal for my height, I normally go for the 32''. These are sometimes just a bit too long, but the 30'' is always too short. I will try them if I stumble upon a pair that seems promising, but I won't actively search for a pair.

@unfrumped
I'm definitely talking about wide leg pants. I don't have a problem with bootcuts, I still wear the two pairs I have.

12 years ago

Thistle

Veteran

I think it is totally possible. Have you ever tried them with pointy toed flats?

12 years ago

Tina.b

Veteran

I'm 5'8 and I find this difficult for me. Even a small heel makes a big difference when I wear wide pants. That being said it is definitely doable, and quite flattering on some people, especially with a pointy toe.

12 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Thanks Thistle and Tina! No, I don't have any pointy toed flats and I suspect I won't find a pair that fits me, I have wide feet and often trouble fitting even the round toe shoes.

12 years ago

Aziraphale

Veteran

Wide legged pants look best, to my eye, with chunky heels, regardless of your body shape -- BUT they can also work with chunky flats that have a little bit of a platform sole ("flatforms"? The soles need only be about an inch thick) or else pointy-toed flats, which helps elongate the leg line. Still, I don't think it's a slam dunk. You'd have to try it out.

12 years ago

K. Period.

Veteran

I think you've got it pretty much sorted. It is possible, but very challenging. Pointy toed flats, to me are a necessity to make it work. I'm 5'5" and slim hipped and I think it is challenging to wear wider legs without some form of stacked heels. I've tried and tried and tried. I've got gorgeous linen trousers hemmed to just the right height. They just don't look all that flattering, though. My wider legs with stacked platforms? They look divine.

One more thought: Have you considered wearing something with a serious platform, like a pair of clogs, with a really long wide leg? That can help pull it off too. The pant length has to pretty much cover the shoe entirely, though, so it isn't very functional in anything but sunny, dry weather! However, it works really well with jeans, which can take a more rugged shoe.

12 years ago

cciele

Veteran

As a 5'3" rectangle, I avoid wearing any wide-legged or superflared pant without some sort of heel. Definitely look into platform or flatform shoes if you want to explore the look. My knees can't tolerate heels of more than 2 or 2.5" , but I wear 4-5" platforms with my wide-legged pants because the effective height is in my comfortable range.

12 years ago

Aida

Veteran

Checking in! IMO if you want to wear flats with wide pants, you will need pointy (possibly almond will work) flats; I just don't see any other way around that for you. We are the same height, though your inseam is a bit longer than mine I think. I wear 3-4" heels with ALL of my wide leg pants; if I absolutely had to wear flats they would most definitely be pointy, no other shape. Another option that could work for you is something pointy or almond-toe with a 1" wedge. That way you get just a little lift (which makes a surprising difference with wide leg silhouettes), but still a very low and comfortable shoe option. If you do decide to investigate the wide leg pant thing after all, I think the best bet would be something that fits in a tailored way all the way through the widest part of your thigh and then goes straight down from there; if it dips in at all then the shape becomes a bit trickier.

12 years ago

Raisin

Veteran

I do it...with rounded toe flats.....I know that's breaking all sorts of rules!

12 years ago

Astrid

Veteran

Elisabeth, I hadn't thought of chunky flats, but I could probably do these. And I'm also on the search for new sandals/spring shoes anyway.

Thanks K. I might be able to do something with a platform, but I'm not sure. I never tried, same as with heels. I just always wore flats, I'm comfortable in them.

Thanks Cathy. I might try some flatforms or low platforms if I see a pair I like.

Thanks for checking in, Aida! I never would have thought we were the same height, you somehow look much taller to me in your pics. I don't think pointy toed flats are for me, but I can see almond toed shoes working with my feet. A low wedge might be doable as well, good suggestion. I'm widest right where my hip ends, so if the pants are fitted in the hips and the cut straight down it should work just like you suggested.

Thanks Raisin!

12 years ago

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