Should You Wear Cropped Pants?

"I watched a fashion show last night," a reader wrote me

recently. "They said you should never wear Capris. I am

5' 7", long legs, slim size 8. I understand that they

might not be flattering to everyone, but what about for

me? I just ordered a pair online. Tell me, what do you

think?"




I think it's an interesting question. For while low-rise

pants tend to flatter very few women, cropped pants can

work well on a variety of figures, provided they follow a

few simple guidelines.




Before we get to them, however, let me define exactly the

style I'm referring to, so that we're all on the same page.





Cropped pants, also known as pedal pushers, clam diggers, and Capris, are a style of pants that ends somewhere

between the knee and the ankle, usually at mid-calf.

They've gone in and out of fashion several times since the

1950's, and are currently enjoying renewed popularity.

They are not for everyone, however.




Because of where they hit on the leg, they can emphasize

several things. For example:




*If you're petite, they can make you look shorter.




*If you're bottom heavy, they can make you look heavier.




*If you have short legs, they can make them look shorter.




*If you have thick ankles, they can make them look thicker.




Notice that I said, "can" in every situation. This isn't a given. Much of it can depend on the color, cut, style of

hem, and shoes that you choose.




Let's look at these one by one:




COLOR




Dark or muted colors will make you look smaller, light or

bright colors will make you look bigger. Small prints work

better on small bodies, large prints work better on large

or tall bodies.




CUT




The most flattering cut for trim bodies of all heights

tends to be flat front with tapered legs. This style

elongates the body and offers a chic, uncluttered line -

which is why it was favored by the likes of Jacqueline

Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn during their summer vacations,

and promptly copied the world over.




The least flattering cut tends to be the drawstring look

with straight or flared hem. While many women choose this

style for comfort, it creates a rectangular block of fabric

from waist to hem, visually adding pounds and subtracting

height. If you are petite, heavy, or have thick ankles,

this style will magnify all of these things.




STYLE OF HEM




The most flattering hem for most women is plain and

tapered. The least flattering is flared with a cuff. The

former will elongate, the latter will shorten and widen.




If you're a bit heavy and feel that a tapered hem makes

your hips or upper thighs look bigger, try a straight leg

style instead. Do NOT opt for a flared hem to try to

offset your hips - unless you want to look the same size

from hips to hem.




SHOES




For years, the ballerina flat was the shoe of choice to

wear with cropped pants. In recent years, high heels,

sandals, slides, and flip-flops have found their way on to

the team as well.




Your best shoe choices create an unbroken line from hem to

toe with minimal material that compliments -- rather than

competes with - your pants. Shoes that are the same color

as pants, white, or flesh-colored are all good choices.




Avoid chunky, heavy shoes, or shoes that compete with your

hem. All of these will call attention to your feet, chop

you up visually, and make you look shorter.




Cropped pants are a great warm weather alternative to

shorts for those chilly nights, dressy casual occasions, or

for women who just hate to bare their legs in shorts. They

look great on women of many heights, sizes, and ages,

provided they're chosen with care.




If you look for styles that flatter your figure and

elongate your body, you'll look great AND stylish. So

don't necessarily cross these off your list. Just take a

little time to find the looks that work best for you.