“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.