"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.
