How to Wear Cropped Pants for Every Body Type
Cream of the crop: Cropped pants at, from left, Ralph Lauren, daftbird and Mike Gonzalez. Photos: Emmanuel Dunand, AFP/Getty Images; daftbird; Mike Gonzalez
Designers certainly have embraced the trend. Emilio Pucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Ralph Lauren, to name a few, all showed cropped pants on their spring runways. But it can be a difficult look to pull off -- and one that can easily look dated, not modern.
We'll tell you how to find the right pair for your body shape, but the number one rule, as is in every style expedition is to work with what you've got.
"It's in the attitude not the clothes," says Josh Christopher, designer for daftbird. "Be confident in what you put on and you will be fine -- regardless of body type."
Check out the expert advice for looking cool in cropped pants and then peruse our gallery of real women (from the AOL offices!) testing out the trend.
What are the latest cropped pant styles?
- "The gaucho silhouette is so fresh and new again," Mike Gonzalez, designer of his eponymous line, tells StyleList. "Also, a slim cropped cargo pant is very now. A slightly baggy and relaxed hip area that slims down to a more tapered cuff is the perfect combination of casual and luxe. If you have longer legs, it's easier to pull off. But, equally strong is a more slim-fitting Capri length that works well with most body types, especially shorter legs. The slimmer fit at the hip that streamlines down to the cuff is really flattering."
- "If you're keeping up with trends, then at the ankle," says Bridgette Raes, style expert and author of Style Rx: Dressing the Body You Have to Create the Body You Want. "On tall women, I would suggest a slightly shorter cropped pant, just so the shortness looks purposeful and not like you outgrew your pants."
- "If you have large calves, to avoid making them look bigger, the hem should never end at the widest part of your calf," Raes says. "The ankle-length trend for Capris should work just fine for women with heavy legs. If a cropped pant is hemmed too short on women with large thighs, it can emphasize that plumper thigh zone. Thin ankles and calves will look even scrawnier if you put them in a pair of wide-legged cropped pants. If you want your ankles and calves to look more substantial, choose a pair of cropped pants that sit closer to the leg."
Filed under: Fashion, How to Wear, Steal the Style
Tags: AolOriginal, bridgette raes, BridgetteRaes, cropped pants, CroppedPants, daftbird, how to wear cropped pants, HowToWearCroppedPants, mike gonzalez, MikeGonzalez, real women, RealWomen, spring 2010, Spring2010, style guide, StyleGuide, summer 2010, Summer2010
Tags: AolOriginal, bridgette raes, BridgetteRaes, cropped pants, CroppedPants, daftbird, how to wear cropped pants, HowToWearCroppedPants, mike gonzalez, MikeGonzalez, real women, RealWomen, spring 2010, Spring2010, style guide, StyleGuide, summer 2010, Summer2010
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gabi, 7-07-2010, 6:17AM
Cropped pants are the WORST design... ever! Almost everyone looks ridiculous and ill-balanced in them... unless they're LEGGINGS in which case they're not really cropped pants but cropped leggings.
Michael Jackson was the ONLY ONE who could pull of that look and, when we all can move the way he did when wearing them, THEN (and only then) we'll look good.
Cropped pants - crapped pants.
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