Cropped pants are the perfect winter-to-spring transition piece!
From boots, to flats, to sandals, the cropped pant the perfect transition piece from winter to spring since they pair so well with a variety of shoes.
Stylist Reachel Bagley schooled us in a cropped pants course so you can wear them in a way that feels flattering to you.
Where Should Cropped Pants Hit?
“Right now it’s actually running a little longer than it has in the past,” Reachel said. Ideally a cropped pant should hit just above the ankle. Too high and it’s a capri, too low and it’s an awkward high water.
The Rule of Thirds
Be sure to play into the rule of thirds. Since your leg line is immediately shorter with a cropped pant, you also want your waistline to be higher. Avoid long, shapeless tops in favor of neat tucks or near the waist crops.
Crops in Cold Weather
Crops are the perfect transition piece for spring because they pair with everything from boots to flat sandals. You can keep your entire leg covered with cozy socks and boots or slowly expose just a few inches of skin as spring makes it’s unpredictable appearance.
Most Popular Crops
Straight Leg
The most classic crop is a straight leg crop. This dresses up or down well and is likely to stay on trend the longest. “Structured flat looks great with all of these,” Reachel said. “You want something that has a little bit of boning to it, a little bit of form to it.” Some other options she mentioned were ballet flats, flat mules, and flat sandals. These all look neat and polished with straight leg crops.
What you don’t want is something like a chunky motorcycle boot. “Not only will it just look off because your bottom will look so heavy, but then your cuffs are going to play around in the wideness of the boot and it’s going to be really uncomfortable,” Reachel explained.
Barrel Leg
The barrel leg is at the other end of the spectrum. This cut makes a much bigger statement and feels very current. “ It’s so comfortable,” Reachel emphasized. “It has tons of room through the thigh. It shapes out to the sides and then tapers right back in.” You can find bigger and narrower cuts of this style of pant, depending on your preference.
“I’m always tempted to put on a high heel with everything, but on this one, I actually wouldn’t recommend it,” Reachel emphasized. “It’s going to end up looking a little bit dated and your cuff is going to catch on the back of a heel or a pump.”
She recommended instead any type of open-backed shoe, like a mule, slingback, or clog. “ Not only does it help your cuff not tuck into the bottom of your pant leg, but it also is really nice because it just shows a little bit of skin and it’s really flattering,” Reachel explained.
Demi Boot
Demi boots or kick flares are perfect for mirroring and balancing a curvy hipline. “ We all knew these in the 90s, but they had to go all the way down to the floor,” Reachel said. “The nice thing about the Demi boot is when you walk in the rain, you’re not going to have a totally wet cuff. It’s still really fun and it balances out that hipline.”
Reachel loves to wear sneakers with these, but not sports trainers.” If you put on a HOKA with this, you’re just going to feel schlumpy, okay?” she emphasized. Expose a little bit more of the ankle with low profile shoes, like court shoes and platforms.
Wide Leg
Reachel’s personal favorite is the wide leg crop. It’s got more room in the thigh and shows off a striking contrast between the waist and the hemline. “ I want to put some height with this because we need to be able to show off that full length,” she emphasized.
You want to be careful with the boots you choose, though. “ If I do a shorter, wide Chelsea boot, once again, my cuff is going to be floating around in the top,” Reachel explained. Find more of a sock bootie that will that has a narrow opening that is more fitted to the ankle. You could also do a high top sneaker and get the same effect.
Find more advice from Reachel on Instagram, @cardiganempire, or at cardiganempire.com.
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