“Capris and cropped pants are notoriously hard to wear, and they can be unflattering on many women. Yet, they remain incredibly popular, and women (including me) love them. They are comfortable, fashionable, and fun!
So, how can you wear capris and cropped pants in a way that’s stylish and flattering? Discover that today in this article on how to wear capris and cropped pants.
How to wear capris: Why can capri pants be unflattering?
Why can capris and cropped pants be hard to wear?
First and foremost, cropped pants can be unflattering because they can shorten the appearance of your legs. This effect can be especially challenging for women with proportionally shorter legs. If you want to check your vertical proportions, be sure to read our article on vertical body types. Here are some guidelines for wearing capri pants in flattering ways:
- Capris that are tapered are easier to wear.
Capris and cropped pants that follow the natural leg line will look much better. If you like the look of wide trousers (I do), then go for a full leg, but for cropped pants and capris, I prefer a very tight leg line. - Wear higher heels.
One way to overcome the leg-shortening effect when wearing wider pants is by wearing higher heels. Wide cropped pants especially look better with heels. - Apply the rule of thirds.
They can highlight chunky calves if your pants end at the ‘wrong’ part of your leg. The eye will be drawn to where the hem of your capris ends. They can divide your body in half, which can often be unflattering (more on this later).
So why do women still love cropped pants so much?
Here are just some of the reasons:
- The overall look of capris tends to be quite trendy.
- They are playful and geeky.
- They can be sexy too, with the revealing of the ankle bone.
- They look fabulous with booties, which are still very much on trend this year.
- They are more associated with fun and style.
- They keep you cooler in summer.
How to wear capris and cropped pants?
If you like the trendy and playful vibe of capris and decide to wear them, how can you do so while maintaining a flattering silhouette?
When wearing your cropped pants the wrong way, you may visually divide your body in half. This can be very unflattering, so it’s better to aim for a golden ratio silhouette, where your body is divided into thirds.
Your top part is usually 1/3, and your bottom part is 2/3 when putting together an outfit that follows this flattering golden ratio guideline.
But you can also create a 2/3 top and 1/3 bottom silhouette.
You can achieve the 1/3-2/3 look by tucking in the top of your cropped pants. I also like to wear my capris with a long tunic or dress, which creates the 2/3-1/3 silhouette. Tucking your top into your pants is an easy way to achieve a 1/3-2/3 silhouette.
If you want to know more about creating a flattering silhouette and the golden ratio, we go in great detail about this topic in a special bonus course that you get when you enroll in our style course. More details about that here.
If you prefer not to tuck your top in and want to hide your belly, you can also wear a wider, shorter top that skims over half of your belly.
Or you can deceive the eye by wearing a layered top. Below is an example where I wear wide cropped pants, which are even more challenging to wear. Although my top is too long, part of it is in the same color as the pants. Since the darker part ends at my waist, it still creates a 1/3-2/3 balance.
Below is an example where I wear 2/3 on top and 1/3 at the bottom. This can be a very flattering look for many women and is a great option for tighter cropped pants and leggings.
The cropped pants below are challenging to wear. They are both wide and end at a traditionally unflattering (wider) part of the leg. To make it work, I applied two strategies:
- I wore a short top that ends at my waist.
- I wore heels to balance the shortening effect of these pants.
If you want to make this look more flattering, you can opt for heels in the same color as the pants.
- Think carefully about your shoe choice.
If there is not too much contrast between your shoes and your legs, your legs will appear longer. Shoes without straps are more leg-lengthening as well.
I don’t always follow this “rule” myself, as I prefer high-heeled shoes with straps. I feel this still works when I wear heels, but if your legs are very short, you may want to avoid straps at your ankle.
- Higher booties are very effective with cropped pants.
This is a good way to prevent the shortening effect of cropped pants, especially if you choose them in the same color as your pants. - Wear a shorter top.
When wearing cropped pants that are flared or wider, be sure to wear a shorter top. High-waisted cropped pants look fabulous with tops that end at the waist.
Wearing a shorter top will ensure that your legs look longer.”