To Wear Crop Pants If You’re Short

You’ve probably been told this time and again–if you’re short, never, ever, ever (*fit 36 more evers here*) wear cropped pants, or anything else that breaks your leg line between the knee and ankle. However, the truth is, modern style is just as much about breaking rules than following them (remember no white before Memorial Day? Pshaw!) — and seriously, Audrey Hepburn was an Amazon, and crop pants are place by her on the classic fashion map? Right.

Thus, our advice is, if you love crop pants then wear them–the only real caveat is that you need to wear them right (fine, so there are a number of rules still–we can not have fashion anarchy, can we?) . Some things to Think about before you get your crop on:

Crop Pants Tips for Short Women

Light Colors.

Or, more accurately, colors that don’t create a sharp contrast between the pant along with your skin tone, to maintain the illusion of a line from hip to toe. Neutrals are good–white, khaki (like these from Gap), brown, light gray, whatever is your favorite–and try to pick a shirt that doesn’t create an intense visual contrast (a black top with white crops, for instance ) if you would like to maintain the line from head to toe as long as you can.

Pills or Wedges.

Us girls–or average-height women with legs–already know that some kind of heels is our fashion bestie. Having a crop pant, sporting apartments (yes, a la Audrey, but she was about, oh, six inches wide) can make you look, well, stubby–so a little heel elevation, in the kind of some super-cute wedge shoes –can go a loooooong way. Pun intended.

A Slim Cut.

A wide leg that finishes before the floor will cut your petite off legs like nothing else, so instead, select a crop pant that’s more fitted, or perhaps skinny (will we cite Audrey Hepburn yet another time to the fashion icon reference trifecta? We believe we will ), like these cropped jeans in The Loft.

Tailor to Fit. And here we’re talking about span. When it is a capri (mid-calf) or a true crop (in the foot ) the span needs to be right so as to avoid looking like you’re playing dress-up from your much-taller-older-sister’s closet. So in the event that you love the trousers, buy them and invest the additional 10 or 20 dollars to lop off that extra inch or two (and in a super budget pinch, then a hot iron plus double-sided tape will do the trick temporarily).

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Angela

Angela is a senior writer who has been hanging round TBF since back in 2007. When she is not weighing in on the merits of, say, feathers as a style statement, Angela works as a bridal consultant in the St. Louis region. She also enjoys sunsets, and long walks in Goal.

Newest articles by Angela (see all)

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