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How Do I Choose the Best Cropped Pants?

Jennifer Leigh
Jennifer Leigh

Choosing cropped pants can be a challenge because the wrong pair can be extremely unflattering to your body type. Focus on the fit of the pant, the length and the style to ensure that you do not end up looking shorter and bigger than you actually are. Other important decisions when picking cropped pants include the type of material they are made out of, where you will be wearing them, your shoe choice and the color of the fabric.

Cropped pants should not be overly baggy, nor too tight, in order to look best on your body. The pants look optimal when they are fitted to show off your figure. When they are baggy, they can make you look unkempt and larger than you are, and when they are too tight, they can squeeze parts of your body that do not need to be squeezed. If you like the fashion of baggy cropped pants, make sure to wear them with a fitted top so that the fashion of the pants is emphasized but you do not look like a larger and sloppier version of yourself.

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Woman shopping

The length of cropped pants is also an important consideration. To be most flattering, they should come to right below the thickest part of your calf. If they cut across the thickest part, they can make your legs look bigger and stumpier than they really are. Another option would be to choose cropped pants that hit directly below your knee, which also avoids cutting across the thickest part of the calf. This style is sometimes referred to as walking shorts.

Cropped pants come in many types of materials, so choose one that works best for the places you will be wearing the pants. Thicker materials such as wool are business-appropriate while denim works better in casual settings. Add some color to your wardrobe with a bright pair of pants in any material. Darker colors tend to be more slimming than lighter ones, but both work in a variety of settings.

Consider the shoes that you will be wearing with the pants. Heels help elongate the legs, which works well due to the shortening effect that cropped pants can have. If you do not want to wear heels, choose a flat shoe that is causal, but still fashionable, such as ballet flats, for a put-together look. Wearing sneakers can make your body look squat and should be avoided when possible.

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