On Monday, some of you expressed an interest in learning how to wear J.Crew’s new, cropped suit pants.  So I thought that I would accommodate that request.

Before we begin, let me say that cropped trousers will look good on only a limited number of women.  To wear this style well, you need to have long, slender (or at least proportional) legs.  This style will be a challenge for pear-shaped women (like me) and very tough for women who are long torsoed (also, like me).  That being said, here are some tips for finding cropped suit pants.

First off, the pants must touch or be longer than the ankle bone.  This will still give you the slim, modern look you want, but it won’t cut off the leg in a weird place and make you look stumpy.  

Secondly, the leg opening must be slim or tapered.  I’ve seen wide and flare-legged cropped trousers and they’re just ugly.  If you want the Audrey Hepburn look, you need a slim-fitting pant.  No exceptions.  Otherwise, you’re just wearing capris.  And we all know how I feel about capris. 

Third, be prepared to be honest with yourself about how they really fit.  I’ve tried on close to 15 pairs of ankle length trousers because Anh at 9to5 Chic makes them look so cute.  But I’m not built like Anh, God gave me hips and they don’t look lovely in slim, cropped trousers.  They look like I’m trying to smuggle bags of of money out under my trousers.  

So, if you get to the store and the pants don’t look good on you, walk away.  Not every trend is made for every body.

So how should you wear cropped suit pants?  Sure, you could wear them with the blazer, if you have the smallest tush known to man.  But if you don’t have a perfectly toned backside (and seriously, what office employee does?), you need to switch out the blazer for a long cardigan because these pants are going to be snug.  

(Also, this would be a good time to mention that with a tight fitting trouser, you need a thong or a lace boyshort.  Non-negotiable.)