Rules for Dressing Crop Pants With Boots
To boot or not to boot? Every fall, it's a question women ask. One boot trend has been skipping on and off the runway and in the pages of fashion magazines for the past several years: the pairing of boots with cropped or shortened pants. Does this Spark an idea?
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Out-of-Date
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The gouchos gotta go. Not since the 1970s have gaucho cropped pants or other wide-legged, baggy-fit short pants been fashionable when worn with boots. Don't do it unless you're headed to a retro-themed dance party.
Keep It On-Trend and Tall
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Fitted cropped and cuffed pants paired with sleek tall boots first turned up in U.S. and U.K. stores in 2005. Since then, the length of the pants has grown from just-below-the-knee to mid-calf, but the rules remain the same: remember to make sure your boots remain tall, high-heeled and sexy.
"Low ankle boots paired with cropped pants look dowdy, because they break up your silhouette," said Stacy London, cohost of The Learning Channel's What Not to Wear, in Real Simple magazine online. She further advises that wearing high boots that completely cover the calves and skin underneath your cropped pants will give you an elongating effect. Try pairing high boots and cropped pants with a form-fitting jacket and camisole or cashmere wrap sweater.
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Be On the Leading Edge
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Celebrities have been photographed recently rocking the ankle-hugging, cropped skinny jean with bootie-style boots. Whether the heel is high or low, stiletto or wedged, this look is a fun and modern take on the years-old trend. Heeled shoe-booties and ankle boots pair beautifully with this style of cropped jeans and the look should be finished with a fuller top or tunic for balance.
A Practical Pairing
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All of the above ideas leave the pants loose and untucked; however, if you plan to tuck your pants into your boots for warmth or style, cropped pants are still ideal. The fact that they do not possess the bulk that long pants do when you're trying to cram them into a tight boot shaft can make a cropped pant or jean a good choice with your favorite knee-high boot. In addition, the skinny jean is probably the ultimate pant to pair with over-the-knee boots, as the sleek style allows for simple tucking and ease of movement.
Consider Color
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When you're wearing shorter pants (which do not elongate the leg as a long pant or jean would) consider color selection when you pick out your shoes. To help create a longer line via color, you can match the color of your tall boots with the color of the cropped pants. If you plan to have more than one pair of cropped pants in your wardrobe this fall, you can pair any color with a flesh-toned or camel-colored boot to help elongate your leg length. Remember this one basic rule: contrast = width with these shorter pant lengths.
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