Recently I tried on this length and cut of shorts , or short-sleeved pants as we like to call them, in black at the thrift store. I was astonished at how flattering they were. Unfortunately they were too big.
Available at Nordstrom.com for $58 (picture is supposed to be a live link), these – in another color, of course – would be the thing I’d be looking for if I were in Laura’s life, with my personal idiom. Well, I am looking for them, I’m just still looking for them at 1/10th of the price.
Styles being what they are now, I’m seeing these as appropriate anywhere you would wear khakis or capris. But they wouldn’t stand out in a sea of shorts or jeans, either.
What makes them so flattering?
- As we all know from skirts, knee-length is pretty easy to wear.
- They fit within my silhouette (Type 8),
- without exaggerating the thigh area by being tight at the knee.
Would you ever consider wearing anything like this? And could I wear them for a semi casual event?
Those are exactly what I’ve been wanting to find. Please do tell if you find some at the price you (and I) hope for!
They’re definitely easier to wear than capris. At least in my opinion since I’m too short to really pull off capris (they end up looking like flood pants on me).
Flat front, knee-length.. what’s not to love!
Just don’t get them in brown (except for super dark chocolate brown).. you’ll remind everyone of UPS.
LOL. I never would have thought of that. Even though somebody mentioned UPS in comments a couple of weeks ago.
I love those! Those are just the kind that I bought recently at Ann Taylor Loft in dark chocolate brown and light khaki (stone?). For the most part, I do wear them in place of jeans or capris or shorts. They’re such a versatile option! I would probably wear them to a semi-casual event, but not if it was a “no shorts” event.
I would totally wear them–they are so flattering. They don’t cut off the legs and make them look stubby like capris would, and they cover up bruised and cut-up knees pretty well. They would look great for a night out with a pair of heels and a nice top.
These are the best pair I’ve ever seen and thanks for pointing out why – particularly reason #3.
I think you could definitely wear them to a semi-casual event depending on the fabric. If you think about it, in a dressier fabric they are “city shorts” and in a leisure fabric they are modest shorts.
i saw a lot of those at jc penney. i think i would wear them, but in a tan color. i love those shoes with them too.
I have a pair of unlined dress pants that were tapered (!) at the ankle, so I had my dear mom turn them into “short-sleeved pants.” They are really, really flattering! So if you can’t find them inexpensively, perhaps you can have a friend turn a pair of pants into this style?
So, this time the invitation for the banquet came out just specifying semi-casual, no mention anywhere, written or verbal, of shorts. In my price range, I’m going to look at: JCPenney (thanks for the suggestion, erin!), TJMaxx, and Old Navy. In that order. Thankfully, they are all near each other, about 9 miles of freeway from here.
Tessa ~ that’s a good idea. It will be tucked into the back of my mind the whole time I am shopping. Also, for leisure, I think I will cut off a pair of jeans to that length.
You know…I have a pair of jeans that are really too short, and I’ve been wondering what to do with them. Now with Tessa’s comments, and yours, Rebecca, I think I might try shortening them to see what happens! And if it doesn’t work, no harm done because I won’t wear them right now anyway.
And with what Vildy said about the fabric… My sister has a cute pair that are striped (maybe seersucker, I can’t remember). They are the same cut as mine, but much dressier due to the fabric. Her pair would definitely fly at a semi-casual event. It’s amazing how fabric changes things!
I was just thinking-gee, why not just buy pants at the thrift store and hem them at that point?
Oh, and Jenna-make sure that you do a “magic hem” on the jeans to keep the bottom hem-I’ve got a link here:
http://www.daciaray.com/?p=38
That keeps the cool “jean” bottom.
Pingback: The Space Between My Peers » Look Mom! I’m on Elle.com!
Thanks, Jennifer! I’m so glad you linked to that!
I just wanted to let you know that these short sleeved pants look good even on plus sized girls! I’m size 18 and I feel comfy in these and they flatter even us big and beautiful women! 🙂
YAY! That’s news worth sharing!
Thanks Cathy!
Pingback: The Space Between My Peers » Knee-length Shorts Under $20
Quick question, do you think these are an appropriate choice for petite women? I wasn’t sure if the length would be appropriate for someone who is around five foot. The other question I had is what is the best types of shoes to wear with these? I have sandals like the ones that are pictured, but is there any other kind…like ballet flats? Thanks for the help!!
I forgot to recieve the follow-ups. Forgive my double post!
Yes, Amy, I think this is a great length for petites. Knee length (as we know from dresses and skirts) is a super easy length to work with. And I think the pants are versatile enough that it’s the shoes that give the outfit its flavor, so to speak. A ballet flat is also a really versatile option, so it would probably look good in almost any setting. Having dark hair makes choosing shoes really easy for you: if you wanted to, you could have all black!
For this Friday’s fashion lab, I have modeled my new shorts with several different pairs of shoes. Unfortunately my new sandals won’t arrive for a few more weeks.
Here’s an easy way to think about it: wear whatever shoes you would wear with a knee length cotton skirt. Does that work?