At some point, when I first started doing the Fashion Labs, we talked about whether or not full shoes ever looked good with capris. Here’s two different length capris (okay, well the same pair, adjusted differently), both shown with a dark shoe and a “leg color” shoe.
My photographer for this lab said my legs looked short and stubby. Here’s what I had to say about capris last summer, other than thinking they were going to be out of style soon, and what I really look like when I wear them, Chaco’s and all.
What do you have to say about capris?
I’ll say this, after trying on black 12 inch inseam shorts (Casper doesn’t really look good in black, you know), I will never buy capris again. LOL
Now it is my understanding that, at my height of 5’2″, I should never wear capris again. Of course, capris simply look like highwater pants on me! But even if I hemmed them to proper capri length, I still think I’m supposed to avoid them, yes? But how about shorts? Do I go with knee length?
Oh….When are you coming out here to go shopping with me?!
Well, I agree with your photographer in that the shorter capris aren’t working too well. But I do like the longer version, especially with the “leg color” shoes. I think with those shoes it shows enough, but not too much, of your actual skin to balance better. (I’m kind of making that up, but that’s what it looks like to me!) But then, I love capris! I find them to be so versatile — the perfect “I don’t want to be too sloppy, yet not too dressy, and I want to be comfortable” pants. Maybe I can get away with that due in part to the whole geography/arena thing you were talking about.
I know I will probably be wearing capris after they are long out of style. I figure if Audrey (Hepburn) can wear then, so can I! I’m 5′ 7″ with long thin legs, so I feel like they really work for me. And Bermuda shorts? Love ’em! Just bought two delightful pairs today!
After you go shopping with Blest, will you come my way and go shopping with me?
I definitely agree that the longer ones look better.
On me, all capris look terrible… I just HATE them!
Well, I showed my hero all the pictures and he didn’t like the shorter ones. My daughter who took the pictures doesn’t like either length with the dark shoes (I wonder if they would look better with darker pants, but who wears dark pants in the summer?)
Blest ~ I honestly think if you really like capris, you should do like Jenna and wear them anyway, especially where you are. But, what about the just below the knee pants (I’m not sure what they’re called now)? I could see those on you.
And I just plain love knee-length shorts: bermudas, and the longer ones I tried on today. Also, mid-thigh length work well on alot of people, for leisure wear. And skirts are a wonderful option.
I’d love to be able to travel and see each of you for some shopping. You too, Bargain Queen! I’m afraid it’s pretty unlikely, but you never know. 🙂
The problem w/the shorter-length pants seems to be cutting the leg in half, to me; a little shorter or longer would be better.
And, yeah, I agree that capris are best worn w/shoes that don’t come all the way to the ankle. I’ve been noticing ankle straps seem to cut my legs off too.
Let’s hear it for summer skirts!! BTW I love those light shoes.
Thanks for showing them with the dark, full shoes. I agree it’s a look to be avoided. But I think you look swell with the longer ones and the light shoes.
I think one of the problems was with the shirt length. A much shorter top length would make you look leggier – but short-waisted. 🙂
I’m 5 feet and don’t know that I have ever worn capris but have always loved them, especially in white with those little slits at the bottom. I think they look much better than cropped pants because I think of capris as figure-skimming. I think what you photograped looked baggier than what I think of as capris. Also, I think the weight of the fabric matters. I like capris better in something like stretch twill.
Capris are definitely on my wish list when I find a good price point. Am nervous to order them online. And black in summer? It’s always been part of my uniform. Two years ago my go-to outfit for summer was black linen-blend slacks and a strawberry cotton rib short sleeve twin set. Last year the same twin set with black Lee riders.
I think the longer length with the lighter shoes looks great! The shorter length with the light shoes looks okay. But the dark colored full shoes with either length doesn’t look good at all to me. It doesn’t really complete the outfit, and they look rather out of place.
I always wear the longer capris if I do wear them at all. If I get them too short it makes that 6 inch strip of bright white left look like it’s screaming out “look at me, not the pants or the shoes!”. I wear them with either sandles, or dress shoes (for church). I don’t think I’ve ever liked a pair of capris with full shoes.
I’m only 5’2″ tall, so anything like long shorts or capris makes me look like a munchkin. I won’t wear shorts because I hate my legs, so I wear skirts when I feel like ditching pants or jeans. BTW, the capris in the photos look 1,000x better with the light shoes! It makes a continuous line from the capris to your feet, instead of chopping you off at the ankles like the dark shoes do.
Great fashion lab, and interesting discussion.
I agree with the consensus that the dark running style shoes don’t work.
I’m going to be the dissenting voice on short people and capris/cropped pants. I am 5′ on a good day (if I round up). I have a sand coloured capri/blazer combo that looks great. The capris are tapered, ending above the ankle. Almost Audrey Hepburn type length.
I also wear denim capris, rolled to below the knee.
The key for me is ensuring the pants don’t hit near mid calf, no cargos, and a skinnier fit than the capris you’re working with.
Well, the consensus appears to be in. This was fun, thanks for the idea, Joy.
For me: I will wear the linen capris this summer, but certainly not with the runners. And long. Jennifer I think you’re on to something. I also notice that the horizontal line when they are shortened goes right across the big calf muscle, contrasted with the horizontal line when they are long being below it.
Vildy ~ I hope you can find the capris you’re looking for. I bet you can do them in a classic way, like Wendy describes.
But I still haven’t figured out why that occasional person looks normal in capris and white runners. Could she be a figment of my imagination? (Carrie, you and I see things much the same.)
Rebecca, the whole capris and white runners thing — I really think the runners have to be the shape of classic canvas pointy toed sneakers to wear them to best effect. It can even work with black capris, I also think it works better if the pants are more tailored …
Shoot, I wrote a comment earlier and it ate it! Darn.
I know I am late to the party here –
I am 5’7″+a bit and I wear capris a lot in summer – wide leg varieties seem to look best – that stand OUT from my lower calf area, that is…
and I wear them almost exclusively with open toed shoes – sandals without ankle straps and with larger heels or wedges.
I think the appearance of toes helps counteract the stub-factor.
Dana, I woke up this morning thinking about how I really do like to wear my capris just as you describe (as pictured in the post I linked to). I probably still won’t buy anymore, but I will enjoy wearing them.
The 12″ inseam shorts that I loved (but were too big for me) also sort of flared out at the bottom, but the bottom was mid-knee. I’m really going to look for a pair of those!
Wendy, I have been a little bit surprised we haven’t seen more of the Keds look. But, even though I did it in the 80s, it’s a little traditional for me. I can think of alot of people around here it would work well for though …
I am NO fashionista, but that was what always bugged me about capris for my daughter. She’s always been tall and and thin, so even in her preschooler years, they were great–they started out as longish capris and she could still wear them until they were right below her knee. However, kids have to wear tennies and socks (at school certainly–for safety in outdoor play), so the full shoe, especially with a sock just looked bad. But that’s okay.
I will say that I think that the full shoe looked okay with the shorter version (not great, but okay and might look better with white shoes).
I bought my first pair of capris. I did a lot of researching, including here, and decided that I wanted them to follow my leg and then flare out a bit. But what I did differently was I selected a pair that was cut so the flare began above my actual knee and to me it does look like I have longer calves than I do!
They’re dark denim and have flap pockets on back, which I guess are supposed to be avoided for my shape but I like the emphasis on the outward curve. Sort of endorsing the shape I have.
My plan for this summer was to get some capris in red, black, white. But I’m thinking I can possible pick up the black and white as twill pants in a thrift store and use the well-fitting pair as a template. But red is hard to find for me. And just as hard to find online. So I ordered a pair and was startled when they arrived and I tried them on.
The bottom of the capris has a little row of feminine covered buttons and is sewn so that the flare part can be worn down or could be turned up like a cuff, I guess. But the top portion of the pants is cut like a pair of men’s slacks! They gape at the back waist like men’s pants would if I bought them and they have those welt pocket slits. They look like a collision and I like contradiction – just not this much. They have to go back.
Oh, and sadly the paisley shoes that arrived in the same mail also have to go back. Also a contradiction, but not one I can work in: the fabric is not anything like the fabric shoes I have had in the past, it is like a metalasse. They are iridescent. So where I was expecting black and gray and camel I ended up with eerie greenish gold that with any movement turned into charcoal blue. Impossibly glitzy for daytime clothes, too tailored (and doesn’t match anything) for cocktail clothes – like I ever go out for cocktails. So you see what I mean. And the wine is ….. poison green shading to I don’t remember what. But even if they were as I anticipated, I would have had a problem with the fit. I’m hard to fit and I walk so much on pavement, even in dress shoes. I read an exhaustive website on fitting shoes and have been having better luck with sometimes a 6 1/2 wide but more often a 7 medium for the toe length. These 7’s were too narrow at the front but my foot slipped forward, too, and normally wouldn’t in a 7. And the sides should be snug for stabilty and gaped a bit. And my foot isn’t narrow. So no luck all around. I guess I had the gambling instinct, though. 🙂