Spring & Summer

3 Chic Ways to Style Cropped Pants

I recently wrote about wide-leg cropped pants, which can be challenging to wear, so here’s an easier option. Check out these three cute looks with slim-cropped pants.

cropped frayed jeans with pink striped tee and pink jacket

Slim Cropped  Jeans

Slim cropped jeans don’t have to be skinnies. I’m loving the new straight-leg styles, like this cute pair that features a medium wash and a beachy fringe hem. I’ve paired it with a vivid pink, striped tee and a pink denim jacket to contrast with the light wash of the jeans. Cute raffia sandals and a woven bag give this a fun vacation look.

blue cropped pants and blue and white sleeveless top

Colorful Cropped Pants and a Pretty Top

Many of us feel we’ve done with shorts unless we’re out in the backyard or up at the cottage. That’s why cropped pants are so great. You get the coverage you need, but you still feel summery and cute because of that sexy bit of exposed leg.

If you prefer a lady-like look with a modern vibe, try pairing these indigo blue cropped pants with a sleeveless, ruffle-striped top. This is the kind of outfit that makes it feel like summer with its bold and cheery colors. 

white cropped pants pink bubble hem blouse

Cropped White Pants  and a Balloon Hem Blouse

These sleek white pants with the straight leg fit and cropped hem are a little dressier than white jeans. They provide a wonderful backdrop to casual or dressy looks, including this fabulous pink bubble-hem blouse. Add gold kitten heels and a cute woven bag for a summer party look! 

Meet the author

Deborah Boland

Deborah, a former Fashion & Lifestyle TV host and Image Consultant, understands the style challenges women face in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. As the founder of Fabulous After 40, she helps women tweak their chic and embrace fashion with confidence—so they always look and feel amazing.

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Join the Conversation

9 thoughts on “3 Chic Ways to Style Cropped Pants

  1. If I wear crops, I want them slimmer, but I also want them shorter. After all, that is the reason they are “crops.” Is this length shown here? Back in our day, we called them “flooders,” and not with love or appreciation.

  2. Thanks for the tip on the type of tops to pair with capris. I am only 5.4 and generally wear a more fitted top; however, the tops you’ve shown may not make my hips look big. LOL!

  3. I have a love-hate relationship with capris. I’m tall, and for a while, all my pants were “Capri,” not because they were made that way but because no one was making long enough pants!

    Thankfully that’s changed. I’ve even had to shorten the odd pair of pants.

    I agree that they are great for summer, particularly since I’ve reached a stage (weight) in my life when I don’t want as much of my legs in public view as shorts reveal.

    1. Hi Andrea,
      Thanks for your comment! You are not alone out there, with those long legs of yours!

  4. Thanks for printing this. I’ve always had difficulty knowing which shoes to wear with cropped pants. But I figure the style has been around a while and will probably die out soon, so I won’t have to worry.

  5. Hi Debra,
    Yes, you are right to stay away from cropped pants that end at the middle of your wide calf. A longer pant that ends just above the ankle would work much better. As for shoes, keep your shoes the same color as your pant or wear a nude shoes to elongate your legs.

    Cheers, Deborah

  6. I have short, muscular legs and have difficulty finding the right length of cropped pants. My legs look huge if they hit the calf in the wrong spot. I find that I need to wear some heels with most capri pants, whether they be a wedge or platform sandal(casual). They help to lengthen the lower portion of my leg that already looks chopped up by the Capri pant. If I wear a flat, it needs to have a little wedge or heel and a V shape to show as much foot as possible and lengthen the leg that way.
    Sign me-
    Big legged woman