Cute Ways to Wear Cropped, Wide Leg Pants & Jeans: Style Recipes

Have you warmed up to cropped, wide-leg pants yet? I’m the first to admit that it has taken me a while after years of skinny jeans.

Let’s just say it like it is: Cropped wide-leg pants can be tricky to wear because they cut your leg off at an unusual and unflattering spot—a few inches above the ankle.

This style makes you look short and sometimes squat!  I even feel that way, and I’m 5’7″ with long legs!

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Nonetheless, if you try on enough cropped wide-leg jeans, you’re bound to find a pair that suits you as I did! And when you nail the styling, they are actually really cute for summer. 

5 Things I do to look great and feel confident in this style 

• Choose cropped wide-leg jeans that are snug across the hips. This makes a huge difference in the overall look and reduces the boxiness.
• Dark wash is most slimming: To counteract the shortening effect wear dark wash jeans to slim and elongate your legs. They look classier, too!
• Not too wide of a flare: This is hit-and-miss, but generally, less wide seems to look better than huge sailor bottom wide, which can throw your proportions off.

• Wear cropped wide-leg jeans with slingbacks: It’s amazing how these elegant, airy shoes, with a small heel or flat, elevate the look of these pants. A pointy toe creates the illusion of a longer leg. (I especially like this two-tone Chanel-inspired shoe since it gives my outfit a chic French look.)
• Style with a chunky sweater: I love the look of something chunky or slightly oversized up top, which mirrors your wide pant legs and gives you a shapely look.

Other Options

Of course, besides a chunky sweater, there are other fabulous things you can wear with cropped wide-leg jeans.

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Wide Leg Crop Jeans and A Cute Tee

Remember how I said it is easier to wear wide-leg crop jeans that aren’t too wide? That’s what I love about these Spanx Twill Cropped Pants. They are nice and fitted at the waist and across the hips, and they flare out into a not-too-wide cropped pant leg. You get the look of a wide leg without looking stumpy. 

They’re beautiful pants that feel stretchy and comfy and look great with something as simple as a cute summer t-shirt. This striped pair has the prettiest lace trim on the sleeves. 

I’ve added some low-heeled silver sandals since a bit of a heel always helps to elongate your legs. Easy peasy! 

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Wide Leg Crop Jeans and an Oversized Shirt

These are the same white cropped pants from Spanx, but this time with an oversized striped shirt that I have tied at the waist. I added some low heels here too but you could also wear flat sandals.