To be honest, I never thought I’d be able to pull the cropped flare jeans trend off. I’d seen them on models with mile-high legs and assumed a tall, lean figure was a prerequisite. Standing at 5’5”, I was pleasantly surprised when I tried this style on a whim and fell in love.

Cropped Flare Jeans + Velvet Off-the-Shoulder Top

Photos by Riss Rahm

Outfit Details: Forever 21 top, AG wide leg crop jeans (similar here), Coach handbag, Target sandals

I’m a dress girl, especially now that we live in such a hot city, but I also do really like wearing jeans. Finding a pair I feel good in, though, isn’t always easy. I came across these jeans on the sale rack at Anthropologie. Truthfully, anytime something’s on sale and the very last one is in my size, I get a strange feeling it might be fate. I know. It sounds crazy. But for whatever reason, that feeling led me to give these pants a try, even though I was 99 percent certain I’d hate them. Instead, I stood in front of the dressing room mirror, stunned by how flattering they were. 

 

Cropped Flare Jeans + Velvet Off-the-Shoulder Top

Cropped Flare Jeans + Velvet Off-the-Shoulder Top

Skeptical? Yeah, I promise I was too. But here are three reasons I’m happy I gave this jean trend a try (and think you should too!).

1. Cropped flare jeans take attention off the hips

We all have parts of our bodies we’d rather not flaunt, right? Mine is my hips. To my excitement, unlike many jeans, these don’t emphasize problem areas. Rather than hugging the hips and fitting snuggly through the knees and calves, this style eases from the hip to the calf. High-waisted pairs get bonus points for being even more flattering! 

Cropped Flare Jeans + Velvet Off-the-Shoulder Top

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2. They go with many shoe styles

One misconception I had about these pants was they had to be worn with high heels. I’ve actually found I love wearing nude flats or sandals with this style — nude shoes help create the illusion of longer legs. Jeans like this can also be worn with ankle boots during the fall and winter, as long as the jeans hit at or below the tops of the boots (Who What Wear).

Cropped Flare Jeans + Velvet Off-the-Shoulder Top
Cropped Flare Jeans + Velvet Off-the-Shoulder Top

3. You can dress them up or down

As with any trouser-style pant, it’s easy to create both casual and polished looks with jeans like this. I wore these pants with an off-the-shoulder top while running around New York City a couple weeks ago with friends. I also plan to dress them up with more conservative blouses and heels.

Shop the Look

Cropped flare jeans and off-the-shoulder tops are two trends I’m loving lately. A nude leather handbag and a pair of sandals are the perfect additions when creating a daytime outfit with these two trendy styles.