|

|

How to Wear Crop Flares for Spring 2020

Happy Cinco de Mayo, friends! Who’s celebrating with tacos and margaritas tonight? Crop flares are a huge trend this season, but they can be tricky to style, so today we’re talking about how to wear crop flares for spring.

If you’re a regular, you may have seen this outfit before, but these are the Mother Insider crop jeans in a deep black wash.

How to Wear Crop Flares: 3 Easy Steps

#1. Find Your Fit

As with any pair of jeans, finding a great fit for your individual body is key.

I like how these crop jeans fit snug in the hips and thighs and flare slightly from the knee, ending with a 14″ leg opening. Getting the right length is also crucial, and these have a 25.25″ inseam, according to the website.

How To Wear Crop Flares for Spring 2020

You want your crop jeans to be short enough to look intentional; otherwise they just look like your pants are too short. Ideally they will be a couple inches above the ankle bone for a true crop look. Otherwise, they’re ankle-length.

Shop Crop Flares:

#2. Select Your Footwear

A shoe with a heel is a good idea with crop flares because a heel helps compensate for the way a crop pant visually shortens the line of the leg. This helps create a longer, leaner silhouette.

How To Wear Crop Flares for Spring 2020

An open, strappy design also helps to visually elongate the legs, compensating for the crop pants.

These are the Steve Madden Honey sandals, and they’re quite comfortable and easy to walk in.

Steve Madden Honey Sandals

If you prefer flats, I often see cropped pants paired with slides, mules, loafers, and sneakers. It all depends on the look you’re going for.

Here’s how I wore white crop flares with a pair of flat slides last summer:

How to Wear Crop Flares for Summer

Just make sure your pants are short enough to show a few inches of skin between the top of the shoe and the bottom of the pants.

The exception to this is when wearing boots. See how I styled these jeans with sock booties last winter.

How to Wear Crop Pants in the Winter

#3. Choose A Top

The style of top isn’t early as important as the length.

When wearing crop pants, it helps to wear a shorter top or front tuck it to keep the balance of the outfit in check. If you missed it, I wrote a post last week about the rule of thirds and how it applies to fashion.

Fashion Tips: Understanding Rule of Thirds

A lot of tops are being made in shorter lengths right now to accommodate higher rises and shorter pants, and I’m also noticing a lot of women going for a full tuck when their tops are more form-fitting. Bodysuits are another option.

I’m short-waisted, so tucking in all the way around is hard to pull off. I usually opt for a shorter top that I can leave untucked, or longer top that I can front tuck.

How To Wear Crop Flares for Spring 2020

This top is rather boxy, so the front tuck helps define my waist and brings up the length to create that pleasing 1/3 to 2/3 ratio I’m always talking about.

Here’s a similar top in more sizes and colors. I also found these ponte kick flare pants, if you need an alternative to the black jeans.

Altogether, this is a great look for date night or coffee with friends. If you need a closed toe shoe for work, you could always swap out the sandals for pumps or mules. Then add a denim jacket or blazer for a completer piece, depending on the formality you’re going for.

I might just wear this to sit by the pool tonight with a margarita.

How To Wear Crop Flares for Spring 2020

Outfit Details:

Need an easy margarita recipe?

This one is just about fool-proof.

Easy Margarita Recipe

Don’t Miss A Post!

Subscribe to get email updates! In addition to my most recent blog posts, you’ll receive exclusive newsletter content like special sales, my newest favorite finds, and an occasional peek behind the scenes — all delivered right to your inbox.

This post contains affiliate links. When you shop through my links, it helps support my business (at no additional cost to you) so thank you!

photos: Alison Cornell

Join The Conversation

15 Responses

  1. This has been my go-to Margarita recipe for years. No fail, delicious, easy– what more could you ask for??? Happy Cinco de Mayo!

  2. Thanks for this timely post. I just got out my black Kut from the Kloth cropped flares I bought last year. I did not wear them much. I think mine are too long and they have the raw hem. How do I shorten them? They are very comfortable jeans by the way and I remember I got them on a big sale!

  3. Haahaa – obviously I am not paying attention, because we did tacos last night! Oh well, maybe just margaritas tonight! 🙂
    These are great tips – when we can get back to the stores to shop I might check out a pair.

  4. Thanks for this post JoLynne!! I only have a 28″ inseam. When I buy crop pants they are long pants on me, even in petites. I haven’t hemmed them to make them crop pants yet. I was really afraid they would not look good on me. Have you known anyone that is short, that wear crop pants, that they look good on? I am long wasted and short legged. Im 5′. I know there’s that crazy girl asking those crazy questions again. I just don’t want to look like my legs are cut off or do you think I should bring up the hem a little. I hesitated to send this question. Just thought you might have some ideas. I buy most of my pants from Loft. They are so comfortable.

  5. HI! I’m looking for a pair of white, crop flairs. Any suggestions? I would prefer petite sizing. Thanks!

  6. You look great in that outfit. At 5’1”, I still am unsure if I can pull it off. I was excited to see the Ponte kick flare came in petite, but they only had a 2, and I need a 4. I will keep checking, because just now I checked on the Rails mini cheetah print jacket you showed, and they had a small, finally, so I grabbed it. I also wanted to tell you that I purchased those Kut Lauren crop jeans last year that you said are back, and I love them. I think the length works for me because they are a few inches above my ankle, and I really, really like the fit and the wash on the fabric.  I have worn them once this year and I know they will see a lot more wear as the weather consistently warms up. I am not going out much except for groceries and drive-thru.  Our governor started the process of opening Indiana up on Monday, but our county is not going to begin until May 15, and I am okay with that. Until we see a true subsiding of cases here, I am fine staying home. I miss my family, though, but we all need to stay safe. 

  7. Great post. I’m going to have to try that margarita recipe!!  When do you pst your gift card winner. I always read my emails to the end but somehow I miss them. Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

  8. I just bought a straight crop white denim pair that seem to flare a little at the end. These ideas will help to make sure I style them correctly…
    Thanks

  9. Thanks for the helpful information!  I have added the Kut from the Kloth cropped jeans to my wish list.  The black pants you have on look so nice, especially with that pretty top.  Enjoy the rest of your day!

  10. I am adjusting to this look and liking it! It just took my eye a while to adjust. So far, I’ve only worn this style very casually. I bought these on-line from Target on a whim after seeing them on a blogger and I LOVE them. I rarely buy clothing from Target because I’m trying to have fewer clothes of better quality, but I’ve worn these almost every time I’ve gone out since they arrived. They fit a bit big– I wear between a 10 and a 12 and I kept the 10. They stretch out a little, but surprisingly not too much. I do like the distressing, but I ended up ironing a white patch on the back of the bigger holes because I’m too old for my knees to be hanging out. LOL. I have worn these with white leather sneakers and grey Converse slip-ons and a shorter-length tee. I’m liking them so much, I may order the non-distress ones!
    https://www.target.com/p/women-s-high-rise-distressed-straight-cropped-jeans-universal-thread-medium-blue/-/A-76559458?preselect=54618175#lnk=sametab
    I didn’t think about it being Cinco de Mayo– we had taco salad last night. We’re having homemade pizza from our pizza oven that attaches to our smoker grill.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *