At what point do heels actually require longer pants length?
What can you get away with?
I can see from else where online what is supposed to be the optimum way the cuff should fall on the shoe. But my question is, "how much leeway is there in this?" Especially with off the rack pants, the tendency is for them to vary in length at 2" increments I rarely see the in-between lengths.
Is it different for jeans then slacks? If it is men's jeans instead of women's women's with women's heels? If the heel is a boot or booty? Chunky or block heels instead of narrow?
I have flats, 1 1/4", 1 1/2", 2", 2 1/2" & 3 1/2" inch heels, plus almost flats, which are mostly cross-trainers/running-shoes(sneakers) or hiking shoes with 1/2" to 3/4" heels (called drop for sneakers). Most of the pants I have are the proper length for my sneakers. Do I need different length pants for almost all of these? Without resorting tailoring that means I can readily get 2" longer & 4" longer. So.... How far off optimum length can I get away with before it is just plain wrong? What works OK with what?
Thanks for any input.
~Hypatia >i< ..:::
Comments
I think you just jumped in to
I think you just jumped in to one of those realms that _nobody_ really knows for sure. You might check some of the fashion magazine sites, or even just go to a library and look through some back issues.
What I have seen varies widely. Most women that I see doing sales work in heels, for example, are wearing skirts. Those that are wearing pant suits tend to have the hems of the pants 'break' right at the arch. So, if they're standing completely straight, there's usually no break wrinkle. If they lean forward, then a break forms.
Think of it as 'cover the ankle, but don't cover the shoe'. The other big no-no is don't let them have the chance to hit the floor - no matter how slovenly the popular jean length is. You shouldn't be walking the hem off - use scissors!
Mind you, this is from the perspective of someone that doesn't -wear- heels. My experience with boots is to tuck the jeans into them so that the stirrup leather doesn't rub you raw. Not useful for fashion.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Fashion?
Who knows what fashion is now, what fashion will be tomorrow, or what should never be seen in public again. I don't wear slacks or pants, its either jeans or skirts for me. I also don't wear flats, either. If the jeans are really tapered then they should stop before or at the ankle. Boot cut jeans and the hem can come over the upper part of the heel. And to my delight the flare (almost bell bottoms) is back and the article says if the hem is wide enough they should cover the entire shoe with perhaps the toe sticking out a bit. It also said the hem should just graze the floor but not drag on it.
I don't own or wear men's jeans, the fit is too off and they don't look right. I got lucky awhile back, the local closeout/clearance/insurance salvage store got in a huge quantity of women's jeans, all brand new w/ tags, and priced in the $10-$15 range. I'm well known there so they let me exceed the three items limit and I took about 2 dozen pair into the dressing room. I found some fabulous fits both in name brands (Levis, Lady Wranglers) and off-brand jeans. In total I probably bought 20 pair and spent less than $200! Some will have to be altered due to the length problem, the petite-short jeans were just fine but getting into the regular lengths well require them to be altered. I also bought about a half-dozen pair that fit me well through the waist and hips but were too short and I'm going to have them made into shorts with a reasonable inseam - 3-4 inches compared to the standard 2 inches (or less). Nice, bright colors too!
Strayed off a bit, but I hope this helps.
Add: look at the sales flyers from places like Macy's, JCP, Belks, and the like and see what their models are wearing. That should give you an idea what is current.
I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.
Almost forgot
They shouldn't be baggy around the ankle or foot. That's just sloppy. And if you are over 21 skip the artfully-distressed jeans.
I went outside once. The graphics weren' that great.
If you're under 21, just wear
If you're under 21, just wear the holes into the jeans on your own. Don't bother paying for someone else to do it for you.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
I wear full-length slacks and
I wear full-length slacks and denims exclusively because f'd up circulation in my lower legs has left them severely discolored. That said, I like the legs to be long enough to completely cover my ankles and a bit of the my shoe heel. This leaves about 1-1/4" of heel exposure with flats (my preferred shoe). With heels (3" max hgt.) I like to have a bit more heel coverage which requires a longer inseam in some cases.
laurenD
I have
I have a couple pairs of slacks where the back of the cuff is split so they open over the heel showing the full heel, with the cuff coming down half covering the top of my feet.
Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.
Ugh fashion...
Store bought slacks are the sole reason I learned how to hem slacks. My mother wore pants a lot with heels working as a secretary. And I can say with certainty that she almost always had them sit just above mid-heel when standing. However, a lot of variables came into play there as well. Heel height, style of pants, even occasion for wearing them. But for work, she mostly wore 3-4" heels, and the pants were loose at the hems.
For tighter, or more form-fitting slacks, (ones where the hem can't (or shouldn't) fit over the shoe) it looks better if the hems stop above where the shoe starts. So it doesn't much matter there where they sit on the shoes.
Jeans are different too. Boot-cut (or other loose fit styles) you'd want them to fall mid-heel. Skinny jeans, you'd treat more like tighter slacks, or leggings. Which is why I personally think all of those look better with ankle booties or sneakers. Skinny jeans with heels always look off to me. Some styles of jeans, I think it looks great if you have a little scrunch (not 80's leg warmers) at the hem, right above the shoe. Some might disagree with that though. Hence the many many variables coming into play.
Generally, I would say not long enough where the pants are dragging, or where you can get the heel caught in them. Either way, it's literally a game of inches. If your jeans fit right above the soles of your sneakers, they'll usually work just fine for other shoes. From my own personal experience, the same pair of jeans that fit that way with my sneakers, fit perfectly with heels. They hit about mid-heel length.
~Taylor Ryan
My muse suffers from insomnia, and it keeps me up at night.