Perfect pant lengths please
May 16th, 2006I see this fashion faux pas every day – ladies and gents wear their pants too short. So what is the perfect pant length? Pants, jeans or trousers need to skim the surface of the ground when you stand up straight – anything shorter is bad style. Covering up your shoe, but allowing your toes to peep through will elongate your leg and make you look slimmer. This is flattering for any body type, at any age and any height. That’s why it is stylish to keep those pant lengths perfect.
What do you do when you have everything from ultra flat flip flops to 3-inch heels in your wardrobe? You need to commit to a length. You won’t be able to wear the same pair of pants with your ballet flats and your high heels. You’ll need to have an assortment of pant lengths if you have an assortment of heel heights.
Can your pant hems sweep the street while you walk? This is not a good idea for fancy slacks, but is absolutely fine for jeans. They’ll simply fray a bit at the bottom which is actually perfectly acceptable style for both men and women! You’ll therefore find jeans more versatile if you buy them long enough to start off with.
Are you worried about covering up your gorgeous shoes and feet? You might not see your shoes when your pants are at the correct length; but your pants will creep up when you walk and sit and everyone else will be able to see that you have super shoe sense too!
These are all great pants from Nordstrom. The two pairs of jeans on the left are the right length. The pants on the right are stylish, but their length isn’t - both could be slightly longer.
May 16th, 2006 at 3:11 pm
great photos! Updating my own pant length has really saved me from fashion sucide!
May 18th, 2006 at 9:58 am
A lot of stores have capri pants right now. Are there any rules for those? Are they even stylish?
May 18th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
You are right Steph - shops are full of capris at the moment. They are difficult to wear though.They should hit you mid calf length to be remotely flattering. One tends to look “short legged” quickly in them. If you have long slim legs and add a heel, you could get away with looking stylish wearing capris.
Shorter (kneelength) walk shorts or culottes are more flattering for most bodytypes.
May 19th, 2006 at 6:48 am
[...] The skinny pant is difficult to wear and fails to look elegant even on supermodels. The look is completely contrary to my “perfect pant length theory”, with hems tapered at the ankle and high heeled shoes or flats left completely exposed. Those of you who were teenagers or older during the ‘80’s will recognize this statement as a blast from the past – and an unsightly one at that! The difference, however, is that the skinny pant is not “mainstream” today like it was 25 years ago. It’s an ultra high fashion option for fashion slaves. Something new for straight-up-and-down lanky teenagers and girls in their twenties. [...]
May 24th, 2006 at 4:54 pm
First, thanks for this site and your advice. I am finding many answers.
Now, the search for the perfect pant. Second only (in my life) to the seach for the perfect fitting bra (narrow chest and shoulders, full bust.) Having found the later, I am now hunting for the former. I have LONG legs. I have just discovered FDJ Natural cut, regular rise jeans. They are the longest I have ever found. The fabric with stretch is wonderful and the 18 fits. The challenge with the waist I now see will be met with a bit of tailoring. However, after reading your pant length advice, I realize I am about an inch+ too short. The cuff just hits my bare sole. Any shoe I put on, brings the cuff off the ground.
Any advice as to where to find a size 18 stretch straight LONG leg pant?
June 26th, 2006 at 7:37 am
[...] The biggest trap that women fall into with petite clothing is with the length of skirts and bottoms. While regular sized clothing will certainly be too long – petite proportions can be too short (see “perfect pant lengths please”). In this case, shop in the regular department and have your bottoms altered. If you buy your bottoms at Nordstrom – they will hem for free! [...]
February 19th, 2007 at 9:30 am
[...] My perfect pants length mantra is seldom followed by fashion models who sport the pages of catalogues, websites and magazines. The hems of their pants hardly ever skim the surface of the floor (which is what I encourage to increase your style quotient). Have you ever wondered why this is? The answer might not be what you expect. [...]
April 5th, 2007 at 7:51 am
[...] Perfect pants lengths please [...]
June 8th, 2007 at 7:42 am
[...] The height of the average America women is about 5 feet and 4 inches. This leaves her with ample shopping opportunity for pants in petite and regular departments where inseam measurements range from 29 to 32 inches. But what are the options for the tall girl who stands at 5 feet 8 inches and taller? It’s even harder for her to shop for pants when she wears heels and wants to sport the correct pant length. [...]
June 26th, 2007 at 5:40 am
What about the length of city pants? I was told by Express ladies that the Express Editor City Pants are supposed to reach the ankle and not be any longer. Is this okay?
July 10th, 2007 at 7:15 am
[...] If you’ve been here before, you probably know how I feel about perfect pant lengths. In most cases you’ll be buying pants that are longer than you need and having them shortened, but it is also possible to go the other way: taking down the hems of pants is a solution that we often forget. [...]
July 31st, 2007 at 11:06 pm
[...] Perfect Pant Lengths Please [...]
August 24th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
While I agree pants lengths should be cut long, that they should “sweep the street” seems just unhygienic. I certainly don’t want any visitors whose pants have swept the New York streets. It’s bad enough that pants look filthy (just why is the dumpster-diver look considered stylish?), but that they actually be filthy is just too much.
I would recommend (for men) a length which just touches the top of the heel of dress shoes.
September 30th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
[...] pretty pear Perfect pants lengths Your fashion persona Smart casual for ladies The racy rectangle The androgynous look Body [...]
April 4th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I love this post, Angie — just last night I went through my whole pant closet and decided which ones are appropriate for my different heights of shoes. Unfortunately, they’re almost all for flats, and I love heels. I guess this just means I need more pants, hehehe.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:09 am
[...] pretty pear Perfect pants lengths Your fashion persona Smart casual for ladies The racy rectangle The androgynous look Body [...]
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I’m 5′11″. It’s hard enough to find pants that aren’t obnoxiously too short. I am sure a couple of my pairs could stand to be an inch or so longer but I have to get dressed when it’s cold outside!
I just found you through BD - I contribute over there too!
October 11th, 2008 at 10:57 am
[...] As the mother of a 22 year old, I’m at that stage in my life when some styles just aren’t attractive or appropriate anymore. My two biggest fears are looking like my mother and looking like my daughter. And, those of us who work hard to stay in shape walk a tightrope because we can wear just about anything (low rise jeans, skimpy tops), but there is a fine line between looking current and looking like a fashion victim. Stylish, mature women follow the major trends while staying within their own look. As we go along, we have to redefine what constitutes an up to date look and let go of old fashioned ideas. Everybody has a different idea of what is frumpy. As with most things in my life, I figure out what’s right for me by eliminating what’s wrong. These are on my “no-no” list: Wearing your pants too short–this is a look killer that I see often. The modern way to wear pants is very long–almost brushing or brushing the floor. This is described perfectly in a post on You Look Fab, read it here: Perfect Pant Lengths Please [...]
November 14th, 2008 at 11:38 am
The length issue for petite, “short” people is a moot point. We are seldom, if ever, able to purchase something that does not need to be hemmed. I have always (I’m 5ft) kept the length just covering my high heels, and at the top of the flat shoe–as it turns out keeping the to the length rules you have described here. Thanks for the site, I love it and am learning so much. But can’t seem to get any advice about how to dress the INVERTED TRIANGLE—boohoo, boo hoo, help!!!
February 1st, 2009 at 12:50 pm
I just arrived at this sight accidentally; very informative. Prior to your site, I read that cropped pant for petites is 21.5 “. I have thin leg pants that are 21.5″ inseam. Is this ok to wear? Is this also known as crop pants or is crop pant considered a full leg? I am getting the impression that 21.5 pants are out. I am 71 years old and trying to be stylish. I don’t look my age.
Please inform me how to get to your sight directly, and is it a club that I need to join to get your wonderful information on a regular basis?
Thank you for your time,
Darlene
March 24th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
[...] hitting at the top of the foot or the bottom of the heel, depending on the style, but the perfect pants length is really up to you. Shoes matter, so you may want to do this with shoes on. Add 1″ to this [...]
April 5th, 2009 at 1:56 am
Pfft! The “right” length looks horrible, like a child dressed in adults clothes. I agree that the hem should be close to the ground, but those jeans are BUNCHING UP against the ground. They will not only “drag on the ground”; they will sweep the street.
Hem your pants to 1 cm off the ground, and you avoid so much trouble. Much cleaner, and they are still long enough to elongate your legs. Or wear skirts, problem avoided.
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:06 am
being a few inches taller than the “average” woman, (I’m 5′7″) I find it difficult to find casual pants in a long enough length to be able to wear anything other than flats. I’d love some suggestions for brands that tend to make pants a bit longer than the standard.
May 28th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
I couldn’t agree with you more Angie. When I have my jeans tailored I always have to convince him of this…he finally relents, he’s a really good tailor. I own Jeans for high heels/wedges and platforms and then I have the ones for my ballet flats, flip flops and tennis shoes. I understand about the capri…I never really thought I looked great in them. Question Angie…I bought a pair of dark blue/white pinstriped trouser jeans which are called cigarette jeans. I’m 5′3″ I don’t think they are hitting me right. Where would be the best place to have my tailor hem them. They are really cute, look great with a cute little white blouse and ruby red ballets
Hope I didn’t make a mistake in buying them. One other question. I have a pair of jean pants that hit right below the knee, they fit me great but are they the right length. I usually wear them with flats or wedges. Please let me know, I pride myself in my sense of style but everybody can use a little help 
June 21st, 2009 at 11:00 pm
I am so excited that I found you! I have looked at “pricier” catalogs on line to try to get the proper length for slacks/jeans, and they all looked too short to me. Hooray, Nordstrom’s was one of them seen in this blog and one store I checked out on line! I am a fan of What Not to Wear, and the rule on that show is 1/2 off the ground. Makes sense to me!