Lately I've been spending an awful lot of time with a new crush of mine and it goes by the name of cropped kick flare, it's going really well and I think we both really like each other. I've long since felt a bit stuck in a rut with jeans and had found myself rapidly falling out of love with them. My go to for the past few years has been the Topshop Mom jean, a vintage high waisted fit which of late I'd felt like I'd done to death. The cropped kick flare was a style I've been admiring from a far for a while and have always loved this look on Jane Birkin circa the seventies but was dubious about abandoning my trusty tapered ankle shaped jean that had never failed me. The cropped flare jean is the type of shape you can very easily get wrong and should you do so, you can swiftly go from looking like Seventies Birkin to Nineties girl band B*Witched.
Due to the sheer fear of getting it wrong, I became a little picky over which pair I finally decided to buy and so after a mission impossible style hunt, numerous shopping trips, hours (exaggeration) of umming and awwing and copious returns I am pleased to announce I have found what I deem to be the perfect shaped kick flare. *Que applause*. I am now totally in love with this shape and they have officially replaced the tired old skinny jean. Hooray (sorry skinny's)!
Denim Shirt- Topshop Jeans- Monki at ASOS Suede Pump- H&M |
The first and most important rule with a cropped kick flare is the length is E V E R Y T H I N G. If worn with an ankle boot they need to be (and this is an approximate... Just kidding, you can put your tape measure away) one or two inches above the top of the boots or sat just on/just below the top. Why? Because any shorter and you will look like you've tried to squeeze into your favourite Tammy girl jeans from way back in 1998. In short (no pun intended) you will look like you've out grown them and you don't want that.
Second rule in my opinion is, a more chunky block heel works better (in any height) because there's something about a dainty heel that will make your flares look like a flag waving in the wind. If not an ankle boot then I would recommend going for a glove shoe with a block heel as pictured below. I'm a complete advocate for this shape of shoe at the moment, partly because they remind me of something my mum would have worn in the eighties and partly because they are a fresh spin on the "flat ballet pump" that was starting to look a little basic.
Third rule is try and keep it high waisted, it's just more flattering! A low waist and a cropped leg is going to make you look a little short and stumpy in the middle, kinda like a square? Nobody wants that... Plus I always think a high rise jean makes it easier and neater when tucking in your top, esspecially if it's a floaty loose number like the one below.
And after that I'm all out of rules! The rest is up to you, you are ready to go give your skinny a little time off and start showing the flare some love instead!
Sophia x