Denim jacket, TJ Maxx. Cropped trousers, Moda International (cropped by me). Tank, NY & Co. Slingbacks, Wild Diva. Bag, Franco Sarto. Brooch, some department store.

These pants (and their twin, green-striped pair) were too short to wear with heels. I’m not sure if they were always too short or if they shrunk in the wash, but I became increasingly uncomfortable wearing them. Things came to a head when Angie, of You Look Fab, left me a comment pointing out they were about three inches too short for even my lowest heels. I contemplated my options. Because I rarely wear flats to work and would never sport pale, wide-leg pants without a heel, a change of footwear was not going to happen. Although the pants have a generous 2.5” hem, the edges are too worn to simply let it out. I nearly resigned myself to donating the trousers to the thrift store when I realized I could just make them shorter.

I consulted YLF posts on pants length, cropped trousers, and capris. Then, I donned my pants and experimented with different leg lengths by folding and pinning the excess fabric. I decided on a hem that hit at about the middle of my calf muscle. The result is roughly six inches shorter than the original trousers.


I haven’t chopped the green pair yet. I’m going to wear the pink pants a few times to see how I like the length. I always fight the suspicion that cropped pants make me look squat. I wouldn’t dare pair them with flats, but now I can wear them with my highest heels for a super long look.