ways to wear: cropped jeans
It’s been awhile since I did a fashion post, and I’m feeling a little rusty. I also have a new photographer. Thus far, Cuz is far superior to Tom in all ways as a blog photographer. She does not whine, does not ask “how many more outfits” or “is that new/how much did that cost,” and most importantly, does not try to position me in a manner such that she can watch the game on the TV at the same time. I thank her for her service.
I love cropped jeans. They’re unfussy, a concession to my tomboy past, and I just prefer them to regular jeans, year-round. So with all the cropped jeans being offered these days, I’m in heaven.
My text placement is a sad attempt to hide some incipient denim creasing that might, to the uneducated observer, be mistaken for camel toe, which it most certainly is not. New year, new shade of Clarks to add to the other pairs in my closet. You might call it a style rut, but I prefer to think of my desert boots as my signature. The popover is comfortable, as it should be, because it is a beach coverup. I wear it all the time.
Levi’s Curve ID system intimidated me as soon as it was introduced. So many fits, and how the hell am I to know how large my ass is in relation to other asses? I didn’t even bother trying any on until last month. But, epiphany. If you have no waist, no hips and no butt—like me—the Slight Curve is genius. GENIUS. Which leads me to believe the other fits for more feminine figures, might be equally as bangin’. These are technically not a crop but I bought them in a 30″ inseam. They fit like a dream, with no muffin top. In fact, they fit exactly like my Current Elliott Stilettos, which were $200+. Long live Levi’s.
Cuz took these pics while three different neighbors were outside raking their leaves. Listen, I suffer for my craft. I wanted to get the ordeal over with quickly and didn’t bother to clear off the stuff behind me. As you can see, we drink water and leave pumpkins out long past Halloween. Fashion bloggers are a dime a dozen, but how many blogs get you this close to the banal reality of domestic life? That’s right. One.
I’m digging on lighter denim for fall, but as Cuz noted—these jeans, being light AND cropped, are not the easiest. As she snapped away, Cuz opined that the only person these might look good on is Miranda Kerr, whose legs are approximately three feet longer than mine. But I don’t mind. I mean, they’re comfortable as hell, and every time I wear them, someone asks where I got them, which makes me happy. Anyway, they are my new favorite jeans, displacing J Brand and even my Diesel boyfriends. If you like thicker denim, try MiH.
Leopard shoes are everywhere. The reason why is that leopard goes with everything. The shirt has chickens on it. Chickens with little berets. Prints are not my fave but not even I can resist French chickens.
Cuz gave me these jeans, which no longer fit her when they stretched out. I worry sometimes that Cuz will become very bad for my morale. When I laid on the floor and wrestled these suckers on, I was so happy when the button closed that I almost cried. As you can see, after wearing them for two days, I can even bend my legs in them. I can’t ever wash them, but whatever!! Perfect medium blue. And free. Great success.
Check out the pairs here and a few others on Pinterest…
yoonanimous 
You are so lucky that Levi’s look good on you! I have been trying so hard to use my friend’s employee discount but I walk out of the dressing rooms looking goofy every time — curve ID and all. D:
my friend just told me they are making shoes now. should be cute
Yoona, I have been behind on my blog reading and am so glad to be back on it! Your posts “ROCK” again! Back on your previous crop/jean post, you posted about your cropped length, color, etc. So, I went out and purchased my first pair of colored jeans and rolled them under and tried different lengths with different shoes. Yeah, that was many months ago and I’m still rolling!!! UHHH!! But with that said, you are truely a fashion icon, in the bubble that I live in, and I do reference you when in fashion conversations with others. Keep it up and Miss Fashion Diva!! 😉
icon seems strong but i’ll take it. love that you have found an idea or two here, Kristin! see you soon
You’re going to think I’m insane, or a stalker. I’m neither, but I am envious. And desperate.
So here’s my proposition: I buy your plane ticket, you fly to Missouri. You take me shopping. I buy with my money an outfit of your choosing. Something cool, like you’d wear, only my size. Then you photograph me, in an immensely flattering pose, and blog about it.
Yoona, middle age dumpy women like me need your help. We can’t envision ourselves in your clothes looking all hip like you, but something tells me we could with just a little Yoona-help.
PS: I have a spare bedroom what with the whole kid-in-college thing, so you are welcome to bunk here. Or I’ll throw in a hotel room, too!
this is so funny and charming, per the usual. first, you’re not middle aged dumpy, joan, so quit it. second, you could buy me a plane ticket to anywhere (and I do mean anywhere) and i’d go, except that my husband and children need me and i am obligated by law to attend to them. third, from what i’ve seen on your blog you acquit yourself very well in the fashion department and don’t need my help. that said i am always here for your specific sartorial problems, should you want help
I did buy my own desert boots recently — in black. I’ve worn them with jeans, ankle slacks and skirts and love them. Mostly I have trouble with my upper half (because I’m hour-glass shaped and am putting on weight in my belly). Accentuating my curves without revealing my muffin top is difficult.
my collection of desert boots recently discovered the colorful desert boot laces they sell in the men’s shoe dept at nordstrom. sometimes I need blue laces, sometimes I don’t.
oh, fun! i bet they’d look good with neon laces too
Yoonaaaa, you make me laugh!!! Also: great post. Great outfits! I’m going to order some Clarks and Sam Edelman boots!
awesome! i love those sam edelmans–they seem to go with everything this season…
You look adorable! My tree trunk legs (which is fine, I can lift heavy things) make the shorts jeans my worst enemy, but you look fab and I adore those flowy tops.
“i can lift heavy things”—awesome. you might try a dark crop with a straight leg, like the MiH brighton. or you can just sit them out. no trend is for everyone. i remind myself of that every summer when i am tempted to try boho
i love cropped pants on everyone, including and most ESPECIALLY you, yoona…except me. i somehow always manage to look like i shrunk my pants and am still trying to wear them anyway. i have the desert boots and want nothing more than to wear them w cropped jeans, cuz i love love love that laid-back look, but i can’t seem to get the pants right. maybe i’m too tall (5’7″) or too thick (let’s not GO THERE, OKAAAY??), or too top heavy, you know…sort of big overall…i really just look like a kid who outgrew her clothes when i try this look. what’s the trick? or should i just quit eating, which is sort of what i always end up thinking? rice cake anyone?
hiya! i think your height, if anything, would make crops work better. i’m almost 5’9″ and i’ve never felt like my height made crops harder. that said, cuz would tell you right off that the way to really make a pair of crops flattering is to wear them with a heel. a heeled boot, for example, will boost up your leg and lengthen your line. i just can’t be bothered usually. and make sure the leg opening is not too tight. you don’t want it to look like a legging, you want the opening to be a little bigger than your ankle. and be mindful of the length of your top. unless you are stick thin i think crops work best with a longer top, something that covers the widest part of your thighs–you want the contrast in proportions i think. other than that, i would argue that a lot of it is going to be you getting used to the look on yourself–it may feel weird and odd the first couple times but you’ll get past it, i suspect. i’d bet no one thinks you look as odd as you fear. thanks for the comment, and making me think!!
also, i would never suggest you eat rice cakes for JEANS. on that note, i would just like to give my professional opinion after thorough research just now that kirkland peanut butter cups are almost as good as reese’s but lack a certain something. salt, i think
Love the Clarks! I just wish my wife would wear hers more. Maybe I should buy her some desert boots. She has Wallabees now and they are so cute, she has no idea.
you should absolutely buy her some shoes. i support the idea of men gifting clothes although it works out poorly in my life unless he is gifting items that i have pre-selected. i find the square shape of a wallabee more challenging (stumpifying) to wear than the desert boot, maybe that’s why she doesn’t wear them?
I’ve bought her plenty of shoes in attempts to get her to live a life outside of clogs. She got the wallabees because I love them so much and she wanted to be as cool as me. That usually doesn’t work as a reason to buy shoes for a woman, except staples like low-top Converse or Blundstone boots. I happen to love the stumpifying look of low-top wallabees with cropped jeans. With a casual oxford shirt- she’d slay me…
Is there a name for the phenomenon where I see somebody rock a look, have similar components in my own closet but then try them on and feel like I’m posing and can’t pull the look off in real life (aka out in the world, away from my full length mirror)?
I can put together a reasonable facsimile of nearly all your outfits as featured (and like them ALL) yet find taking-it-back-off-right-this-minute objectionable elements in my own version of each. Is that a thing, being afraid to own or rock a look?
of COURSE it’s a thing, i go through it all the time, with short skirts and increasingly, heels. every time i put those on i feel like i’m trying too hard, which defeats my sole fashion goal: not to look like i’m trying too hard. but may i propose that cropped jeans are not that much of a “look.” they are easy peasy. i find pairs that are less skinny at the opening and more of a straight leg to be more flattering.
but you have all the components, right? so do it! clothes are a low-risk thing to be brave about…