BlogHer - Tim Gunn says no to capri pants, and I concur (sort of) - Comments

No way with the high waist.

BERNTHIS.COM — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:39:32 -0500

After I had my kid, I went to low waist pants and I'm NEVER GOING BACK. In high waisted pants I feel GINORMOUS. Now, I also don't have a "muffin top" problem with the low risers, that is another topic altogether but at 5'3" and low waisted, Capri's never look good on me but until my daughter gets a lot older (she's four) I'm tossing them on, even at the risk that I will be a lonely divorcee for a long time to come b/c I definitely look better in a full length pant but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do :)

Yes, yes and YES!

Susan Wagner — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 21:46:58 -0500

You all know that I love me some good fashion makeover television, but I am continually irked by the one-size-fits-all approach, particularly when it comes to certain lifestyles (SAHMs) and sizes (petites).

There is NO one set of fashion rules for everyone; there is only common sense wisely applied. Keep your underwear under your clothes, buy a bra that fits properly, do NOT wear flip flops to the office -- otherwise, try things on! see how they fit and how they look and how they work for you! Be honest about your size and shape, don't try to dress like someone smaller or larger or younger or older. Be yourself, in clothes that are the right size.

And if I could, I would take every single one of you shopping. I really would.

Friday Style | The Working Closet | Friday Playdate

I hate Capri pants. I'm not

kperfetto — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 11:56:46 -0500

I hate Capri pants. I'm not tall, but I have long legs in relation to the rest of me, and Capris make me look like a 12-year-old in the midst of a growth spurt.

I think these makeover shows generalize too much. Body shape has more to do with what looks good than height. At 5'6, I'm just a couple inches taller than the average woman, but I still need a "tall" in pants sometimes because my legs are long and my torso is very short. (I always tell people I'm built like Mrs. Potato Head -- skinny-limbed with a squishy middle.)

Available Light & Five Dollar Radio

Clearly he's never bought petite pants

Bridget Magnus — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:54:39 -0500

Gunn's argument is that because Nicole is petite (she's 5'2") her capri pants make her legs look even shorter. In the end, he recommends that she opt for higher waisted, full length trousers, to give her a long leg line.

Yeah, and good luck to her finding those pants.

Seriously people! I have in front of me a "Newport News" catalog. The so-called "petite" inseam is 30". Just for reference, my 6' tall husband wears a 30" inseam pair of pants. I, on the other hand, stand 4'11" and need a 26" inseam to just skim the tops of my shoes. The pair of jeans I am wearing right now were actually sold as crop pants and have this inseam.

So my advice to everyone, Tim Gunn included, is 1) try on clothing; 2) only buy clothing that both fits and is flattering. Use your own darn judgment.

It's All About The Shoes

MdMommy2Two — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:53:43 -0500

I don't wear capri pants, although I'm tall, because I don't want anything that's going to visually shorten my legs. I do wear shorts that hit right above the knee, but with one rule: I wear them with high heeled (1 1/2 inch) sandals because they define my calves better and make me look thinner.

I also wonder if the people who do fashion makeovers have children, because so many of the suggestions just do not work. I won't wear cashmere because my baby will probably smear food on it, and I can't wear tops that mean I can't wear a nursing bra.

Tim Gunn says no to capri pants, and I concur (sort of)

Susan Wagner — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:41:14 -0500

Recently (okay three weeks ago but I've been BUSY and I just got around to watching the TIVO'd episode), Tim Gunn and Veronica Webb made over SAHM Nicole, who is trapped in a tee shirts and capri pants rut that many of us are familiar with (particularly those us with small children). Nicole's Mom Uniform is doing nothing for her, and Gunn and Webb wind up banning capris from her closet. Gunn's argument is that because Nicole is petite (she's 5'2") her capri pants make her legs look even shorter. In the end, he recommends that she opt for higher waisted, full length trousers, to give her a long leg line.

And while he's right about that (he IS Tim Gunn, after all) I'm not so sure about the ban on capri pants. Capri pants are NOT universally flattering, but they CAN work, if you're wearing them right.

Any Taylor narrow pintuck ankle pant, on sale for $54.99.

Be honest about your shape. If you carry most of your weight in your hips and thighs, capris may not be your best look; the cropped hemline may wind up making you look like an ice cream cone.

Choose the best length. Capris are most flattering when they hit just above the ankle bone. Want something shorter? Choose a walking short that hits just above the knee. Anything in between is difficult for most women to pull off.

Calling them playful doesn't change the fact that they're the wrong length: Chico's Playful Boston crop pant, $88.00

Width matters. If you are tall and very slim, a slightly tapered capri may work well for you, but for most women, a slightly wider leg will be better, one that falls essentially straight from the widest part of the hip. The idea is to create a balanced line, rather than drawing an arrow from your feet to your hips.

Avoid cuffs. Cuffs will cut your legs off, no matter what the length of the pants. Cuffs on cropped pants are like drawing a big wide line across your calves; the cuff draws the eye right to the widest part of your lower leg.

Casual capris: Ann Taylor Loft stovepipe pants, $49.99

Don't forget the shoes. An open shoe -- a ballet flat or sandal -- or a shoe with a pointy toe will also elongate your leg. Shoes that cover the entire foot (Chuck Taylors, for example) shorten your leg because they cut off your foot.

Starting to think that capris may not work for you after all? Keep in mind that shorts don't have to show off your entire leg, and that a skirt is always cooler than any type of pants.

Feel like you can work the capris? Take yours from summer to fall by pairing with a turtleneck or a lightweight sweater. Dress them up with a kitten heel or a pretty flat. Pair with a tee and skimmers, but add a necklace or some terrific earrings for an little extra something.

I'm not the only one thinking about Tim and his ban on capri pants:

Lavidaboca wonders about what she will wear if she tosses her capris.

Style for the SAHM wonders if Tim Gunn has any idea what moms do all day.

High Heeled Mama thinks she just might pull out a skirt. And maybe blow dry her hair! Why not!

I say do it.

Susan Wagner writes about fashion at Friday Style and The Working Closet, and about everything else at Friday Playdate. She can often be seen wearing capri pants.