When buying pants, the length is an important factor, especially when buying shorter pants like capris. We have researched what stylists say is the optimum length for capris and whether your height plays a factor in how long your pants should be.
For capri pants to look flattering, you need to consider your vertical body type and how long your legs are. Capris should end at the slimmest part of your leg. If you are built with long legs and thin ankles, capris will look good if they are no longer than finger-width above your ankle bone. However, if you have a longer torso and shorter legs, you will want to avoid capris.
Continue reading to find out more about how to find capris that are flattering for your body type, why capris should be avoided if you are shorter, and how to match shoes to your pants.
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Vertical Body TypesI
When determining what pants you should wear, you need to figure out if you have short legs and a long torso, long legs with a short torso, or if you are balanced. This is more important than your height, although shorter people tend to have shorter legs. Anyone can wear capris, provided they get the correct length and wear the right shoes and shirt with their outfit. However, capris look the best on people with long legs and a short torso or people with balanced proportions.
Short Legs And Long Torso
People with this body type want to wear clothing that will visually shorten the torso and lengthen the legs. However, capris will not do this. As a result, you will want to stick with long pants. Find pants that hit you mid-foot or shorts that are as short as you feel comfortable with. If you really want to wear capris, you can wear a shorter shirt or high heels to make your legs look a bit longer.
Balanced Bodies And Long Legs/Short Torso
People who have balanced body types and long legs will most likely find capris to be flattering. However, you want to make sure that your pants end on the thinnest part of your legs. For many people, this is just below or just above the widest part of your calf. When wearing short pants, keep in mind that the pants' cut will draw attention to the area of your legs it ends at. So, if you have chunkier thighs or thicker ankles, you may not want your pants to stop at these places.
Someone who is curvier will want to stick with pants that are uniform in color and dark in saturation, which will create an uninterrupted line in your figure and look extremely flattering.
Even though you will look good with capris with long legs, be aware that boxy and baggy capris do not look good on anyone! Therefore, be careful to avoid this style.
What Styles of Capri Pants Are There?
Capri pants come in several styles. Some of these styles are sports pants, relaxed fit, leggings, Capri jeans, bootleg, flare, and cargo pants.
Sports Pants and Leggings
Capri pants that come in these styles are flexible and comfortable. A lot of them are designed to give you the full motion of movement and to breathe during exercise. If you need some exercise pants, these are a fantastic option!
To check out these Dibaolong sports capris on Amazon, click here!
Relaxed Fit
Relaxed fit capris fit a little loser without being baggy. They are wider in the seat and the thigh, making them more comfortable if you tend to be a little bigger in these areas.
Click here to check out these Lee capris on Amazon.
Denim
If you are looking for jean-like pants, go with a denim Capri. They look like jeans but are Capri length.
Click here to check out these Gloria Capri Jeans on Amazon!
Bootleg
If you are looking for tighter pants, bootleg pants are slightly tighter in the thigh area and widen around the knees. For women who have a pear body type, bootleg Capri pants will look really flattering.
Click here to check out these high-waisted bootleg capris on Amazon!
Flare
Flare pants, also known as apple-bottom pants, become wider from the knee downwards. As a result, they open like a bell on the bottom, where the name apple-bottom jeans comes from. The best body types for flare-style bottoms are pear and hourglass. Also, people who have wider hips, thicker thighs, and bigger butts really fill out flare-style pants.
Click here to check out Jockey flare capris on Amazon!
Cargo Pants
Finally, we come to the last style we are going to talk about: cargo pants. Cargo pants are designed tough enough to prevent them from tearing when doing activities outside. As far as what body types can pull them off, people who are an hourglass or inverted triangle will look good in this style. Conversely, people with bigger bottom halves should avoid cargo pants as they make your bottom look bigger.
Check out Lee's cargo Capri on Amazon.
Do Capri Pants Make You Look Shorter?
Yes, Capris make your legs look shorter. The reason for this is because the edge of your pant leg draws attention to that part of the leg, giving the illusion that that is where your legs end. To combat this effect, avoid ankle-length pants, as they can make it look like your pants shrunk in the wash. You can also wear a shorter shirt and high-heels to make your legs look longer.
Are Crop Or Capri Pants Longer?
Many people use the terms "crop pants" and "Capri pants" interchangeably. However, they are different. One of these key differences is that Capri pants are shorter than crop pants. While Capri pants end around mid-calf, crop pants stretch down to the ankle area.
What Kind Of Shoes Can You Wear With Capris?
Any pair of shoes you wear should add length to your legs and make your lower legs look lean. That being said, the best shoes to wear with Capris will be nude color (or a color that matches your skin) or the same color as your pants. In addition to that, the perfect shoes should be light and airy looking, have no straps above the ankle, and have a pointy toe.
On the other hand, the worst shoes to wear with Capri pants are bulky or heavy. This includes athletic shoes, loafers, oxfords, and any shoes with thick soles or bulky straps. It also includes clunky or overly heavy shoes.
Block Heels
These shoes add a little height and also make your legs look longer.
Click here to see these block heels on Amazon!
Lace-Up Sandals
When looking for shoes to go with Capris, you can't go wrong with lace-up sandals! They show a little bit of skin, which helps to create a long line all the way through your figure. As a result, your look will flow nicely.
Click here to check out these lace-up gladiator sandals!
Statement Sneakers
If you are looking for comfortable and stylish shoes to go with your capris, look no further. Unlike regular sneakers, statement sneakers are light, which makes them perfect to go with Capri pants.
Click here to see these Skecher's sneakers on Amazon.
Pumps
Just like all the other shoes on this list, pumps elongate the legs and complete your look. However, it would be best if you made sure the pumps you get don't weigh your foot down. They need to open up your foot and make it look proportionate to the rest of your leg.
To check out these pumps on Amazon, click here!
Final Thoughts
So, how long should Capri pants be? It depends more on your vertical body type than your actual height. People who have shorter legs and longer torsos should avoid them or wear the appropriate shirts and shoes. Anyone with a more balanced body type or long legs and a shorter torso can wear capris that end at the shortest part of their legs.
The most important thing when picking out Capri pants is that the pants make your legs look longer and that they accent the thinnest part of your legs. With the right shirt and shoes, anyone can make capris work!
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