This summer I have fallen in love with a trend that I never, ever in a million years thought I would fall in love with—cropped flares. I noticed that cropped flares began popping up in street style photos back in the fall after designers like Alexander Wang and Michael Kors presented the style in their resort 2016 collections. Wang’s collection featured the pant in a light denim fabric, and I was not a fan. I noticed that the trend, especially in a denim fabric, continued into this spring, much to my confusion. Bloggers would pair the pants with everything from sneakers to heels and chunky sweaters to blazers. The pants reminded me a little too much of the dreaded gaucho pant, A.K.A. the stretchy, flowy pant that every sixth grader (including myself) owned in at least three gaudy colors.
However, after much debate, I finally decided to see for myself what all the fuss was about. The trend began to grow on me, and when I spotted a pair in American Eagle Outfitters this spring, I decided to give them a try. Much to my surprise, I absolutely adored them the second I put them on. For a few minutes I tried to convince myself that I didn’t, but I really did like them. After some hesitation, I decided to purchase them and I have been obsessed ever since.
I decided to pair my pants with a floral lace-up top, block heel sandals, my favorite Free People sunglasses and a vintage Coach purse that belongs to my mother. I’ve found that the pants are completely versatile, and I’ve enjoyed creating a variety of styles with them. I especially love wearing them with heels in order to dress them up a bit. For this look, I decided to take the pants in a more vintage-inspired direction, but I’ve found that they work really well to create a festival-inspired look when paired with lace-up sandals and a crop top. The pants are lightweight and comfortable, making them the perfect summer staple. However, I’m really looking forward to rocking the pants into the fall season, paired with sweaters, leather jackets and ankle boots.
Get My Look: 1. Cropped flares. 2. A lace-up top. 3. Block heel sandals. 4. Oversized sunglasses.
