In a moment of weakness (hypocrisy, really) and desperation for some pants to wear this winter, I broke down and bought a pair of wide-cropped black jeans from J.Crew.* While I’m not happy about their unspecified origins — and can only hope against hope that they were made in a respectable factory — I’m extremely relieved to have them. Other than those black skinny pants from winter silhouette 1, I’m basically down to just two pairs of disturbingly threadbare jeans. (Every time I leave the house in either one of them, I think “today’s the day the crotch rips open in public.”) So not only were these needed, they are sliding right into my wardrobe the way a hardworking garment should.
As previously discussed, what looks modern to me with regard to this pants shape is a cropped, boxy top layer — either on its own or over a tunic-length top — but I’m also really loving a tucked-in top for the first time in a long while, and that could be a tee or a woven top. So these examples are easy outfits built from the same pieces you’ve seen before — those already in my closet or my current queue: the tunic(s), the woven pullover, the black lopi raglan. Of which, all I’ve accomplished so far is working on a muslin for the woven pullover, which underwent some design changes in the process. More on that front soon!
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(Indispensable Fashionary Panels via Fringe Supply Co., as usual.)
*I also invested in a pair of Point Sur jeans — J.Crew’s new line of jeans made in Los Angeles. I’m thrilled that they’re doing this and want to support it. And while I’ve never spent anywhere near that kind of money on jeans before, I understand the cost and also think it’s a reasonable expenditure, since I’ll wear them a thousand times.
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PREVIOUSLY in Wardrobe Planning: Winter silhouette 1: Short over long over skinny
My first pair of investment jeans was my Raleigh Denim Workshop jeans (not quite as expensive as the Point Sur, but close). They’ve been 100% worth it in the year+ since I bought them – they show very little wear (and I wear them all the time) and they never got saggy on the month-long European train trip I took a year ago. Bonus is the home state pride I feel when I wear them – sewn in Raleigh (where my dad grew up!) and made with Cone Mills denim, which is from my own hometown of Greensboro. Someday I’d love to visit the flagship in Raleigh.
It makes me really happy that there are starting to be more and more options for US-made jeans. Obviously one of the leaders of the charge — Imogene + Willie — is local for me, but they don’t have a pair the shape I want. So I’m always on the hunt for other possibilities!
I love those work jeans people keep pointing me to (the name of the company is escaping me at the moment — starts with a G?) but they’ve gone dormant and it’s not clear if they’ll ever be back. Or what.
it’s okay if this is too much to ask but if you have/know the black lopi raglan you’re going to make, I would love to see it! I have a bunch of icelandic wool from my cowichanish vest to use up!
I’m just planning to improvise it — top-down with wide sleeves drawn in by ribbing at the elbow.
that sounds awesome!!! good luck!
I’ve got a few pair of the Point Sur denim (always catch them on sale!), and they’re fabulous.
Alas, wide and boxy tops just do not work for me. I can admire the style on others, though!
I just cut off some pants I was planning to give away. They were on the wide side, so the silhouette looks fresher now. But, I am still toying with how to handle that space between short boot and hem. Too cold for bare skin right now. Tights work okay…but I’m thinking I need some longer, more textured socks, or some light weight legwarmers to scrunch down. Gotta play dress-up, I guess.
Looking forward to seeing that woven pullover, Karen.
I understand why you broke down: these jeans are irrisistible! I hope you’ll post a photo of you wearing it – your sketches are promising, especially the second one with a cropped raglan top. I do love J.Crew’s aesthetic. Jenna Lyons really instilled a strong image since 2010 or so. I also adore Margaret Howell (https://www.margarethowell.co.uk/) for inspiration. Another brilliant soul!
Yes Napagal my thoughts exactly. I like the silhouette (though I am not convinced it is for me) but my thought is: how do I wear it with necessary warm socks without looking like what we used to call, charmingly I’m sure, a doofus. I googled ‘wide leg cropped pants with socks’ and got plenty of pictures of ‘cropped wide leg pants’ with high heels and no socks, and plenty of ‘socks for wide legs’, but nary a picture of how to wear this in the middle of winter in the far upper Midwest. Ideas? Is it impossible?
Always a lovely and thoughtful blog Karen, thank you!
This post renewed my interest in wide leg cropped pants, a la Jesse Kamm sailor pants, which I would love to recreate later this winter or spring. Over on Jesse Kamm’s instagram, she posted a great shot of a woman styling the sailor pants with socks and clogs – looks perfect to me! https://www.instagram.com/p/BApYngGE2ur/?taken-by=jessekamm
Yes! Loooove that. Reminds me of this: http://fringeassociation.com/2013/04/09/one-more-thing/
You know – I don’t know that it’s necessary to apologize for buying something you needed. Threadbare clothes are threadbare clothes! The fact that you are buying the best sourced replacements that you can afford is laudable (as is actually wearing something until it falls apart, in this day and age.)
I have loved all your slow fashion discussion – and I admire your goals, but simultaneously, I don’t think you need to apologize to your readers when circumstances don’t permit you to live that dream all the time. We are all doing what we can.
It’s not so much apologizing to anyone as holding myself accountable.
Firstly, I had to laugh when I read “today’s the day the crotch rips open in public.” There have been numerous times when I’m convinced that the breeze I feel ’round back is a hole, rip, or even better, my skirt tucked into my tights. Secondly, I really like the playing with layers and lengths that the images you’ve shared demonstrate.
Have you tried AYR jeans? They’re made in the USA. I bought my first pair over a year ago and never looked back. Now I own four pairs, but the first pair is still in tact, still fits, and is just the best darn pair of jeans I’ve ever owned!
Haven’t hear of them but I’ll look into it!
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