Five Ways to Wear Straight Leg Cropped Jeans

Like every other fashion trend, jeans cycle through their own share of changes over time. Remember how low the rises of jeans were in the early 2000s? And then, in what seemed like overnight, bootlegs were passé when skinny were in. Boyfriend jeans jumped on the scene quite a few years ago, the bootleg seems to have gone long enough now that they oddly look fresh again, rises are getting longer and recently we’ve been introduced to cropped straight leg jeans as a trend.

Cropped straight-leg jeans are a close cousin on the boyfriend style only without the cuff or tapered ankle. What they do share in common is a more relaxed leg which feels like a nice change from having to pour ourselves into super skinny jeans.

While it may seem like a relief to see jeans with a little more breathing room, cropped straight leg jeans do come with their own share of dressing challenges, some which I will address below in the outfits I put together using this pair from AG to give you some looks to inspire you. And don’t forget to check out the additional styles to shop for at the end of this post.

Five Ways to Wear Straight Leg Cropped Jeans

Outfit #1

This is such a fun summery look for the season consisting of a bright pink swingy sleeveless top from Lush and straight leg cropped jeans. The possible problem with this jeans silhouette is that it can make the lower half of the body look square and boxy because they fall straighter from the hip and don’t taper. To mitigate the potential square, widening look, I simply added some height with a block heeled pair of sandals from Nine West. When you lengthen an area you also optically slim the appearance of it. Finishing the look, I added this fun, colorful chevron clutch from Rebecca Minkoff and drop earrings from Kendra Scott.

Outfit #2

The color combination of this outfit may be a bit jarring to some, but I like taking risks with color on this blog to give you some ideas you may not have considered. Looking past the colors (you can certainly go with a tamer option), showcasing the waist when wearing straight leg cropped jeans can help create proportional body balance and to avoid looking boxy. I styled these jeans with a wrap top from J. Crew, purple block heel pumps from Margeaux and finished the outfit with a green crossbody bag by Pop & Suki and layered Y necklace from Karine Sultan.

Outfit #3

The soft, shaped layering of this blush jacket from BCBG adds some waist definition to this more relaxed top from Vince Camuto. By also pairing these heeled sandals from Splendid with this outfit, length, and therefore, less boxiness, is achieved. I finished the look with a layered crystal lariat from Bp. and white bag from Aldo.

Outfit #4

In this look, I styled this tunic top from Hobb’s with the straight leg cropped jeans to create a great dressy casual look. It doesn’t take much to make this outfit complete. I added a pair of red wedge sandals from Louise et Cie, a dark navy bag from AllSaints and earrings from Robert Lee Morris.

When it comes to choosing ankle straps and straight leg cropped jeans, be careful. Ankles that are heavy can look extra heavy and stumpy when worn with ankle straps and this style of jeans. Try creating a more seamless look by not breaking up the ankle with straps.

Outfit #5

Flats don’t need to be avoided when wearing straight leg cropped jeans, you just need to be careful of the shape you choose. Because of the straighter nature of this silhouette, make sure the style hits high enough of your waist that the natural shape of your waist and hips are shown. When jeans sit too low they cut right across the wider part of the hip area and optically creates a squarer appearance.

For a casual look, I styled this outfit with a graphic t-shirt from Sub_Urban Riot, a lightweight cardigan from Bobeau, silver slip on sneakers from Frye and a navy backpack from Rebecca Minkoff.