Top of the Crops

 & #WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. Summer heralds the cropped trousers/pants season, which I love! I snapped up a few new pairs as soon as they went on sale and now have orange and yellow in addition to the rest of my collection. 

What do I like about them?  They're very adaptable:  you could wear them in the office, they are longer than shorts, and they look polished and professional with a jacket.  They're available in a rainbow of colours, and they work on most shapes and sizes. 

I'd go so far as to say I have a "uniform" for summer consisting of crops with a moto jacket, contrasting top and statement necklace.

They suit nearly everyone, although I'll give some tips to the petite who should look for certain features. 

The pair at the top is one of my new buys:  they're coral jacquard from Robell, true to size. I wasn't sure if I would like the jacquard but the texture makes them a bit more dressy. They come in 14 colours. I'm wearing them with the new mandarin spot shirt from Kettlewell, over a cream camisole. Wedges, old, are from Vionic. 

My other go-to place for crops is Roman. Their crops wash beautifully and cost just £24. And they're in so many colours! The bengaline fabric is quite forgiving and skims rather than clings. I prefer them a little looser than skin tight. 

This pair is in royal blue. I wore this outfit to the 40th anniversary reunion of BBC Radio Devon at the weekend. The jacket in electric blue is old, the pima tee in angel blue is current, from Kettlewell, and the necklace is from Etsy. 

I also have the Roman crops in lime green. This was taken on holiday last year in Skiathos, Greece. 

These are slightly shorter, but still cropped trousers rather than shorts, also from Roman. I prefer them with the wedges rather than the brogue shoes, which are a bit too solid for this style. Trainers or flatforms are also good for a casual vibe.  Wearing them with a lavender jacket (old) and necklace from Etsy. 

Do cropped trousers suit everyone?

They can work for everyone, including those with short legs relative to the rest of the body.  

If you have short legs you should avoid trousers that are wide legged, and those with pockets or anything that adds bulk

Instead choose crops that are high waisted and have a flat front.  Happily, the Roman crops fit the bill. You may need to take them up slightly to get the right balance of leg and ankle showing. If you hold a towel against your legs and start lifting it up, you'll see the best point for a skirt or cropped trousers to land. 

Let's not forget shorts!

I also have quite a few pairs of what I call "city shorts" - a shorter version of the cropped trousers, but on or slightly below the knee. But I'm saving these for when summer has arrived and I have tanned legs. I think they're great on older women: they don't show any thigh and the length is flattering on those of us who are petite. 

Are you a fan of cropped trousers/pants? Do let us know in the comments.

I'm back on Friday and sharing my visit to the upcoming Chelsea Flower Show plus other activities this month, in #whatsbeenonyourcalendar. 

Disclosure: Nothing was gifted for this post.  Links are given to aid your shopping. They are not affiliate links. Is This Mutton is not monetised to give the best reading experience. 

Sharing this post with: On Mondays We Link Up at Glass of Glam, Weekday Wear at Away from the Blue, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Rena at Fine Whatever, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Confident Twosday at I Do Declaire, Style with a Smile at Stylesplash, Talent Sharing Tuesdays at Scribbling Boomer, Curated by Jennifer (Wednesdays), Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, #SpreadTheKindness  and #Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge,  Thursday Fashion Files at Doused in Pink, #Neverendingstyle at The Grey Brunette, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style,  Traffic Jam Weekend at Marsha in the Middle Senior Salon Pitstop at Esme Salon

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#WOWONWEDNESDAY LINK-UP

It's time for the #WowOnWednesday link-up, where readers can find new blogs to read and bloggers/vloggers can find new followers!  I feature the 3 favourites each Wednesday on Instagram, and my five or six top picks at the weekend on Twitter and Facebook. 

Last Week's Favourites (most clicked)

Women's outdoor wear - rainproof! from Laurie at Vanity and Me 

Sheer! The good buy/good bye book from Nancy at Nancy's Fashion Style, featuring Nancy and other bloggers in outfits featuring something sheer. 

Is This Mutton's Non-Fashion Featured Post

I'll never tire of Mother's Day by Nylse from Life Notes. 

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