August 28, 2012

Today's Everyday Fashion: Ankle Pants



I have officially caught cropped work pant fever. I tried on a bunch at the mall last week (see below for sizing info and reviews). I couldn't resist this fun printed pair from H&M, and I also bought the green ones from LOFT below. I paired my new pants with an old (5+ years) shirt, plus my favorite heels from last year. Can't wait to hear what you guys think of this trend. I have been bored to tears by "regular" work pants for years, but these pants are fun! Do you wear cropped pants? Have you tried printed pants yet, or only solids?

Shirt: Banana Republic, $50 (similar, similar)
Pants: H&M, $18 (almost identical, similar)
Shoes: Restricted/Endless, $40 (similar)
Purse: Emma Fox c/o Ross, $59
Earrings: Orlando boutique (similar)
Watch: Michael Kors, family gift
Rings: My Stella & Dot website $69 and $49
Bracelets: My Stella & Dot website $59 and $59 and $34 and $32

I tried on all of these pants.



1. LOFT pants, $49.99.
Size 0, low rise. I also bought these! They were my favorite fit by far, I love the green color and I got them for only $25 in the store.
2. Gap pants, $49.95.
Size 2, mid rise. These are great basic work pants, I really like the slightly wooly texture. They fit well in my usual size, but the rise was in a weird place - not high enough to be chic high-waisted pants, not low enough that I would want to tuck something in, so I passed for now.
3. Old Navy pants, $25.
Size 2, high rise. These were only $13 in the store. They fit exactly the same as the H&M ones, but I preferred the darker print.
4. H&M pants, $18.
Size 4*, high rise. (H&M is European sizing and doesn't offer online shopping in the U.S.) These are the pants I'm wearing in today's post. I love the print and they fit perfect through the thighs and butt. They are way too loose in the waist though. I'm guessing that my waist to hip ratio is not suited for this style of pant, but a belt tightens the waist and solves the problem. *I'm wearing a 6 in the picture, but wound up exchanging these for a size 4, which solved the loose waist issue!

90 comments:

  1. I tried the same exact pants on from the Loft the other day but they just didn't fit my waist and I tried on the smallest size they had. I am loving the cropped work pants look. I already have two pairs and I am on the look out for more. I love your blog!! 

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  2. Super cute and super helpful! Thanks for posting sizing, cause it's frustrating being one size in one store and different in another, I didn't know h&m was euro sizing so wow, awesome to understand it's not me! :D

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  3. Sooooo cute. I wear cropped pants too! I am so getting the H&M ones!

    Oliviamoone.blogspot.com

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  4. Apparently we have similar tastes. I bought the same exact pants from h&m. I cant fit them right now as I am still trying to lose baby weight but planned to wear them next year. But, when I got home I felt ridiculous for buying a trendy item to be worn next year. What if printed pants aren't in style? So back to the store they went :( I loved those pants too

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  5. I saw these trousers in store and liked them, however I'm not sold on the printed pant trend yet...I like the blouse you put with it, looks great.

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  6. Great for work in the summer! I wear them all the time because they help show off my fabulous shoe collection. Have a wonderful day everybody and stay bold! 

    Bold as Fashion

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  7. What are your thoughts on short women wearing the cropped pants? I LOVE the printed pants (and grateful they are the printed ones I wore in junior high!).  Thoughts?

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  8. Umm...let's try that again :) **** NOT**** the ones I wore in junior high :)

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  9. I tried these on at H&M because I loved the pattern - they look much better on you than they did on me! :)

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  10. I also love this trend for the purpose of showing off some great shoes!

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  11. Very nice outfit!  Totally something I could wear to work. 

    I tried on the Old Navy pair and they were HUGE in the waist and way too tight on my calves.  High rise pants just do not work for me.  

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  12. Elle -- I have the LOFT cropped pants in white, 4P, and I am 5'2". They are the correct length and super flattering. Love them!

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  13. pretty little thingsAugust 28, 2012 at 9:18 AM

    those pants look fab on you and that bag is lovely too!! I would totally rock this look for work! xo

    http://allthingsprettyandlittle.blogspot.com/

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  14. I'm a crop pants girl too! I bought a pair recently at Talbots during their red hanger sale. I love them so much I wish i would have splurged and purchased several pair.

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  15. Love those pants from H&M. I saw them at the store and wanted to try them on so bad. I am only 5'2 though so I have a hard time finding petite size cropped pants. Luckily, Loft sells them. They have a black pair right now that are on sale. I need to snatch them before they run out!

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  16. CoffeebeansandbobbypinsAugust 28, 2012 at 9:36 AM

    I love the cropped look! Those pants are so cute, wish we had an H&M close!

    Would love for you to enter my giveaway!
    http://coffeebeansandbobbypins.blogspot.com/#

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  17. These printed pants are great! Perfect to take right into fall with you.  Ankle pants have quickly become a favorite wardrobe staple of mine.

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  18. I have the same pants from H&M in black and the same problem.  They look great in the legs and hips, but the waist is super loose.  I was worried I had a weird shape, but I'm glad to know I'm not alone.  They also stretch out A LOT. I wear mine all the time at work.  Absolutely love them with smoking slippers.  

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  19. you should try them on!  I am 5'2 and I think the length is perfect on me.  Any shorter and they would look like odd capris.

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  20. Being tall (6 foot and 1 precious inch) I get nervous with ankle pants. They look so cute on "average" height ladies but I always feel like I'm wearing high waters aka the Steve Urkels, even if they are from the tall section and do hit me where they are supposed to...Not sure if I'll carry on with this trend but love it though! 

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  21. I am also glad to hear it's not just me Kiki! Good to know about the stretch, thank you!

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  22. Elle, I would try LOFT's petite section - they should fit you perfectly and would look great on you I bet!

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  23. Oh boo. I totally hear you. These are very trendy, and while I do hope to continue to wear them next year,  it's tough to buy trend items that far in advance!

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  24. I've been loving the cropped work pants too! So sleek!

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  25. Hi!  I just recently found your blog and I absolutely love reading it.  Unfortunately I wear scrubs to work so don't really get the opportunity to wear the things you highlight.  
    I was wondering how tall you are?   I am not too short at 5'6" but must have short legs because most ankle pants hit me below the spot they should so I end up looking like I am wearing high-waters!

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  26. Thanks Kate and welcome to the blog! :-) I'm 5'7". I recently stood next to someone who is the same height and my hipbones were a good 6 inches higher than theirs. Not sure if it was me or them with hipbones in an unusual spot. ;-) My legs might be slightly long for my body though. Hope this helps!

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  27. OMG not only do I love the pants surprisingly, but I'm in love with that shirt! Great color on you! I always have such a hard time picturing an outfit in my head so I usually forgo buying trendy items, but this outfit looks so good I might have to change my mind!

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  28. I totally love this trend. I bought to pair of work pants last year at Forever 21. One pair is red and the other one looks similar to the Gap pants in your post. They are so comfortable, you can almost wear any kind of top with it and I love to pair them with my neutral wedge-booties. It lengthens the leg (I'm short) and looks pretty chic. 
    I also like the printed ones you're wearing but I'm not bold enough to try that out so I'm gonna stick with my solid ones ;-)
    Overall: great look for you, you look stunning and very professional :-)

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  29. I just bought those tribal print ones from Old Navy! Trying to figure out how I am going to match them now! Ideas?

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  30. Love these pants, I tried them on myself but not sure why I didn't buy them? They look fabulous on you!

    LindsayLindsayJEveryday.blogspot.com

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  31. I love this look, it's so cute on cute! I will definitely have to give them a try for work. I agree, work pants are so boring and this is a fun way to liven things up a bit!

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  32. Try J.Crew's "minnie."  Quite possibly my favorite pants EVER.  They usually offer them in several colors & fabrics.

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  33. Love you you are rocking burgundy, the hot color for fall!

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  34. Love how your are rocking burgundy, the hot color for fall!

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  35. Love those patterned pants! Such a great color :)

    Rachel’s Lookbook 

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  36. I'm loving printed cropped pants too! They def spice up a work outfit and make it so much more interesting. Plus, they still look put together and classy. I just bought a tan and black print from LOFT that I love but I didn't see those green ones in store... those are cute too!

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  37. I have those H&M pants too...they are so similar to the J Crew ones (and so much less!). I am definitely going to try the LOFT pants, though. They are super cute! 

    xo, jill from www.classywithakick.com

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  38. I love this outfit! I'm a little obsessed with workwear and this is such a great versatile outfit! I need to get my hands on some of those pants!

    http://buttonspockets.blogspot.com

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  39. Love the printed pants! They are so popular right now!

    www.everydaywitharedhead.blogspot.com

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  40. I have a pair of red cropped pants that I love. NIce outfit!!!

    Agi:)

    vodkainfusedlemonade.wordpress.com

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  41. I love this trend but I am nervous to buy a bunch of work pants in this style and then have the trend go back to flared pants!  I am always cautious when buying trendy items because I never know how long it will last...

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  42. Loving that loft pair! I tried the purple in store, but they were already out of my size. Glad you snagged a great deal before they were gone! ~L&W
    www.thedoubletakegirls.com

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  43. I love this J! I am a substitute teacher and am wondering: what other shoes you might suggest to go with these pants? As much as I love high heels, they aren't practical when walking around a classroom all day. 

    Thank you!

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  44. these Pants look great on you. I tried these on but the pockets were bulging from the sides. I didn't get them, they were such a good deal too. They don't look like that on you though. 

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  45. Nicole, too funny! I wrote an article last week about trends and when to buy/when to hold back that I'm planning to publish soon. I don't think this fit of pant is all that trendy though. The printed pant, yes, very trendy. But the Gap pants are classics (think Audrey Hepburn), and will be around for many years to come!

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  46. Thanks Angela! I would do loafers or ballet flats!

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  47. It sounds like you had the same problem I do with these pants! The pockets bulge because they aren't tight enough in the waist to hold the pants up. If you add a belt to keep them up by your belly button, or get a tailor to take them in, that should fix it!

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  48. shesaidhesaidfashionAugust 28, 2012 at 1:34 PM

    I have not tried printed crop pants yet, i will soon! They look fantastic on you! The shirt is a great color too, perfect for the upcoming fall trend colors! <3 reading your blog J!

    Xo http://shesaidhesaid-fashion.blogspot.com/

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  49. i really love the way ankle pants look on me. embarrassed to say that i never really put my capris (from years ago) away! however, now i'm liking them a bit tighter though & i plan to grab a few pair for fall!

    http://ohhhsolovely.blogspot.com/ 

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  50. Regular lurker but I don't think I've commented before. Love your blog! I'm amazed at how you still have stuff in your closet from many years ago — I find all my stuff seems to wear out within a few seasons! Do you have any secrets for making your clothing last longer?

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  51. Those pants look awesome on you! I really like the pattern in particular.  I'd def. give cropped pants a try, but most of the time, I end up looking super short =(  They really work for you though, and to answer your question, I love wearing printed bottoms... They're bold and extremely fun to wear, in my opinion!

    http://sensiblestylista.blogspot.com/

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  52. Love all of these pants, especially the ones in your pictures!  Lovely prefall look.

    creamyclothes.blogspot.com

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  53. Being 6 ft tall, I love the trend of shorter pants since they tend to be short on me normally! The key is in the right amount of flare and wearing the right shoes. Love thise Loft green ones!

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  54. Thanks for de-lurking to say hello today. :-) I think there are two factors working in my favor - I have a lot of clothes, so I don't wear things over and over (maybe 5-10 times, but not usually 20+ times), which makes them last longer. I also am a huge believer in Dryel, which is a lot more gentle on your clothes than regular dry cleaning. I hand wash a lot of my non-dry clean stuff, which is also more gentle than the washing machine!

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  55. I have been debating if I should get those mustard ones from Old Navy-- I think they are ADORABLE! So fun! Thanks for the feed back on the fit. Check us out at www.dreamboatfashion.blogspot.com 

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  56. Just bought a pair of LOFT cropped pants (and wore them for the first time to work today!) I adore them.

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  57. The Limited makes a great pair of cropped pants. I have a pair in grey and black. They pair well with heels or flats and I love that they can be dressed up for work or made casual.

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  58. I was a skinny, awkward kid and every pair of pants came to my ankles... where was this trend when I was little? I do like ankle pants now though. I bought a couple from Old Navy last month (rust colored and navy with white polka dots) and love them!

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  59. I bought two pairs of those gap pants and thought the same thing about the weird rise, but I ended up keeping them and after a couple wears they fit great! strange, but true!

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  60. Oh my gosh I love your handbag J! Such and cute work look! Check out my latest blog post at  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151185887924434.502835.70641194433&type=3

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  61. Thanks for answering my question :) Great advice, as always!

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  62. You look amazing - your body is banging! I love the look of this - 1 fun piece while the rest is kept neutral. 

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  63. I can't figure out how to not look frumpy in cropped pants - there must be a secret to the right length or something?

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  64. Laura, getting the right length is key, as is the right leg width. See this "fail" post I did. The opening on the pants is far too wide and they look funny on me!! http://www.jseverydayfashion.com/2012/05/todays-everyday-fashion-wackadoodle.html

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  65. That's awesome Stephanie! I'm definitely going to see if I can get those on sale!

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  66. I am a big fan of cropped pants but I am still struggling with printed pants.  They all end up too busy on me.  This is a great look on you!

    Alice
    www.happinessatmidlife.com

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  67. Hi J! I am a new reader and am hoping you can explain a bit more about your thought process about the rise of the Gap pants. I am having trouble buying work pants because I don't know how high the rise should be, and whether I should tuck in my blouses. Can you give any tips? Thanks so much!

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  68. I haven't worn non cropped pants since Spring. I brought a pair of black ones and love them. I prefer dressed and skirts but on casual Fridays, I love to pull them out. I haven't tried color yet. I have my eye on a snake print and polka dot pair but worry about them being work appropriate.

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  69. Warning on the Loft pants. I threw mine in the dryer for a few minutes bc I needed them to shrink in the hip/but/thigh area, and the length shrunk WAY up. Now I can't wear them to work. :(

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  70. I'm starting to catch the fever too! I love all these!
    http://work-it-blog.blogspot.com/ 

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  71. Good to know! Will definitely keep them out of the dryer. Thanks Lindsay!

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  72. Helen, everyone's body is different, so it is tough to give advice via email without actually seeing you in a pair of pants. I would go to a store like Banana or Express and have a (knowledgeable) employee walk you through some different styles they offer. My own preference is to have a lower rise pant, and the Gap ones fit up higher on me, but someone with a longer torso they could fall much lower. So it just depends. Get some help from an associate though, they can be a great resource!

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  73. J, will gaucho-like cropped pants ever come back in style? i have a nice brown/orange plaid pair from charlotte russe when they trendy a few years ago that i'd hate to get rid of...

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  74. Amanda, if you love them then I say hold onto them! Trends are hard to predict, so if they are in good condition and you still like them, I wouldn't get rid of them just yet.

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  75. I love the pants. I just got the ones from The Limited and I had gotten a 50% off discount. Love them!

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  76. I LOVE the shoes. Looks like a cork (patterned?) heel and platform.  The shoe style has been ubiquitous for a few years now, thanks to Kate Middleton, but I've never seen this cork pattern used before.  very cute.

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  77. Thanks Karen! Yes, these are old favorites of mine. They have a cork bottom, but in a darker color that makes them good for all seasons! 

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  78. Awesome! I was drooling over the Limited ones!

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  79. Do you have suggestions about transitioning crop pants into fall/winter?

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  80. I have been mulling this over and I'm planning to *try* high boots but not sure that will work!

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  81. Hi J!  Thanks for the comment!  Looking back at my question I don't think I expressed myself well, so I'd like to try again.  I was confused by what you meant when you said "the rise was in a weird place - not high enough to be chic high-waisted pants, not low enough that I would want to tuck something in".  I am struggling to figure out when I should tuck in my blouses and when I should leave them out - I thought that I should only tuck shirts into higher-waisted pants because then I will have waist definition, and that if I tucked shirts into lower-waisted pants then that would draw attention to my hips vs. my waist.  But it seems like you prefer to tuck into lower-waisted pants.  Is this something that depends on someone's shape or are there general rules that people can follow to make sure they are dressing in a flattering way?  Thank you so much!

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  82. Helen, gotcha. Let's try for round two! :-) It sounds like from your question that your waist is smaller than your hips. For my own body, I prefer tucking low (esp. with pants) or high (most of my pencil skirts), but my body is pretty straight up and down, so that is just a personal preference to not go mid-rise and it might not be best for everyone to follow that. It is tough to make rules such as "only tuck mid-rise" if you are X body type, because fashion in general is hard to define and a lot of it has to do with personal preference. I will encourage you to try different fits until you find one you are most comfortable with (that's what a personal shopper would do with you). And when it comes to pants, sometimes snapping a picture so you can see what it "really" looks like on you can be a great help. I hope this helps! 

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  83. Thanks so much, J!  That is really helpful!  I see what you mean about different rises looking so different on different body types. Taking a picture is a great idea - I will use that!  :)

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  84. Do you know where I can find this purse?

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  85. Nicole, I got this purse on clearance at Ross (it's like TJ Maxx) but have never been able to find out more info about it. Emma Fox looks like a great brand (real leather, etc.) but there isn't a ton of info on their website and I'm not even sure where their purses are sold! http://www.emmafox.com/Emma_Fox/Emma_Fox.html

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  86. I just saw your reply now, thank you J. I wish there was a mathematical formula to length.  =)

    I'm in my early 50s and the blogs geared towards women "my age" tend to show the frumpy, elastic band, long cropped pants ALOT.  I certainly don't want to "age" myself unnecessarly. 

    I found this link and I really like the shorter crops, but I don't think I could wear this length to work.  What do you think?   http://youlookfab.com/2012/04/12/fabulous-outfits-with-cropped-pants/

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  87. Laura, I love that length! I definitely think you can wear those to work - anything below the knee is fine for most offices!

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