Dear Charlotte,
It’s important I be honest; I have mixed feelings on capri pants. Before their TikTok revival, they were sold almost exclusively in clothing catalogues read by pensioners in garden centre cafes, on the page next to the orthopaedic shoes; I believe there’s good reason for that. To me, they’re a throwback to the 2000s in a multitude of alarming ways. The ¾ length trousers have been rocked by a whole host of celebs on the red carpet including Lindsay Lohan and Beyonce, but when I see people wear them, the only noughties icon who comes to mind is Mr Tumnus from Narnia and his ankle-grazing fur pantaloons.
Though, there’s no denying capris are TikTok’s latest microtrend. Take a look at vintage cool girl influencers such as Lara Adkins and you can almost guarantee they’ve worn capris in the past month, much to the dismay of their comments sections. So, to help you avoid looking like an OAP or a fairy-tale fawn who plays the flute, here’s some of my tips.
The first sacrifice you must make when wearing capri pants is to accept that they aren’t very flattering. Anything ¾ length inevitably makes your legs appear shorter, and your calves and ankles appear wider. This is the truth you’ll have to face when planning an outfit around the trouser to avoid a pre-night out cataclysmic mirror meltdown which ends in you texting the groupchat that you’re not going and rotting in bed with a tub of Phish Food watching Girls re-runs.
So, for five-foot fashionistas determined to rock the look, pair your capris with a pair of platform shoes or heeled open toe sandals. This will help to combat the ¾ length hem to create the illusion of longer legs.
If you’re tall or have longer legs and a shorter torso and want to embrace the leg-shortening effect, the Miami vacay vibes of capris also work well with a pair of flip flops. If this is too Teen Beach Movie for you, slip into your mum’s old tennis plimsolls for a casual, everyday look that would make Challengers’ Tashi Duncan proud.
In terms of tailoring, Capri pants should end at the slimmest part of the leg for maximum flattery – when buying vintage, its near impossible to get that perfect cut-off, so trousers may need to be altered. Another important question to consider is whether to go low or high rise. Low rise capris are the ones garnering TikTok popularity right now, but be warned – if you’re short, low rise is going to make you look even shorter than the ¾ pant length already does. Counteract this with a little top such as a cami or crop, which will help lengthen the torso.
The material of the capri also makes a huge difference in styling – in my opinion, denim is cutest and the most wearable, making for a fun, summery alternative to jeans. Or, capri jogging pants can be paired with a casual vest top and track jacket a la Sporty Spice. Unlike Nandos, capris are best plain, so buy a solid or neutral colour rather than patterned. Beige, white and black are all great choices that can be jazzed up with jewellery and accessories.
Speaking of accessories, to lean into the full noughties look, maximalism is your best mate. Trucker caps, skinny scarves, chunky jewellery – the more you resemble Ashley Tisdale on a 2007 red carpet, the better. Or, for an Italian riviera style that’ll turn heads all the way in Lake Como, keep it classy with gold jewellery and thin straps both in sandals and tops.
Since capris were a huge noughties trend, they’re super easy to find on Vinted and Depop. Search brands such as Mantaray, Papaya and Next for denim or cargo capris. Adidas and Nike are solid brands to search for a sportier capri. Or, get yourself down to your local vintage market or charity shop which I can guarantee will be capri havens.
I hope that this week’s column will help you to fill out your wildest capri fantasies. If not, don’t fret – you’ll almost definitely be rocking them when you’re 75, so you’ve got time.
Pictures: Rosaleen Harris-Davison
Designs: Pius Bentgens