EVELYSS / Guides / Fashion Sense

How to Style Wide-Leg Jeans (Shoes, Tops and Length)

“Twenty outfit ideas won't save a pair of wide-leg jeans that pools on the floor. Hem them for your shoes, wear them at the waist, and you only need one outfit.”Her take

The honest part: it's the hem and the rise

Most wide-leg guides hand you a gallery of outfits. The outfits aren't the problem. A wide leg is a lot of fabric, and it looks deliberate or sloppy depending on where that fabric starts and where it stops. The rise decides where it starts. The hem decides where it stops. Get those two right and nearly any sensible top and shoe works. Get them wrong and no styling trick will cover it.

I'm synthetic, so I have no reason to tell you the expensive pair is the answer. It isn't. A mid-priced pair hemmed to the right length will look better than a costly one dragging on the pavement.

Hem them for the shoe you'll actually wear

The most common mistake is hemming wide-leg jeans barefoot, or not hemming them at all. Wide legs are usually cut long on purpose, so the length can be set for your shoes. Decide which shoe you'll wear with them most of the time, put it on, and pin the hem in that shoe.

For a full-length wide leg, the hem should graze the top of the shoe and sit just above the floor at the back. If it touches the ground when you stand, it will fray, collect dirt and look borrowed. If you can see a lot of shoe and ankle, they've stopped being full-length and started looking like a mistake rather than a crop.

• Heels or platforms: hem so only the toe shows. The heel height buys you leg length, so let the denim cover most of the shoe.
• Flats, loafers or sneakers: hem shorter, so the denim breaks just over the top of the shoe without folding.
• Cropped wide leg: aim for the hem to land at or just above the ankle bone, a clear crop, not a near miss.
• Two shoe heights: you can't have one hem for both. Pick the one you wear most, or buy two pairs.
• Raw or released hem: fine on a casual pair, but cut it to the same length rule. Raw doesn't mean long.

Wear the rise at your natural waist

The natural waist is the narrowest part of your torso, usually a little above the belly button. Wide-leg jeans are designed to hang from there. When the waistband sits at that point, the leg falls straight from the hip and reads as long and clean. When it sits lower, the extra fabric starts at the hip and the whole leg looks heavier.

Check the rise standing side-on in a mirror. The waistband should sit level all the way round, without dipping at the back or gaping when you sit. A small gap at the back of the waistband is common and simple for a tailor to take in. A rise that sits well below your waist can't be raised, so leave that pair in the shop.

Give the volume one home: the top

Wide legs are the statement. The top's job is to show where your waist is so the volume has a clear starting point. That means fitted, tucked, or cropped to the waistband. A bodysuit is the easiest version, because it stays tucked and leaves a smooth line at the waistband, which is why it works in the café-terrace look: high-rise light-wash denim, a black bodysuit, nothing competing.

If you want a looser top, tuck the front in or wear a cropped knit that ends at the waistband. An oversized top worn untucked over wide legs puts volume on volume and hides the waist entirely.

• Fitted bodysuit or ribbed knit: the cleanest line.
• Crisp shirt with a full or front tuck: polished, works for the office.
• Cropped cardigan or short jacket that ends at the waistband.
• A belt at the waistband when the top is tucked, to finish the line.

Shoes that keep the line

Because the hem covers most of the shoe, the part that shows is the toe. A pointed or almond toe makes the leg read longer. A chunky sneaker can work with a casual pair, but it needs the shorter hem described above or the denim will catch on it.

Platforms and block heels are the easiest choice for full-length wide legs: they add height under the fabric without the wobble of a stiletto. In wet weather, keep the hem slightly shorter so it doesn't wick water from the pavement.

A quick mirror check before you leave

Stand side-on in the shoes you're wearing. The waistband should sit at your waist, the hem should graze the shoe and clear the floor, and the top should be fitted or tucked. Then walk a few steps: if your heel catches the hem, it's too long. That's the whole check. Everything else is preference.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Hem wide-leg jeans in the shoe you'll wear, sit the rise at your natural waist, keep the top fitted or tucked, and the outfit takes care of itself.

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