Flares For Girls Who Don’t Like Flares

When the flares trend first came to light last year, I already knew it was one doomed to my ‘no no’ bin. I remember wearing flares and *gasp* bootcut jeans when I was a mere whippersnapper, and being so short, those were always bought from the part of the kid’s section dedicated to those at least 3 years younger than me. Unfortunately short legs don’t guarantee a slim waist (basically I was a chubby kid), so any pair of jeans would inevitably be either too long in the leg or too tight at the waist. I either had soggy hems or broken zips.

With that being said, the complications of finding a pair of flares that would fit me was enough to put me off from the get go. But as time progressed and I saw more and more Pinterest worthy shots of long-legged ladies swanning around in a haze of 70’s perfection, the more I was determined to battle my petite demons and bag some denim that would leave me strutting with sass. I had flirted with the 70’s trend to some degree by working the flared sleeves, but this wasn’t enough. I wanted flares, and I wanted them down below.

Ah, the petite section, surely that would guarantee a win! Um, maybe not. Whilst engaging in my daily ASOS trawl I stumbled across a pair of vintage blue, distressed knee denim flares, and they were petite. The clouds parted, a light shone down and all around me I could hear the choirs rejoicing hallelujah. Finally, I had found my pair.

Eagerly I ordered them and, thanks to the wonders of ASOS Premier, the next day they landed on my doorstep. Pulling open the packaging with the fervour of Miley Cyrus finding anything fluorescent, I popped off my pyjama bottoms (standard working at home attire), pulled them on a gazed on myself with wonder and joy.

Apart from they didn’t fit. They were too long. How could this happen? I ordered from the petite section, these are petite jeans, I am a petite girl, y u no fit? I pulled on a pair of heeled boots and the flared hems reached up off the ground, but as someone who generally opts for comfort-first in the shoe department, I knew that this wasn’t enough to fix the heartbreaking sartorial stand off. Back to ASOS they went, and on my search continued.

Fast-forward a few months and cropped flares have taken the fashion scene by storm. Ankles are being flashed left, right and centre, all tied together with the controversial glove shoe and anything off the shoulder. As everyone basically becomes a Victorian hussy (ankles and shoulders at the same time? I mean really), me and my poor lil’ legs were left behind in the dust. You may be thinking the cropped flare would be perfect for me – the bottoms are basically cut off, right?

Wrong. Cropped flares aren’t cropped flares on me. They’re just flares. Inevitably this means the dimensions of the jean leg are going to be tight and flared in all the wrong places, so I knew early on I would be relegated to picking through petite sections across the web in hopes of stumbling across a hidden gem.

Well, I did. Minimal, monochrome and understated, this pair of cropped flares comes courtesy of Next and can be bought both in petite, and in regular fit. Perfect for work or play, I kept things smart-casj (as if I really know what that means) for afternoon tea with my best friend by layering over an oversized, lace up jumper and accessorising with white crossover mules and a staple black handbag. I sized down on the flares because the waist does come up a little large, but other than that, these cropped flares fit like a dream.

With the perfect amount of flare to satisfy the trend but not too much as to be loud and proud, this pair is perfect for anybody who wants to err on the side of caution or isn’t too keen on the oversized flare trend in general. Coming full circle, I can’t wait to style these up with my ASOS glove shoes and a striped off the shoulder tee, and they will also be perfect for pairing with a blazer and neck tie for when I’m back in the office at work!

Are you guys fans of the cropped flare trend, or is too reminiscent of the belly-baring, spaghetti strapped style from your pre-teen years? Be sure to share if you’ve had any disaster stories below or over on Twitter or Instagram (@chloeplumstead), and shop all of the pieces from this post down below.