Flared Jean Problems

February 10, 2017

Cupcakes and Cashmere jacket (c/o Shopbop)
Sezane blouse (similar)
Mavi jeans (c/o)
Christian Louboutin heels
Chanel handbag
Rayban sunglasses
Keltie Leanne Designs ring (c/o)
Strut Jewelry ring (c/o)

With every move comes a closet clean out. Like most people, I am guilty of wearing the same pieces often but continuing to shop for things I wear much more rarely, reasoning things like I don’t own anything like this or I’ve always loved how these look on (insert anyone in the world here) or I need it because (insert any reason you can think of, really; I am an expert rationaliser.) This means that my closet contains, along with my favourite, wear everyday pieces, a lot of items that fall into a particular sartorial category; things I love so much that I can’t bring myself to get rid of them, despite the fact that they are not actually at all practical for wearing regularly. Case in point: my Mavi flared jeans. These are the jeans that made me fall in love with flares after having sworn of wearing them for years. The cut and colour are perfect. The fit is flattering. But the length… oh, the length. No matter how desperately I wish otherwise, I have long passed the point where another growth spurt is a realistic possibility; I am stuck at a little less than 5’3″. Skinny jeans, while often too long, can at least be scrunched at the bottom or folded over. But flares are another story – I stubbornly refuse to hem them, because hemming somehow disrupts the integrity of the flare and the shape is never the same once it’s been cut. What that means, though, is I’m left with jeans that drag on the ground unless I wear exactly the right shoes – which, you can see in these photos, I didn’t on this day. Oops. Hems dragging on the sidewalk really isn’t stylish, but, well, I’m a real person for outfit mishaps happen. I still love these jeans, but I’m thinking they might not make it into my suitcases for our upcoming trip – I can’t imagine the hems would survive more than one walk on European cobblestones! I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in hanging onto clothes that I love despite their total lack of practicality, so tell me, what items to you have in your closet that you love but, for whatever reason, can’t really wear?

Avec chaque déménagement, je fais le tri de mes placards. Comme la bonne partie du monde, j’ai l’habitude de mettre mes vêtements préférés souvent tout en achetant des fringues que je mets beaucoup moins souvent, me disant des petits mensonges tel je n’ai rien de semblable dans mon placard ou j’ai toujours aimé ce style porté par (ajoutez n’importe quel nom ici) ou j’en ai besoin car (ajoutez n’importe quel raison qui vous tente ; je sais tout justifier.) C’est-à-dire qu’outre mes vêtements d’amour, j’ai plein de trucs de mon dressing que j’aime bien et dont je n’ai pas envie de m’en débarrasser, mais que je porte très rarement car ils ne sont pas du tout pratiques. Par exemple : mon jean évasé Mavi. C’est le jean qui a rallumé mon amour des jeans évasés, après des années en slims. Le style et la couleur sont parfaits. La coupe est flatteuse. Mais la longueur – ouf, la longueur. Malgré mon désir ardent, je suis certaine que je ne vais pas passer une poussée de croissance pendant ma trentaine, donc il va falloir que mes 159 cm d’hauteur me suffisent pour le reste de ma vie. Un jean slim trop long, je peux au moins le chiffonner ou replier. Un jean évasé, c’est autre chose – je m’obstine, je ne veux pas les faire ourler, car faire un ourlet à un jean évasé, ça change la coupe et après, rien n’est comme avant, rien ne va plus. J’ai fait mon choix, mais c’est un choix qui me laisse avec un jean qui traine par terre à moins que je porte des escarpins d’exactement la bonne hauteur. Vous pouvez voir clairement que je me suis trompée de la hauteur le jour que nous avons pris ces photos. Oups. Un jean qui traine par terre, ce n’est pas hyper chic, mais c’est la vie. J’adore toujours mon jean évasé, et cependant j’avoue que je ne suis pas certaine de le mettre dans ma valise pour notre voyage, j’imagine qu’il ne survivra pas longtemps trainant sur les pavés parisiens ! Je ne peux pas être la seule à garder des vêtements que j’aime, même si je ne peux pas vraiment les mettre, donc dites-moi, qu’avez-vous dans votre placard qui n’est pas pratique mais que vous gardez quand même ?

8 comments so far.

8 responses to “Flared Jean Problems”

  1. Flared jean problems you say?! 😉 Right there with ya, mine are also long and require the perfect shoe otherwise they ever so slightly touch the ground and on rainy days that’s a major no-no. Soggy jeans, no thanks! However hem lengths aside, I love how you’ve styled yours and you’ve inspired me to give mine a more classic & modern edge! Plus that blouse? My crush, and the bag too of course!! As for my own closet? Happy to report all of my pieces are well loved and worn, aside from the odd vintage dress that I can’t bring myself to part with… even though it’s no longer my style, I’m hangin’ on! On that note, I’ll end my novel here + getting SO excited to see you guys tomorrow!!! xo

  2. Gwen says:

    Oh my gosh, I hear ya on the flares! At 5ft 7, which my husband insists does not make me an amazon, even though he’s only 5 ft 5 – I thought I could get away with regular length Madewell flares. Lucky for me I tried them on in person the last time I was Stateside, and MAN, was I in for a shock! Even with heels I couldn’t have walked without falling over in those things. Now I own them in “short”, and even those I have to wear with the “right” shoes, or they drag, which I hate because London streets are filthy, and also I will inevitably step on them and go flying.

    Hmmm, I do have a hard time letting things go, and have a lot of those “oddball” items that I just can’t bear to part with – I’m doing my best to incorporate them into my everyday wardrobe though, and “styling them down” if they feel too dressy. Top contender is a beautiful floral pencil skirt from J.Crew, which I’m planning to wear with a huge slouchy sweater on top once the permafrost eases up a little! 😉

    Anyway, you should keep the jeans!They are gorgeous on you! And totally Parisian in my book, like with a silk blouse and a floppy hat? If you hide a pair of platform sneakers inside them, nobody would know, and they’d totally work for Europe! 😉

  3. lyddiegal says:

    I always had this problem when flares where in their heyday and heels were something I wore at a minimum. You should have seen those tattered hems! The fact that I continued to wear them should be embarrassing me even now.

    But these look SO good, even with the hems pooling just the tiniest bit, those pointed toes peeking out are so perfect. Maybe you could hem them, just the slightest bit? It is nice to take a break from all the skinnies.

    I have an abundance of things in my closet that I rationalized I needed… plenty of sequins, some towering platforms, (maybe you could borrow them to wear with these jeans, haha) cocktail dresses that have never been worn…
    http://www.iamchiconthecheap.com

  4. elizabeth says:

    oh my gosh! these are literally perfect on you! please just give in a bit, and just hem them; although not your preferred option, this is far better than completely getting rid! I get it. As a 5’1″ girl, I also have a no hem policy, for the same reason as you. But, policy can be stretched when appropriate justification is presented.

    I have been following your blog for years and, I have to say, I think that these are the best jeans of all on you! 🙂

  5. Courtney says:

    What is about hemming that interrupts the way things are meant to hang? I totally sympathize with you – I’ve basically ruined several pants with hemming. They were just never really the same. And you are so right about the fit and cut of these being so perfect.

    Courtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines

  6. You look gorgeous, dragging hems or otherwise. I own way too many cocktail dresses that I never wear anymore but just can’t bear to let go because they’re so beautiful. One day…

  7. Kim Alston says:

    They don’t compliment my physique Cee, so I stay away. It’s truly a fine line. The only problem with these are the length on you. They fit otherwise. If they’re too much of a hassle, the best thing to do is give them away. Unless you want to invest in a seamstress.
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

Cee Fardoe is a thirty-something Canadian blogger who splits her time between Winnipeg and Paris. She is a voracious reader, avid tea-drinker, insatiable wanderer and fashion lover who prefers to dress in black, white and gray.

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