Trend Alert: The Cropped Flare

I'm not so sure about this one, guys.

Flared jeans? Love 'em. Cropped jeans? Love 'em. But jeans both cropped AND flared? That make me feel funny inside. 

As a tall person who grew up in the flare-heavy '90s and had an incredibly difficult time finding jeans that reached my shoes (what was with all the 32" inseams back then??), I'm all too familiar with the awkward silhouette that a high-water flare brings. Sixteen-year-old me weeps at the sight of those gangly shins peeking out from under the shadow of a loose denim bell.

The ironic thing is that inseams are now ridiculously long — like, 36" seems to be the norm these days. This means cropped jeans fit more like regular-length jeans on 95% of women. It's like the alterations industry made a deal with the fashion industry to get more clientele.

And yet, I just can't go back to those high-water days. It's too soon. I'm gonna sit this trend out. Sorry, Fashion. Try me again next fall.