How To Wear Cropped Pants Without Looking Like They Shrunk

When done right, higher-hemmed pants can look cool, clean, and grown-up. Here’s a guide on how to wear cropped pants for men.

A few New York Fashion Weeks ago, we hosted Thom Browne, patron saint of the cropped suit pants, for a fashion show at my workplace. Many of my colleagues were very excited about the fashion show but others wanted nothing to do with it.

I wouldn’t call cropped pants as controversial as, say, socks with sandals. But there are clearly some staunch pro-croppers and anti-croppers.

Still, I think it’s an intriguing silhouette. It’s not that different from cuffed pant legs, after all. And yes, I do think there are ways to do it properly and ways you shouldn’t. 

I’m going to give you some best practices when it comes to how to wear cropped pants, men’s edition.

How To Wear Cropped Pants Men

To really ensure it doesn’t look like your pants simply shrunk in the wash, the most important thing to do is go for a purposeful-looking fit. There are really just two main ways to do this.

The first is to go for a slim but not skinny fit that tapers towards the hem. If it’s too skinny, it will likely look unintentional. What I mean is that there should be enough room between your leg and the pants so that the fabric by your knees isn’t tightening up uncomfortably when you sit down.