Buying Pants: What You Need to Know

What Is the Best Length for Cropped Pants?

• If you want sleek, Audrey Hepburn cigarette pants, this narrow style should graze the ankles, says Berlin, who points to Theory’s sophisticated crops as the proper length.

• Going shorter? “Try styles that hit at the narrowest zone between calf and ankle, where the shin starts to indent,” says Monahan.

• While tall women can afford to go even shorter (think Capris and pedal pushers), these styles make petites look squatty. “Try Bermuda shorts instead,” says London.

• As for wide-leg crops, says London, “they have their place in the world, but it’s on a beach or in a country house.”