Capri, wide leg or flare: picking the silhouette

We cut three main silhouettes and they are not interchangeable, whatever the photos suggest. The difference is what happens below the knee, and below the knee is where pants succeed or fail.

Capris stop between mid-calf and ankle on purpose. They are the hot-room choice: nothing to trip over in a lunge, nothing soaking up the mat. Ours run wide from the knee, so they read as cropped trousers rather than cycling shorts, and the 23” and 25” bands let you decide exactly where on the calf they end. If you have ever hemmed a full-length pair out of frustration, a measured capri is that decision made cleanly.

Wide legs are the most forgiving thing we make. The straight fall from the hip skips every question about calves and knees, which is why they move from a class to a desk without changing anything but shoes. They demand the most attention to length, though: the hem is meant to hover at the shoe, and an inch either way is visible. This is the rail where Tall and Extra Tall matter most.

Flares sit in between. Fitted through the thigh like a legging, opening from the knee so the hem balances the hip. The bootcut opening is cut to cover a bit of heel, so a flare can run slightly long over trainers and still look intentional. If you want one pair to do the school run, the studio and dinner, this is the compromise we would point at.

Whichever silhouette you land on, check the band on the listing before the colour. A perfect cut in the wrong length is still the wrong pair.