November 4, 2019
First off, can ANYBODY explain ankle pants to me? I understand them in warmer weather, but with snow on the ground (I’m writing this on November 1, in Chicago, where we have had snow…) are bare ankles logical?
Do other people have really warm ankles that need to be exposed during the winter?
Are we willing to be uncomfortable, if it means that we’re “on trend”? (I hate that phrase, for what it’s worth…)
I will never understand!
So when you’re shopping for pants, be VERY aware of the length that you’re buying. You could be rudely surprised! But if you’ve spent your entire adult life having pants shortened, this could work in your favor…
And yes, this shade of honey isn’t a really dark neutral, but it’s uncommon and very pretty, so I wanted to be sure that you saw it!
honey wool pants – Eileen Fisher
When you choose these pants, consider the possibility that you will want to wear them for winter holidays; a nice pair of wool pants (or velvet…) can easily be dressed up quite a bit!
For some of these outfits I’ve kept some of the garments, or accessories, from last week. I do this deliberately, to show you the versatility of carefully-chosen pieces!
light umber heather cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; earrings – Madewell; natural denim shirt – Lands’ End; duffel bag – Coach; boots – Pikolinos; caramel wool pants – BOSS
Never discount this fun of having a couple of pairs of socks in accent colors! They don’t show a lot, but they add a certain little something to outfits…
silver star earrings – Bloomingdale’s; star sweater – Lucky Brand; white cotton turtleneck – Lands’ End; metallic socks – And Other Stories; oxfords – Vionic; black ponte pants – Vince Camuto
I hear that there is more yellow available than there has been in past years. This is great, because it’s a beautiful color and, for women who wear it well, it really makes a warm and cheerful statement.
cotton sweater – Lands’ End; citrine stud earrings – Marco Bicego; white shirt – Lands’ End; socks – Calzedonia; boots – Naturalizer; dark grey herringbone pants – Boden
If you’re fortunate enough to have chosen an accent color that matches a semi-precious stone, there’s no reason NOT to collect earrings…
garnet earrings – Narinee; grey funnel-neck sweatshirt – Banana Republic; deep mulberry turtleneck – Lands’ End; backpack – Vera Bradley; black cherry suede boots – Nine West; ash wool pants – Eileen Fisher
Another outfit option to remember: You can ALWAYS mix your 2 neutrals in an outfit. It’s fast, simple, and foolproof…
rosemary earrings – The Met Store; chocolate brown cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; silk shirt – Banana Republic; socks – Hue; loafers – David Tate; army green wool pants – Envelope1976
Regarding semi-precious stones… a ring is always nice, too!
malachite earrings – Missoma; sweater – Banana Republic; malachite ring – Julia Davidian; socks – Johnstons; navy suede loafers – Me Too; navy flannel pants – J.Crew
Yet again, the change in this wardrobe doesn’t really make a big statement. Swapping black pants for OTHER black pants is more useful for the wearer than the viewer. This doesn’t mean that it’s not smart, and important!
black and white and red turtlenecks – Lands’ End; red snowflake turtleneck – Lands’ End; black cardigan – Banana Republic; shirt – Lands’ End; black sweater – L.L.Bean; striped sweater – Madewell; floral cardigan – Lands’ End; black cords – L.L.Bean; black stretch wool pants – BOSS; tweed skirt – J.Crew; washable wool black dress – Lands’ End
Here in Chicago and much of the country, we’ve had to accelerate our wardrobe switch – the weather gave us little choice!
love,
Janice
p.s. In 2016, I added some “floral painting inspired” accent colors to a neutral 9-piece wardrobe, that could have been completely lifted from a Weekly Timeless Wardrobe! Timeless indeed…
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Eeeeek ankle pants, I am in total agreement Janice. I feel they look like a teenager that has had a growth spurt. Far from elegant to my mind.
I totally agree! And who wants cold ankles in the middle of winter?
I agree about ankle pants. I also don’t understand peep toe booties or cold shoulder sweaters…if I’m wearing booties or sweaters…its because it’s chilly out there!
YES. I feel like an old lady because I do not understand the cold shoulder tops at all. At least not in the winter. Add bare legs under 60 degrees and destroyed denim (especially the kind where the thighs are being held together by a few threads) to the list of winter fashions that escape me.
I’m glad they make ankle pants. I have short legs, but with a long torso I don’t fit well in petite and it’s hard to find short length anymore. Ankle pants are usually perfect. Plus I do like the look with Oxfords or loafers. In the winter it’s usually a good length to just slim over the tops of my ankle boots if they are straight leg. I always see someone wearing straight leg pants that are too long and pool at the bottom, not a good look in my opinion.
Yes!!! I also am short and ankle pants are the answer! I live in the southern US where the winters are mild. It’s nice to have some versatile pants that can go with cute little slip on shoes for warm days or tuck in taller boots for “cold” days. ?.
I’m also short and I like showing off my socks (I have some warm but cute ones for the winter), so I share your gratitude for ankle pants
Ankle pants and 3/4 or bracelet length sleeves— nice for one or two pieces but in colder climates not sensible!
I also have short legs, so ankle length trousers are often perfect for me. Thank you for this great series, by the way! My wardrobe has definitely benefited since I found your blog x
I can’t wear ankle pants and 3/4 sleeve tops at the same time – I feel like a scarecrow! – nancyo
I call always hear someone whispering “flood pants” somewhere… Although I have a new pair of “lantern” pants from Eileen Fisher that I really like, and that are decidedly above the ankle!
hugs,
Janice
O lovr wearing ankle pants. They look fresher, younger. And woth ankle boots they look much better than those that look weirdly folded cause they’re too long
Janice,
As you have also done, I have needed to accelerate the seasonal switch overs as one day last week we had highs at about 80 and the next day lows in the 30’s, with the cold weather continuing to linger ! I am vacationing in NC , but shall travel home to even colder PA tomorrow .
Petite length pants work best on me , as ankle pants are a bit too short .
Just bought my first pair of ankle pants and kind of like them. (Am losing weight, so won’t be wearing them long anyway – i hope!) At “petite” height, they actually don’t leave me with a cold spot and they do look slimmer than the fuller pants i normally wear. For January/February, tho, not so good even in Virginia!
But what’s with the manufacturers? Petite sizes are still way less available than “regular” even tho 40% of us fit the height guideline for “petite”. We would buy more (despite your careful teaching, Janice!) if we had more choices. That’s actually another reason why your blogs are so important – to help us maximize what’s available.
I hate ankle length pants! Cold ankles are not for me and I think wearing ankle pants with socks to keep your feet warm looks ridiculous. Not to mention it shortens the elegant length of the body. Last week I was ecstatic to find a pair of high waisted jeans that weren’t cropped.
I actually look shorter with longer pants, even if my (colorful and lovely) socks are showing! Women are all very different, so what works for one might work differently for another ;)
Ankle “grazer” pants are very popular here, especially in Marks and Spencer. I have discovered that if I buy regular length rather than short they fit me perfectly.
I love following your blog. I really do, but sometimes I think you don’t realize that we don’t all live in the Arctic. ;)
Some of us live in very mild winter climates. Sweaters and scarves are not necessary. So I’m sure some people are very happy with bare ankles in the winter. I am NOT one of them. I love wearing pants and regret that I live in a climate where pants in the summer is a torturous experience. Ankle length pants are not for me.
I do like ankle-baring jeans/casual pants, but as a Canadian, agree the window of opportunity to wear them is short! I find that I have to adjust the proportions of the top and footwear to make this work. To create a longer line, I wear “nude” coloured flats/low heeled loafers with this style. For some reason that seems to work with my dark blond hair.
Then as soon as the colder weather comes (now) I am out of the bare-ankle look and into wool socks and ankle boots!
Audrey Hepburn sure made them look great!
I love ankle pants! I live in NC and can almost get through an entire winter without wearing socks if I feel like it (I run hot, for work my time outdoors is limited, I do not like ankle boots…..) I’m actually looking for some “heavier” ankle pants now ;-) If I still lived in CT or UT, my wardrobe would be different…..(yes, when we get snow, I will wear socks & full length pants – or when I’m working or playing outside and it’s cold – but for a work day? Nope, not necessary) I’m just happy the options are out there….
Socks 24/7, 12 months of the year for me. Keeping my toes from freezing is a full-time job.
Sorry to be dense but… Am I right in understanding we only get 13 items of clothing per season?
Oh no! You get as many, or as few, garments as you wish, every season of the year. But this is, to me, sort of the core garments around which all of the fun accent stuff can be arrayed. For those of us who wear uniforms of some ilk, this might be enough “street clothing,” but for other people, this will just be the starting point for the season!
hugs,
Janice
I have a couple pairs of short boots, I find them warm in the winter and the non-hiking ones are my winter casual shoe of choice. The ankle length works well with the short boot.Also, in the shoulder season, the ankle length pants can be worn with loafers or ballet flats-both without socks.
I really wish the shoulder season lasted more than 3 hours on a Tuesday afternoon…
hugs,
Janice
Chicago sounds like an alternate universe to my own, where in one day, summer turned to snow and voilà — winter!
I believe in the gaucho pant look in winter as an alternate to skirts, worn with knee-length dress boots. Please do not ask me to find a pair of knee-length boots, as I am toying with the idea of calf extenders.
The challenges never end.
One has to wonder who actually BUYS all of these things that don’t seem to fit real women…
hugs,
Janice
…or with nice socks.
Not loving this trend. I feel its ok to roll up the hem of jeans since I have some cute blundstones, but short pants just are too awkward with socks (which we need in my climate after mid Sept) and regular oxford or loafers.
Even capris this year were ankle length instead of calf length.
The Lands End sweater is 50% off tonight along with jackets and coats. Hope this helps someone.
When I wear ankle pants, which is not often, I wear skin-colored (nylon) knee socks. They are heavier than nylons and very close fitting. They are rather hard to find, but extremely effective for pulling off the look without freezing your ankles. I do not try to use these socks on the coldest days!
I love ankle length pants. Very Audrey Hepburn. As a Northern Californian, there isn’t a long cold season. And even what we call “cold” is 60 degrees! :) They do present a challenge in colder, rainy weather, I agree. That’s when I usually where leggings, skinny jeans, with ankle or 3/4 height boots. But, most my jeans are ankle and all my pants are!
Ankle pants tend to make a short, stumpy person…me… look shorter and stumpier. And I can’t get the shoe right, as I like very comfortable shoes.
Ankle pants are great for cold weather because you can wear boots without extra fabric bunching weirdly around your ankles and the top of the boot, or, worse yet, covering those cute boots and getting all wet and muddy.
Here in the Southwest USA, December isn’t always chilly — at least during the daytime. It’s not uncommon to reach 80 degrees in the late afternoon and be in the 30s at night. Ankle slacks aren’t such a hardship here. I’m glad there are options for us. We can’t reasonably enjoy the styles that flaunt heavy sweaters, cardigans, and wool camel coats until January or February (when the wet weather finally starts), just like you can’t fathom the ankle slacks. Keep up the wonderful posts. I love seeing your selections.
I dash back and forth to Florida fairly often, and I’m always startled at how COMPLETELY different the climate is there. You’d think I would get used to it after a few visits!
hugs,
Janice
Ankle pants look fab on some women and in the winter I’ve seen them worn with tall boots – also fab on some ladies. But not me. I really like this series and have used the template to ship my closet and make a list of what i actually need, if anything, to round out my wardrobe to make optimal use of what I already have. Despite my continual goal to be a minimalist I still buy too much. I’m a work in progress!
Janice Collins Coyle
I love my ankle pants! Of course I live outside of Houston so mine are cotton, denim, linen anything but wool! I’m already worrying about a January wedding in downtown Chicago. If you were my height I might ask to borrow a fancy coat; my warmest is a ski jacket. And to keep me warm I might just wear it.
Ankle length is essential, when living in a city that has 5 months of winter. Long trousers get slush-soaked and salt-damaged. Ankle length means trousers just skim the top of my (ankle) boots, such as Blundstones. Under them, I wear knee socks or (dressier) opaque knee-highs or tights. In a city where wind chill easily hits -4F or -20C, they make sense though it is counterintuitive. In spring, bare ankles, yes, but the length works very well in winter with hose.
Living in Minnesota, I totally understand a winter wardrobe with ankle pants (wear with ankle boots or wear with fun patterned socks and Oxfords, loafers, or other flats [that you bring with you to work to change into if you need Real Serious Boots for your commute]) and skinny pants (wear with ankle boots or tall boots), but not full-length non-skinny ones! How do people keep their long pant legs from getting wet and cold and generally nasty and damaged? When I first moved here, I made the choice to wear a fabulous pair of long flares one time during a wet/snowy season and have never forgotten the lesson it taught me. Do I look ready for a flood in ankle pants? You betcha! It beats walking around all day at work with soggy, cold pant legs. (Also, I think it’s a matter of adjusting your eye to a different style; they looked a little funny to me at first, but not anymore.) But really, once it’s actually cold here, I will be wearing tights/leggings with skirts and boots for the duration. Unless you’re spending serious outdoor time in snow pants, I don’t think pants are a super practical choice for snow and cold. Even the lined wool ones don’t seem as warm to me as the combination of fleece-lined leggings and tall boots with a skirt.
Ankle pants are not that bad, I find I can extend the wear – with boots in winter and with bare legs in spring.
Actually, I am currently just searching where did I packed my ankle boots so that I can start those pants lol
I’m catching up on this lovely series. The tag for this week’s WTW and week 21 are missing their second R. So they don’t appear in the original series summary pages.
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/tag/weekly-timeless-wardobe/
vs
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/tag/weekly-timeless-wardrobe/
My ability to spell isn’t going to win any awards, is it?
hugs,
Janice