Just say no to capris
Not the look I want to know better, but those who disagree can get it at Sears.
Over the past few days, we’ve enjoyed sunny 70-degree temperatures in the waterlogged Northeastern United States, and I couldn’t be happier. Oh, to leave the house in just a light jacket! Or, no jacket at all.
I wore a new sleeveless dress to Easter Mass yesterday (yes, I caved, despite my objection to the near impossibility of being able to buy a dress with a sleeve these days). And, crossing the parking lot, the sun felt grand on my freckled shoulders.
Unfortunately, the warmer weather has also brought out in droves the garment I dread most of all. I refer to the capri, that unlovely pant that travels down the length of a woman’s leg and halts in the most unflattering spot, bringing to mind a clydesdale in flip-flops (capris, I notice, are often paired with flip-flops for a particularly stubby look).
Now, I refuse to wear capris, but the pressure is relentless. I went into the Gap one spring looking for ankle-length pants, but the saleswoman was having none of it. “Everybody wants these,” she said, steering me toward the stubbies. “Are you sure you want to wear long pants in the heat?”
(Which brings me to another point: Exactly how much cooler are capris than regular pants? Does that six-inch expanse of leg they expose really make that much of a difference?)
Last summer, I went to a barbecue where all women wore the offending garments, to ill effect. Even if you’re tall and thin, capris give the impression you’ve spent the better part of the afternoon clamming. Despite this, an older female relative demanded of me, “Why wouldn’t you wear capri pants like the rest of the ladies?”
Because — precisely because — all the other women wore them. Oh, and because they’re ugly. And because jeans keep the mosquitoes off my ankles.
Given a choice between shorts and capris, I’ll take the shorts. Given a choice between a sundress and capris, I’ll take the dress. And (forgive me, Tim Gunn) given a choice between leggings and capris, I’ll take the leggings. At least they follow the shape of your leg, making very most of it, instead of chopping it off like a tree stump.
The capri is about as attractive as halitosis. Stay far, far away.
This is where “to each his own” applies. Myself, and several women I know, totally love and look good in our capris. They do make a difference in keeping me cooler during warm/hot weather. The women I work with wear them with heels and they look professional and fabulous. Hate on them all you want, but one of the things on this earth that help many of us tolerate high temperatures is the smart design of capri style pants and thank goodness that wise clothes makers aren’t listening to the minority.
capris are SO ugly, no one looks good in them…they are truly an example of amazing marketing techniques. how you could convince an attractive women to wear something so unflattering is beyond me.
We’re going to have to agree to disagree. I will admit that capris may not look as good on petite women, because they can emphasize their lack of height. However, I’m tall so I don’t have that problem. Also, I hate shorts, because they often ride up my thighs and have that bunched up look that’s unflattering. I look more put together in capris.
When you look at a short woman in capri’s it is a horrible sight. Imagine the lines that cut her off and make her look even shorter: collar at neckline, waist, end of capris, tops of shoes. Each line make one look shorter and fatter. I also resist capri’s because I hate what the garement tries to sell me. They price the capris at the same cost as a pair of slacks, but they get to keep the rest of the fabric to make more pairs for other “wanting to look ugly” women. Women have moles, blood spots, veins, and scars on their legs – uck. They ad to the ugly look with bare feet in flip-flops. I know I don’t like looking at gnarled toes and wrinkled feet with veins popping out. Look in the mirror ladies! Ask yourself, do these clothes really make me look better?
No need say no to capris if you have good looking legs even though your small . Matching sandals(heels) or neutral color sandal(heels) works well with capris. I always wear neutral color high heel sandals on capri.
Sam says that ladies in capris look “professional and fabulous”. To me they all look ridiculous and unflattering, no matter who wears them and what kind of shoes they wear. They look bad at the office, they look horrible at the gym with those mini bell-bottom flares and sneakers, they look bad as jeans, khakis, cargo pants, or any other version, but the most offending to me are the “dressy” ones worn at the office. Either wear long slacks, a skirt, or a dress. And while we’re at it. wear some decent shoes and cover up those toes.