Culottes - what footwear?

[LadyWithLapdog]

Coulottes can be frumpy or edgy or just utilitarian. I fancy giving them a go. A couple of questions:

• what length is best? The ones I've tried on look like ridiculously shrunk wide leg trousers. I'm tall so I don't get it. Is this the fashionable length? I thought they should be kind of mid-calf.
• what style of shoes with them?

I think shorter length ones look better with heels, longer look better with flats, www.pinterest.co.uk/search/pins/?q=culottes&rs=typed&term_meta[]=culottes%7Ctyped

Mid calf looks nice I think, with any kind of shoe. Ankle length only looks good with wedge heels.

Culottes are very different now than when my mum wore them in the 70s. They look much more 'trousery' these days, you couldn't tell if they were a skirt or trousers back then. Sorry - totally unhelpful!

Thanks for the Pinterest link, all sorts of shapes and lengths on there.

I think I like the shorter, more A-line shaped ones. I had a pair in mid-late 80s, loved them till someone remarked I look like Sinbad the Sailor. I've got over it and I think I'm brave enough to try again.

I saw a pair in Hobbs, nice proper fabric but at £99 I need to make sure i don't look ridiculous. Plus they were too long and straight.

Wilbur, yes see above re the Sinbad look.

I wear A line culottes which look like a skirt when standing still. I wear flatform slides and flat strappy sandals. I got mine from COS and Muji Labo

I wear white leather trainers or flat sandals

Do you wear them to work?

I wear mine to work with black pumps (or brogues in the winter). Outside of work I wear them with trainers.

I've got some longer ones and under the knees ones. I wear with wedge sandals or summery flats

Yes I wear them to work too- I work in quite a formal office too. TBH t hey just look like a skirt when you stand up. I wear with a sleeveless collared shirt or smarter shell type top.

Yes I do but my work is relatively casual. I usually wear with a smarter top to dress them up a bit

Thanks for answering. I will try and expand my fashion choices. I saw someone last evening wearing culottes with pumps. She looked great. I can't wear pumps to work but there are other options.

I think different lengths work for different legs. I like them longer than some people on here, ending right at the top of my ankles. Mid calf makes my legs look even shorter than they already are - and chunky too. (Same with skirts - I'd only wear a calf length skirt with knee length boots). But I think taller people can carry it off. I've also heard tall people say ankle length reminds them of wearing trousers that are too short but it's not a problem I've ever had.

Re footwear: only flats, mostly brogues or plimsolls. Yes I wear them to work but it's very casual most of the time.

Floisme - good point about the lengths. I'd never wear mid-calf dresses or skirts (in fact , never say never) but the longer length culottes would look silly on me. I'll have to try a few more so I get something I'm not self-conscious about.