One break to rule them all

[KotaB]

Hello fellas, I have thrifted quite a few nice pants and now I need to take them in and have them hemmed up. I'm a shorter fella so I am leaning toward no break in the hem. I dont really like the suggestion of having certain pants I can only wear with certain shoes so I was thinking which break is the most versatile with different footwear? My main footwear is a pair of Chelsea boots but I fear that if I get no break the hem will ride to high when I wear my boat shoes. Should I just wear my boat shoes when I get them hemmed so with my chelsea boots on the hem falls into say a half break? How much does different footwear really change the pants break?

 

[Anachronist]

Definitely wear the shoes you're going to pair the trousers with for the measurement. This helps adjusting the hem accordingly. If you're short, avoid a too high hem as this will visually shorten you even more. Unfortunately, breaks - like every horizontal line in an outfit - do the same, however. If you can achieve a straight fall with only a minimal or no break, this would be the optimum. Obviously, trouser hems without cuffs will help achieve this more easily.

 

[KotaB]

Definitely wear the shoes you're going to pair the trousers with for the measurement. This helps adjusting the hem accordingly. If you're short, avoid a too high hem as this will visually shorten you even more. Unfortunately, breaks - like every horizontal line in an outfit - do the same, however. If you can achieve a straight fall with only a minimal or no break, this would be the optimum. Obviously, trouser hems without cuffs will help achieve this more easily.

My style needs are more casual, so if I want to dress down said trousers with say different shoes for example should I go for the medium break on all pants? That way if the trousers fall a little higher or lower on different shoes I will be ok. I'm more concerned with the versatility of my pants than looking super sharp with 1 pants shoe combination.

 

[Anachronist]

Fully understand and I'm with you. What I'd do is take the Chelsea's and another pair of shoes (not boots) you frequently wear along to try on, because pants will fall differently over a boot (it suffices to take just one of the other shoes along to avoid having to lug them through town). Go for a length that falls straight with little to no break on the normal shoe, this will give you a light break over the boot, I'd recon. I'm personally not a big fan of the high-water pants, where you see the ankle because, especially if you are tall, they make you look like you are wearing your son's pants ;-)

 

[KotaB]

Fully understand and I'm with you. What I'd do is take the Chelsea's and another pair of shoes (not boots) you frequently wear along to try on, because pants will fall differently over a boot (it suffices to take just one of the other shoes along to avoid having to lug them through town). Go for a length that falls straight with little to no break on the normal shoe, this will give you a light break over the boot, I'd recon. I'm personally not a big fan of the high-water pants, where you see the ankle because, especially if you are tall, they make you look like you are wearing your son's pants ;-)

Thanks for the advice Anach, i dont dig the ankle spotlight either. Lol, wonder what people think when they see high waters on a short chubby guy?