What is the Difference Between Cropped and Capri Pants?

I am sure most of us have been confused while trying to figure out what a capri pant or a cropped pant really is. You may want to buy a capri pant and end up calling it a cropped pant or the other way round. I have tried to differentiate them in the simplest way possible after figuring out the difference myself. First, let's begin with fining out what a capri pant really is and what are its distinct features.

Capri pants are pants/ shorts that end on your mid-calf. They are also known as 'Capris', 'long shorts', 'three-quarter shorts' and also 'clam diggers'. These pants were designed by 'Sonja de Lennart', a European fashion designer. The name for this pant comes from Italian 'Isle of Capri'. They have been very popular since the late 1950s and are still in vogue.

It is more of a casual summer wear often paired with a T-shirt or a top along with a pair of heels or sneakers. That is why you see a lot of people sporting them in the month of September. Initially, it was only worn by women but now even men wear it very casually pairing it with a T-shirt, shirt, tank and a sando; along with shoes or sneakers. They are very comfortable to wear and they also look trendy and stylish.

Coming to the cropped pants, they are similar to the capri pants, but the major difference between them is their length. A cropped pant ends just before the ankle. These pants are also known as 'cropped jeans' and 'cropped pants; they are often confused with the capri pants.

However, capri pants are strictly not categorized under the formal wear, but cropped pants can be worn as formals too, depending on the kind of material that has been used. If they are made up of jean then they cannot be worn as formals, however if they are made up of linen or satin like material, then they can be worn as formals too.

Cropped pants are worn by women and men both. These pants look like you have just grown taller and your pant is now falling short on you (Kidding!). But I'm sure that this is how this style would have come in trend.

Women often wear them in summers pairing it with a T-shirt, a shirt, singlet, tank or a top along with a pair of heels (formal wear) or even sneakers (casual wear). For men, personally I feel that, it does not suit everyone. To be precise, from my observation, these pants suit men with lean bodies and not bulky bodies.

On bulky men, cropped pants look like a misfit. Men cannot wear them as formal pants. They look very cool as casuals sported with a cool T-shirt, shirt, tank and a sando. Socks paired with cropped pants look like a mismatch because of the length of the pant.

Capri pants and cropped pants have gained more attention from the buyers because they are comfortable compared to full length pants and are more suitable for activities like cycling.

Finally, I hope you are clear about the difference between a cropped pant and a capri pant. So, go grab yourself a pair of them when you go out shopping. They are in fashion and will always be!