Fashion Fail: The Mid-Calf Look

Do these photos look familiar? That’s because they are. I first posted them back in November as a cute outfit to wear to Thanksgiving dinner. Now, I’m doing something a little different and revisiting them to discuss an outfit fail: these mid-calf socks.

Y’all know I love keeping it real. I post goofy photos all the time (like on my About page!) and don’t mind sharing unflattering shots if it means you get to see the outfit better. The way I think of it is this: I’m here to show you outfit inspiration, so if there’s a particular photo that showcases my necklace really well but my eyes are have closed and awkward, I’ll probably still post it for the sake of the outfit.

Like these photos, for example. They definitely weren’t my favorite pictures, but I posted them anyway so you could see this sweater/skirt combo. After a year and a half of blogging, I have learned something I never would’ve expected to learn: photographs really help you understand what is flattering and what is not. If you’re ever unsure whether or not you should keep an item, have someone take a picture of you in it rather than just looking in a mirror. It’s totally different and way more helpful!

With that said, I quickly realized after taking these photos that mid-calf socks are not a good look. To be fair, I wear socks like this with booties all the time (I even had a whole post about different ways to wear cute socks). But for this look, I pulled up those adorable little baby blue socks as far as they would go, instead of scrunching them down a bit like I usually do.

I think this looked unflattering because the top of the socks hit right where the calf muscles start to curve away from the leg (this is really obvious in the second photo–look at my left leg). So much of fashion is an optical illusion, and these socks made my legs appear straight down (i.e. cankles).

Since publishing these photos back in November, I have seen a lot of mid-calf socks and booties out in the wild (the booties are super trendy right now). I decided I honestly don’t think mid-calf footwear is flattering on anyone. It’s just not a good look. Too bad though, because a lot of those boots look really cute online.

What do you think about this post? Do you like when I share fashion fails? Let me know in the comments below, and have a happy Groundhog Day! (Let’s skip to spring, please.)

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Grey Cableknit Sweater: hand-me-down // Blue Polka Dot Socks: Target, $5 // Black Tank Dress (Worn as Skirt): hand-me-down // Blue Suede Booties: White Mountain via DSW, $42