After nearly a decade of writing about fashion, I've built up a pretty good "in versus out" gut feeling. Nine times out of 10, I can see the downfall of a trend coming and the rise of another long before anyone's really talking about it. But I'm not perfect, and sometimes, I get it wrong. Case in point: when I concluded that split-hem pants were next in line to be dumped from the island.
Four years ago, I was wearing split-hem leggings and jeans on repeat. Everyone I knew in fashion was doing the same, and on occasion, I still spot them on the streets of New York City or in a really good Instagram post. For the most part, however, the bottoms have been replaced by fresher-feeling styles, like cigarette jeans and low-rise trousers. I was *this* close to counting them out for good—until I saw how Jennifer Lawrence decided to style a pair of split-hem pants for date night with her husband, Cooke Maroney, in Los Angeles.
WHO: Jennifer Lawrence
For their night out, Lawrence wore an all-brown outfit consisting of her favorite light outerwear option, a leather blazer; brown split-hem pants; and pointed-toe ankle boots, easily the chicest shoe style to wear with the pants.
Figuring out what shoes to wear with split-hem pants is no easy task, which is likely why the bottoms were seconds away from falling out of fashion's favor before Lawrence swooped in. Because of the high slit up the ankle, you need to find the perfect shoes that will show off the detail without looking awkward. Ankle boots have to have a high enough shaft to avoid a gap between your skin and the top of the shoes. Heels and flats pose the same issue in a worse way because there's so much skin showing. Meanwhile, knee-high boots are often too bulky given the fitted nature of this pant trend. It's a conundrum for sure, but it's solvable. Pointed-toe ankle boots with a higher shaft elongate the leg and keep you from running into any weird gapping problems. My favorite pair? Khaite's Nevada Boots are an investment for sure, but they are ultimately the only pair of ankle boots you'll ever need. Just saying.
Get Lawrence's look below, pointed-toe ankle boots and all.
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