Friday, June 22, 2012

The Great Khaki Conundrum

Internet, I need your help. I have a pair of khakis I bought from Ann Taylor Loft a few years ago when I worked at the law office. They might, in fact, be the most expensive khakis I've ever purchased. When I first got them the fit wasn't exactly perfect, but I got them altered and wore the heck out of them.

Then I got a blue ink stain on the thigh and a bog black glob of shoe goo right above the knee. But can't just get rid of these pants. I mean I paid full price for them! And I got them altered. They're good pants!

They've been sitting in my alterations pile for, I don't know, a year? Today was the day they were going to get altered. So I put them on.



I'm not even going to apologize for not wearing make-up. Yes I am. I am so sorry, internet, but desperate times call for desperate measures and this is a sad, sad, desperate mess.




I'm still trying to figure out what to do about the ink stain, but the solution for the goo stain was to simply crop the pants.


That's when I realized I didn't have a plan. Burmuda shorts? Shorts? Cuffed or scalloped? Side vent? Lace inlay?

I have no idea! 

And internet, looking online is not helping because there are so many ways I could go. Check it:

Many ways to wear a pair of cropped khakis from J's Everyday Fashion
Not too short but also might-not-be-women's shorts from Tonic
Not too short, invisible hem shorts from Brown's

Shorter, scalloped short from J. Crew
Suzanne's lace trimmed shorts tutorial from Adventures in Dressmaking
4" chino short from J. Crew

Do you see all the possibilities? And that's only about a third of the ones I thought would work with the slim cut of my pants. I'm putting it into your hands, internet.  What should I do? Which would you do?

Help me please!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Given that the stain is old, I'm not sure if this remedy will work.. . . but it is worth a try. Blot the stain with rubbing alcohol or with hair spray. Be sure to put multilayers of paper towels between the pant leg so the ink does not transfer.

Unknown said...

Thanks, anon! I actually tried the hairspray approach when the stain was fresh followed by alcohol after the hairspray didn't work. Oh well. It is what it is.

Now about the new length...any thoughts there?

Margaret said...

I love the look of scalloped shorts, if I wore shirts I would be wanting a pair of those. The lace trim is cool too. I say when you've got the legs for it go for the shorter length. Why? Because you can!

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Hello Everyone
I admire this post! It’s nice to see many questions answered in a blog post like this.

TerraNerda said...

Have you thought about dying them navy? I see cute nautical knickers!

Alyssa said...

I think I would go scalloped (so cute! but the fit may be too tight for that), or else maybe a bermuda length. The idea from TerraNerda about dyeing them a different color is very intriguing as well...