My Hunt for Transitional-Season Black Capris

These were a little bit stiff and thicker than I expected. When I put them on, I laughed out loud because as a short person they fill my entire leg and I thought,Oh no, is this going to happen with all my capris?Luckily, I looked up the inseam and realized that, at 24 inches, these do run on the longer side (the other ones I tried on are up to 7 inches shorter).Still, these are nicely form-fitting and I recommend these if you’re not looking to fully plunge into the capri look and want a cute little flared leg moment, since these are nicely formfitting.

I’ve always had the Frankie Shop on my radar of storesI want to shop from. It has tailored silhouettes that are perfect for office attire, including these capris. However, when I tried them on, they felt way too thick. Although these capris are 100 percent polyester, the texture is like a neoprene material. It feels like I am putting on a wet suit before diving into the sea. These capris also run big, so they don’t hug my legs very tightly, and they run long, so they are again verging on pants territory. The front piped seam is a subtle but refined detail, shaping these up to be appropriate business attire, but that also makes it more difficult to dress them down.

These cropped capri jeans fit very well and felt the most ’90s to me. However, the black-washed denim is definitely less versatile than a classic black: the noticeable denim texture and the shorter, tighter length come together to form a trendy Y2K look, rather than a closet essential. The fabric is a little bit scratchy and even though I sized up, the pants hug pretty tightly. I would definitely recommend these pants to those who are seeking a more laid-back capri look. These feel more suitable for summer than something for the summer-fall transition. I could see myself wearing them with a boxy T-shirt (as pictured) or a loose white blouse.

These capris fit my criteria for tightness and length and were pretty stretchy and soft at 94 percent cotton. But the button detail at the crotch area and noticeable elastic waist band really threw me off. These boxerlike details immediately propelled the pants into a leisure-only functionality. The fabric is a bit sheer — when I bent my legs, I could see through to my skin. I can’t see myself wearing these out of the house.

I was really excited about these becauseLevi’s Wide Leg Ribcage Jeans in Shaded Vieware my favorite pair of jeans I own. I didn’t have as much of an overwhelming reaction to these skinny capris, but they are incredibly soft and stretchy. It doesn’t feel like I am wearing denim when I put these on (I swear I can do a split in these), and they also fit very well around my legs and hips. The pockets are definitely a bonus: These capris look tailored and serious, but they are actually jeans with storage space! But shape wise, they fall short. They are a little long for my legs, but my bigger problem with them is that the legs go straight down and the bottoms have such a blunt cutoff, making them look a little plain, closer to leggings than capris. These would need to take some good styling efforts to move beyond appearing as if you are wearing short skinny jeans.

These capris fit me extremely well. There is no bunching up at the crotch and they hit at a perfect place on my stomach, right at my belly button. (For me, they are definitely mid- to high-rise, not low rise.) I also really like the subtle flare and the small slits at the bottoms. These are the perfect length, too. I do not, however, like the linen fabric. It feels very coarse and a little bit stiff. Because these hug tighter on my skin, I would prefer a cottonlike fabric to linen for my capris. This linen specifically is rougher and not as soft as my other 100 percent linen items, which are from Madewell and Weekend Max Mara. Maybe these just need to be worn in first.

These Everlane pants are very soft and are the perfect capri length that I am looking for. Made up of nearly 60 percent organic cotton, the material is definitely softer and stretchier than some of the aforementioned polyester/rayon options. The biggest qualm I have here, however, is that they are way too high-rise for me and therefore scrunch up around my crotch. This issue again brings us back to the fact that I am a short person: While the capris sit an inch under the model’s belly button on the online listing, the waistband landed two inchesabovemy belly button. Because I don’t see this being an issue for someone with longer legs, I would definitely recommend these to a tall person.

Despite these capris departing from my initial criteria of finding a fitted pair of capris, I have to declare them as one of the two winners, because they are so well-made, comfortable, and cute. I was surprised to see how flattering the loose, cropped silhouette was for my legs. Made of 100 percent cotton poplin, these pants are so airy and crisp. I absolutely love a 100 percent cotton pair of pants and they are surprisingly hard to come by. Wearing these feels like you’re in your pajama pants, but looks like you put in the work to look stylish. I think the side tie is what takes these pants to the next level: It is such a fun touch, a little pizzazz that elevates them instantly. I could see myself wearing these capris a lot during this seasonal transition; they are the perfect solution to a morning that starts at 60 degrees and a sunny afternoon of 75. I will note that because these are low-rise and run bigger, I find myself having to pull them up a bit when I’m sitting or retighten them throughout the day.

This pair is the ultimate winner. I actually have zero qualms about them: They are so soft and fit like a glove, they are the perfect length, and the small side slit does the perfect job of elevating them beyond yoga pants or leggings. The two seams that run down the left and right side of the legs also serve to create a more structured look. These capris fall around five inches past my knee (the total inseam is 17 7/8 inches for the XS pair), giving enough space between my legs and shoes to do exactly the job I was looking to get out of my capris: to be a non-overbearing silhouette that can accent the rest of my outfit. Because the fabric is thick (but not too thick), I feel very comfortable wearing these to work or to a more formal setting. I can also see myself wearing these with a 3/4 sleeve top on my way to a Saturday farmers’ market. All that to say, they are so versatile and snug, and I can’t wait to wear them every day into fall.