Sabrina Carpenter Made Cropped Pants Look So Elegant With This Classic Heel Trend

It turns out that cropped black pants are perfectly in step with Sabrina Carpenter's signature retro aesthetic, and she just proved it. While out and about in NYC on Valentine's Day, Carpenter skipped the pink and red in favor of an all-black outfit accessorized with an oversize leopard-print scarf. The mid-calf slim pants, which she paired with a fur-trimmed stitched blazer, would've taken on a coquette French air if she'd worn them with, say, ballet flats, but Carpenter usually sticks to heels and opted for a trend that makes cropped pants look infinitely more elegant.
The heels I'm referring to are slingback kitten heels (in Carpenter's case, a Prada pair). Kitten heels—especially slingback ones—are a great alternative to flats with cropped pants, as ultra-high heels can look a bit odd with them. The lower stiletto heel looks just right and keeps the pants from looking dated. Although baggy floor-sweeping puddle pants are still "in," all signs are pointing to cropped pants (especially skinny ones like Carpenter's) making a comeback this spring.
With that, get ahead of the game and shop a handful of cropped black pants and slingback kitten heels to wear with them.
On Sabrina Carpenter: Prada Re-Nylon and Leather Top-Handle Bag ($3000) and Slingback Pumps ($1200); Cider Leopard Print Tassel Scarf ($12)
Shop Cropped Black Pants
Shop Slingback Kitten Heels

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater arts. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.
-
My Mom Is in Her 50s and Asked Me for Fashion Advice—8 Chic Nordstrom Outfits I Put Together for Her Under $425
Outdated prints and "ugly" shoes included.
-
It's Here: The Elegant Shoe Trend Fashion People Are Trading Kitten Heels For
Elizabeth Olsen is keyed in, per usual.
-
Forget Ballet Flats—Fashion People in Paris Prefer This Elevated Alternative
The next It shoes are here.
-
Fashionable People Would Like These Fall Trends From Amazon's October Prime Day
See the affordable yet chic finds.
-
I Finally Got My Hands on the Pants Every Cool New Yorker Wears Instead of Jeans
Here's my full review.
-
I'm Breaking Up With Black Trousers and Spending Fall in This Rich Pant Color Trend Instead
Fashion people in Milan are too.
-
Step Away From the Leggings—This Is the Low-Key Pant Trend You'll See Everywhere This Fall
Jennifer Lawrence knows best.
-
The New Prada It Shoes for Fall 2025 Are Here, and They're Vintagey Cool-Girl Heels
As seen on Lily James in NYC.