Beauty is in the ankle of the beheld

Ponystep .com's Dean Mayo Davies made it his personal mission to get to the bottom the latest trend in men's fashion by going straight to the bottom of the (recently cropped) pant leg. It appears the humble ankle has made a splashy return thanks to an influx of long-shorts, cuffed jeans, and dress pants artfully cropped just a few inches shy of the foot at runways shows like Junya Wantabe, Dries Van Noten, of course Thom Browne -- and in the streets.

Patrick Grant, of Savile Row's Norton and Sons, asserts the trend is about "reclaiming the suit from 'the City,'" and believes that carefully tailored pieces are in demand because as of late there has been "a return to elegance but also a return to craft -- people are coming to us because they want something made for them, but also made with integrity."

Ponystep's Fashion Editor Jean-Marc Masala sees the trend as the result of denim losing its rebellious associations. "Jeans don't have the power they used to have -- they are not a freedom flag anymore," he said. "Ankle trousers are cool because they make you look like you belong to a gang -- everything from rave kids to ecopunks. Plus the sexualizaion of everything makes people think 'The more I flash the better.'"

We're all for more skin, and there's something faintly romantic and courtly about the idea of coquettishly baring an ankle, but that doesn't mean we're ever come to terms with the idea of pegged pants making a comeback.

-- NOAH MICHELSON