23 Zippers, 27 Buttons and 0 Hems Later, I Found the Best Jeans for Short Women—Reviewed by Petite Editors

Mary Pierson is Madewell’s SVP of Denim Design. Prior to that, she worked in design and denim production at other brands renowned for their denim, including J Brand and the Gap.

Lisa Aragon is a Senior Denim Designer at Joe’s Jeans. She has also worked in denim design for Frame, another spot well-known for their beloved denim styles.

According to style experts, a true petite fit should have an inseam of 26 inches or less if you're planning to wear with flats, or a bit longer for heels. Your best bet to find this is at brands that carry “short” or “petite” sizes. For the best look, choose a mid- or high-rise waist that helps to create the illusion of more height. And finally, avoid any styles with a wider cuff, which can make your legs appear shorter. Here's another thing to consider: "short" versus "petite" sizing. As wardrobe consultant Hallie Abrams explains, petite sizes are scaled down throughout the design—jeans' rises are shorter as well as their inseams, and pocket and knee positioning is adjusted. But short sizes are just lopped off at the hem. "If you're a true petite and you're constantly having to adjust the rise in your pants or the armholes in your jackets, you understand! And for you petite sizing could be a game-changer," she says. "But, and this is a big BUT… if you need to shorten the length on all of your pants and sleeves, yet the rest of the garment fits you well - you’re probably not a true petite -  girly, you’re just short!"

To pinpoint the very best denim available for petites, I chatted with the experts above. I also polled the petite editors on our staff to get their top picks—and fit insights—on the best jeans for short women. We have had up to ten people who are 5’3” and below test the jeans. They usually wear sizes between a 4 and a 12, and some of the brands they’ve tried include classics (Levi’s, Wrangler), designer brands (Mother, Frame) as well as direct-to-consumer hits (Quince) and the magical Colette jeans at Anthropologie.

Our testers include our Editor-in-Chief Jillian Quint (5’1”), commerce editor Stephanie Maida (5’1”), Royals and special projects editor Rachel Bowie (5’2”) and assistant commerce editor Natalie LaBarbera (5’1”). As well as a ton of other staffers including beauty editor Chelsea Candelario (5’) and me, Dana Dickey, a willowy 5’3” (ha!). The jeans owned for this article are mostly a few seasons old, with the eldest about four years old (Bowie’s beloved Mother jeans) and the youngest a week old (Maida’s new Madewell Airy jeans). Finally, I corroborated our editor recommendations with customer reviews to ensure these particular styles are loved by other short women.

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