As anyone who’s petite (which we'll define here as under 5’3”) knows, it’s not easy finding a pair of jeans that fit your proportions. Whether it’s skinny jeans that leave you with a pool of fabric at the ankles or distressed details that hit at the wrong spot, there are plenty of woes that arise when slipping on denim that wasn’t designed for your frame. That’s why we’ve tapped the expertise of PureWow's editors (and fellow shorties, at that!), as well as top denim designers, to help us find the best jeans for short women.
Here's a quick rule of thumb for petites to keep in mind when searching for denim, according to our experts and editors and a handful of petite women we trust: Focus on the inseam first, which is the actual length of the jeans’ leg itself. For those on the shorter side, an inseam of 26 inches or less is the most ideal. However, if you like to wear your denim with heels, you can go for a slightly longer inseam. “At Joe’s Jeans, we consider full-length petite to be a 31-inch inseam, which can be worn with heels without dragging on the ground,” says the brand’s senior women's denim designer, Lisa Aragon. She says Joe’s also makes “ankle-length petite sizes at a 25-inch inseam, which will hit right around the ankle bone for most.” (Note: We’ll answer more of your top questions at the bottom.)
As for our favorites? You’ll have to comb the list below, but Universal Standard delivers when it comes to their denim’s hip-to-waist ratio for petites and Mother’s new array of petite styles—modeled after their beloved regular fits—are our favorite splurge. The good news: There are even more petite-friendly styles to choose from, based on our testing. Read on.