5 Petite-Approved Rules for Styling Cuffed Jeans This Fall

Whether you’re DIYing it with jeans you already own or are seeking a petite-friendly pre-cuffed pair, you want to stick to thinner cuffs or, alternatively, rolls, which tend to be thinner by nature (take 5’1” star Reese Witherspoon’s styling as an example). Why? Well, thicker blocks of contrasting fabric (via the underside of your jeans) create a more obvious “chop,” disrupting the line of your leg and making them (and you) look smaller. A large cuff is also rather overwhelming on shorter frames. Remember, proportion is everything when it comes to petite dressing, so you should keep any outfit details, including cuffs, to scale. (I aim for about a 1.5- to 3-inch cuff, personally.)

As they say, it’s all about location, location, location. It’s important, too, when it comes to where your cuff hits. For shorties, the most flattering spot is going to be just above your ankle bone, as it’s not too high as to cut you off at the calf, the thick part of the leg that can make you seem shorter and wider when you add a horizontal line to it. Showing some skin from the slenderest point down will also help to elongate your pins. However, many of the pre-cuffed styles on the market this fall seem to be full-length, which is fine for petites so long as the hem stops right at the top of your foot and doesn’t bunch awkwardly when you’re wearing shoes. Speaking of shoes…

To counteract the added width and volume of a cuff, it’s best to pair it with sleek footwear. Think: strappy heels, pointy slingbacks or refined loafers. Chunky shoes or platforms can make your bottom half look too heavy, drawing the eye down, rather than up, which is what we want when trying to play up our height. If you do want to slip into some booties for the season, make sure they fit close to your ankle and have a sharper shape and thinner heel.

Similarly, to minimize the inherent shortening of the legs that comes with cuffing, it’s best to play around with the detail on a straight-leg pair of jeans. Hey, I, too, love a trendy barrel jean, but the already-tapered ankle and extra volume up through the middle of the leg are going to make them look like genie pants if you add a cuff or roll to ‘em. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to stick to skinny jeans (in fact, they may be best avoided if you want to go for a more ‘90s look over a late 2000s one), but even with more relaxed or wide-leg styles, a straight silhouette keeps things simple—and keeps the line of your leg looking as long as possible.

If there’s one tip I’ll always come back to when it comes to styling any sort of pant as a short gal, it’s “the higher the waist, the better.” It’s a key detail that can create the illusion of longer legs and extra length, simply by making it appear that they start higher up on your body. It doesn’t matter if you’re going for an ankle-length crop or full-length cuff; a higher waistline is always going to be your best bet if looking taller is your goal. That said, the higher waistline can only work its magic if folks can see it, so be prepared to tuck (or French tuck) your top—or don it with something cropped.