What Are the Best Jeans for Petite Women?

If you’re shopping for petite jeans online, a straight leg is worth considering, because it’s more often possible to filter by inseam sizes with this cut. Four of the petite people we spoke to like this pair from TikTok-favored brand Agolde. Content creator Amy Serrano, who’s five feet, says these cropped jeans hit right at her ankle and are perfect for a full-length jean. Jessica Turk, another petite content creator, is equally obsessed, calling them her “dream pair of straight jeans,” and Jenny Wang, five-foot-two founder of the shop Petite Studio NYC, loves that the fit has some room at the thigh area to make them more modern. Plus, these come in a variety of eight washes.

We’ve featured the Levi’s Wedgie many times (numerous Strategist editors own them). Calderon says it’s a style she just keeps going back to, adding: “Since I’m five-two, I went for the 28-inch inseam to get that modern ankle-covering look I’m into.” Turk is also a fan, particularly because they’re made from 99 percent cotton. “They are super-soft, but are non-stretch, so they really hold their shape,” she says. Their 26-inch inseam is the “perfect length” for her, and she reckons they’re a great option for anyone nervous to step out of their comfort zone.

For a pair of Levi’s with an even higher waist, Serrano recommends the Ribcage Straight Ankle jeans, which come in a 27-inch inseam. “This pair gives me legs for days because of the ultrahigh waist,” she says. “It hugs what it needs to hug and the rest of the leg is a nice relaxed straight fit.” Serrano opts for darker washes for more versatility, but they’re available in nine other options.

These Abercrombie ultra-high-rise have a bit more inseam and sizing options than the Levi’s. Their “short” inseam is 28.5 inches, and the “extra short” is 26.5 inches. These are also available up to size 37, and they offer the “Curve Love” fit, which is made with extra room through the hip and thigh. Two people — Serrano and content creator Lizbeth Hernandez— recommended these for their relaxed but still flattering fit.

Andrea Ventura, petite model coach and founder of Standing Tall podcast prefers the lower waisted relaxed fit, explaining that “they’re long enough that you get the cool ’90s-girl vibes, but not too long that they will get dirty touching the floor.” And, where once these styles were limited in stock, you can now browse dozens of colourways from classic denim washes to black, grey, white and brown — even oaty beige, light pink, and blue pinstripes.

If you want a pair of straight-leg jeans that are actually cropped, I recommend the Gabi from petite denim brand Nelle Atelier. Cropped jeans typically end right at or slightly below my ankle (similar to the cropped styles mentioned above). With a 25.5-inch inseam, these cut off above my ankles, so they feel like a true cropped cut. They’re figure-hugging, especially around my butt, and they taper off around the knee for a perfect straight-leg silhouette. I also appreciate the tiny bit of stretch these have compared to my stiffer Levi’s.

If you want a straight-leg jean that’s a little wider than the ones above (but not quite wide-leg), try the Claire Jean, also from Nelle Atelier. Elizabeth Tamkin, stylist and content director at KULE, says these non-stretch jeans have a little bit of slouch to them and hit right at her ankle. (The jeans have a 27.4-inch inseam, and she’s five-foot-three, for reference.) It makes them one of the more relaxed pairs in this group without treading fully into wide-leg territory. Tamkin wears them both as a mid-rise without a belt for a more relaxed look and right at the waist with a belt for a cinched look.

These B Sides also fall in the looser straight-leg category. Strategist writer Lauren Ro bought hers almost five years ago, and they’re still the jeans she wears most. They have a relaxed look and are made of heavyweight cotton, making every outfit look cool, says Ro. Even though they’re high-waisted, they’re not constricting, and they have a nice roomy leg (though aren’t completely wide-leg). Compared to the Claire Jeans, these have a slightly longer inseam (28 inches) and more wash options.

Wide-leg jeans are a style some shorter people avoid. But some of the women we spoke to felt the right wide-leg cut makes them look taller. If you’re keen to try this out for yourself, Turk recommends going for a super-high-waisted wide-leg jean, because the waistline elongates your legs, she explains. “The bottom of the pants adds some width to my petite frame and creates an expanding illusion,” she say. Turk’s favorite pair from H&M have long been sold out (with little hope of restock) but as long as you opt for something tight and high-waisted on the top, that seamlessly transitions to a wider leg on the bottom — like these high-rise wide-leg jeans, also from H&M — you should see the same effect.

Another person firmly in camp wide-leg is Kristian Spraggins, a curly-hair content creator who’s five-foot-three. She likes Zara for jeans, and styles a pair like these with heels for a more put-together look. They have a slightly lower rise than the H&M jeans, but Spraggins says they’re still elongating with or without heels.

If you’re worried about the last pair being too long, petite and curvy style blogger Alyssa Marie recommends going for a cropped pair of wide-leg jeans, for example, Zara’s high-waisted, cropped Z1975s.

Here’s another mid-rise wide-leg jean that’s available in more sizes than Zara but with fewer wash options. “They are the perfect ‘baggy’ length — so not too long they touch the floor but long enough that you get that cool ’90s vibe,” says Ventura. She also comments that they sit about an inch below her belly button, making them “incredibly comfortable.” She chooses them for everything from model castings to hanging out with her family, styling with a monochrome crop top or bodysuit, casual sneakers, and gold jewelry.

Taking things a step further, artist, writer and five-foot-two denim devotee Jo Rosenthal mostly looks for a baggy, straight leg cut with a low waist. She says she’s particularly in love with RE/DONE and Quality Mending’s offerings. Though once she’d opt for petite cuts, these days, she prefers to shop for regular-fit jeans and improvise. “I just cut them with scissors or wear them and let them drag on the floor because — who cares?” she says. RE/DONE’s Loose Long jeans are perfect for that anarchic attitude, particularly because they’re designed to puddle at the hem anyway.

For a pair that’s full-length as opposed to cropped, Ro recommends her most recent purchase from B Sides. They have a 28-inch inseam and are constructed with panels on the outer sides for a more structured look. She calls them the best-fitting jeans she owns, as someone who has a short torso and wide hips. “Compared to the Plein, the Slim Lassos sit lower on the waist with a more relaxed hip and just hug me everywhere,” she says. While they are almost $400, “they’re extremely well made — in the U.S., to boot — and will last forever.”

If you want a pair under $100, look to these Zara barrel-leg jeans. Jess Tran, a five-foot-two photographer and creative consultant, says they look slouchy and stylish, “as opposed to just overwhelming and ill-fitting.” Note, though, that she styles them cuffed to exaggerate the oversize look. If you want something that still has volume but doesn’t require cuffing, she recommends the cropped version.

When styling petite clients, Ann Caruso — fashion stylist, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar alum, and content creator — suggests steering clear of big pockets, bagginess, or other details if the goal is to create length. Instead, she advises that pairing a slight flare with a high waist can “elongate the figure making you seem longer and taller than you really are.” She recently bought these Veronica Beard high-rise flares for a petite client, and reports that the fit worked so well that “she looked like she was all legs!” She advises to pair them with a comfy heel.

Charlotte Bickley, who’s five-foot-three and Daily Front Row Editor-at-Large and fashion content creator, trusts L’Agence, AGOLDE and SLVRLAKE above all other brands when it comes to denim shopping. These come with a stylish raw hem in a subtle straight leg-meets-bootcut shape. She loves that these would hold up in a ’70s-style outfit, adding “all you’ll need is a good pair of brown mid-heel boots and a good baby-doll top with cute hoops.” L’Agence offers complimentary tailoring when you order from their site via Hemster, meaning you can get the exact fit you’re looking for, at no extra cost.

For a subtler flare option, Wang likes Mother’s Insider jean. Even though they’re marketed as a cropped jean with a 27.5-inch inseam, they’re more of a full-length flare on her five-foot-two frame. It’s made of a thick material (best for cooler months, she notes) that’s broken in and slightly stretchy.

Few people we spoke to currently favor skinny jeans — perhaps a symptom of the style’s waning appeal. But Natalie Craig, a petite-plus influencer, recommends Universal Standard for petite and plus-size people. “Its plus-size and petite jeans are still some of the most comfortable and curve-loving jeans I have ever worn,” she says, adding that the Seine High Rise in a distressed blue wash are some favorites. You can pick from an impressive size range, with petite, regular or tall inseams in size 00 to 40. Their stretchiness is designed with resilience in mind and they’ve got actual, deep pockets (yes, even in the front) that are big enough to fit your phone in. Just make sure to size down for this style to get a close-fitting skinny effect that’ll last.

Rain Delisle, owner of Indigo Proof, a denim restoration shop in Portland, suggests these Everlane skinny jeans for “great, basic no-frills jeans.” Be prepared, these are true skinny jeans in the 2003 sense of the word (the type that cling to the ankle even if you’re petite). They come in both 26 ¾ and 28 ¾ inseams, and in five washes.

“It can be so hard to find denim that is both plus size and petite,” explains Tinsaye Berhanu, a five-foot-two petite-plus fashion influencer. But she says can often rely on Talbots, which has great options including a classic straight cut that she likes. They’re available with four different inseam lengths, and because of the 28.5-inch inseam on the petite fit, she says they’re the perfect go-to pair of jeans for fall.

A brand called out by both Berhanu and Craig was Eloquii. It has a great range of short and cropped styles, which is why Craig turns to it for work-appropriate jeans and pants. This straight-leg option is a true cropped length with a 26-inch inseam and has a bit of stretch for extra comfort.

Berhanu and Craig also like the seam selection at Torrid, which offers both “Short” and “Extra Short” options that are rarely found in plus sizes. Berhanu recommends the brand’s high-rise skinny jeans for its thick elastic waistband that doesn’t budge or roll down, no matter how much she’s moving around. Plus, she notes that her black pair hasn’t lost its color even after multiple washes.

Another go-to for Craig, thanks to its inclusive sizing, is Good American. “I can always count on finding a variety of styles, and feel comfortable recommending them to women who ask me where I shop,” she explains. These dropped-crotch, distressed ’90s jeans are available in sizes 00-28 Plus and are specifically designed for those who are five-foot-four and under. Don’t worry about that 28 3/4-inch inseam — it’s intentional, to create a small amount of bagginess at the angle. But if they’re feeling a little too long, they’re narrow enough at the hem to cuff once without too much fabric overwhelm.