When it comes to being petite, there are a few things I have learnt to accept. For example, I know I’ll never be able to reach the top shelf of the kitchen cabinets or have a perfect unobstructed view at a music concert. I also know that getting on the tube in peak hours will probably result in being squished in between other people’s shoulders (or worse, armpits).
While I am perfectly content with my smaller stature and the compromises that it forces upon me, there is one thing I am not willing to settle on, and that is ill-fitting clothing. I stand at just 5’2″, and finding clothes for my size can often be a challenge. And although I’m happy to style an oversize blazer or slouchy knit from time to time, tracking down the perfect pair of jeans can be a very time-consuming endeavour.
Options are quite limited when it comes to jeans for petite women, but the market is growing. There are a few retailers, now, that are managing to fill the gap in the market. From Whistles’ new range to River Island’s impressive affordable offering, several brands have created dedicated shorter-leg options, and believe me when I tell you it has taken the hassle out of finding jeans. Unfortunately, more often than not, petite sizes can only be found online and aren’t readily available to try on in-store, which can make sizing a little difficult.
With this in mind, I decided to track down as many pairs as I could find, and do the boring job of trying them all on for you. Below I’m offering my honest opinion on the best petite jeans I found, from the best straight-leg style to the perfect wide-legs, there’s even cropped options and full length flares that don’t drag on the ground. All of which I found in an effort to help other petite women out there. Keep scrolling to see my take…
The Verdict: Everlane’s Way High Jeans really, really impressed me. They have a high rise (but still hit my waist on my short torso), and they’re made with organic cotton with a touch of stretch, so while they’re comfy, they still have that classic thick vintage denim feel that you just know will last and last. Although not specifically “petite” I’m wearing these in the 25.5. inch leg—the shortest of three lengths they offer and they hit my ankle perfectly—they’re not too cropped, not too long. I love that Everlane offer these up to a size 35 waist as well, which is the equivalent of a UK dress size 24.These were hands down my favourite all-round jeans that I tried and I just know I’d pull them out time and time again to wear with boots or sandals.
The Verdict: Boden have recently revamped their denim collection, adding a range of different shapes and, most importantly, fits. This is the wide-leg, Mi-rise style (which still came up pretty high-waisted on me, tbh), and I got these in a 28 waist (my usual), and the shortest (28 inch) length that they offer, as I wanted a cropped wide-leg style. They fit the bill perfectly. If you’re looking for a full length wide leg you can go longer in the leg, but I loved how these sat just over my sandals for summer.
The Verdict: Whistles has just launched a dedicated petite range (hooray!), meaning its pretty, easy dresses and chic workwear pieces are now much more wearable for us short girls. Included in that range are a couple of pairs of jeans, so I was desperate to put these to the test. The best thing is that all their denim is low impact, made with less water, less energy and fewer chemicals. I went for my usual size (28), and they came up snug (as is sometimes the case with petite collections) so perhaps you’d want to size up if you’re in between sizes, especially since it’s quite stiff denim (in a good way). These were a perfect straight-leg cropped style, although I found for me they were even a little too cropped—so if you’re under 5’2″ and looking for a genuinely cropped pair of jeans, you’re in luck.
The Verdict: This is Boden’s wide-leg, ultra high rise style, in the size 28 with a 30 inch leg, so they sat really nicely just above the floor. With the shorter leg they do feel more like flares than a typical straight wide leg, but I’m quite into that. They have a really nice stretch to them so they felt comfy to wear all day, too.
The Verdict: Let me start by saying I’m SO into these jeans. As a petite person I find it much easier to find straight-leg pairs, especially cropped styles (and worst case you can just chop off some of the end). But finding full-length, looser styles that are so on trend at the moment has been really difficult—with “baggy” styles often overwhelming my figure and the “full length” always dragging inches on the floor. River Island to the rescue—I sized up in these to a 12XS which meant they felt a little cooler and more low slung, sitting just above my sandals perfectly. But the key winning factor for me is that they didn’t sag in the bum—something I often find when trying on standard loose or wide-leg jeans. It’s proof that I loved them so much that I immediately went out and bought myself a couple of pairs.
The Verdict: I loved these jeans so much I had to try on the white pair too, and, yes, I kept these on for the rest of the day. For this pair I tried my usual size—10— and they still fit perfectly, just with a slightly higher rise and less relaxed fit. They were probably half an inch shorter than the 12 as well, so there’s no risk of getting filthy hems on my London commute. The best thing is that these are available up to a size 16, which not a lot of petite ranges do (although obviously we’d like to see an even more diverse range of sizes),
The Verdict: If you’re after a smarter pair of denim that works for the office, or for dressing up in the evenings, these were a great option. The denim doesn’t feel quite as high end or hard-wearing as, say, the more expensive Everlane pair, but with denim especially, you get what you pay for. And the elevated darker denim certainly does a good job or fooling people into thinking they’re more premium than they are. If you’re in between sizes I’d reccommend sizing up for a more relaxed fit (I’m wearing a 10 petite here).
The Verdict: I’ve heard good things about H&M’s jeans for petite people, so I thought I’d give their vintage mom style a try. The key, for us short girls, is to opt for an ‘ankle’ style—meaning they’ll be slightly cropped. As you can see, on me these hit below the ankle, but I actually really liked the longer length that sat just over my trainers. These are a size 10, and felt comfy, but as I’ve said before, you get what you pay for with denim, and I wasn’t super impressed with the quality (but I was with the price). All in all these are a great affordable basic to have in your arsenal.
The Verdict: I’ve heard such amazing things from editors and influencers alike about Zara’s Marine jeans, I was beginning to feel a little left out. I saw fellow petite princess Monikh wearing them recently, and she told me she just cut the bottoms off hers to hit at the ankle since they’re a frayed hem anyway. Genius! Of course, I had to try for myself and all the great reviews I’d heard weren’t wrong. They felt super soft and flattering, hugging in all the right places. This is them full length in a size 10, but once I decided I was keeping them I chopped the ends off to make them a cropped flare, hitting the ankle like on the model.
This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
