When you’re on the shorter side, buying jeans can be challenging—you need specific proportions in order to get the right fit, and all that extra yardage pooling at the ankles makes for a frustrating dressing room experience (or an expensive tailoring trip).
Our favorite solution is to shop brands that specifically cater to petites! But here’s a little secret: Some makers are better at it than others. Rest assured, we’ve done the legwork for you.
And this season’s jeans of the moment—wide-leg crop jeans—help give you some extra wiggle room due to their naturally shorter length.
We’d like to offer a few styling tips. First, high-waisted styles will elongate your frame and control the volume on top so you don’t overwhelm your body. Second, you’d do well to pair these pants with delicate (not bulky) shoes, which will extend the line of your legs. Third, if you consider yourself petite plus, we've got tips and options for you in this article too!
Happy shopping beautiful petites!
Gap. The stretch denim with light fading gives a slightly more trend-forward look to this jean. Meanwhile we love that it is made with 5% recycled contents, making this jean just better for the planet.
Madewell. Love the wash, love the raw hem, LOVE how Madewell jeans fit. This brand is a standout for all body shapes and sizes.
Madewell. Madewell’s Perfect Vintage family of jeans is becoming an insider staple. We always look for high waistlines and appreciate that part of what makes the Perfect Vintage jeans perfect is the holds-you-in sorcery of Madewell’s Magic Pockets™. A super classic wash here that can’t be beaten.
Maeve. The good news? Maeve is one of our all-time favorite brands—we just looovvveee the fit for grown up women. This dark denim wash is chic and sophisticated. The bad news? This item (along with the second medium denim wash color) is on backorder with mid-May to late June availability. Take a peek anyways, because you'll want to be first on the waitlist.
Wandler. While Wandler does not have petite-focused sizing, this brand is beloved by petite women of all ages. Buyers note: because this pant is not sized for petites exclusively, the crop style will land longer than the other options in our list for a less cropped, more ankle-length style.
Spanx. The twill cropped wide-leg is one of Spanx’s best sellers (and ours, we've sold 5 already!) and for good reason. It’s body-flattering and midsection shaping while offering great design details (like the charming, functional front and back pockets). Insider Tip: Spanx runs small, including this style, so we recommend you size up if you are between sizes or prefer a looser cut.
Spanx. For a more minimalist look, try the Spanx Silver Lining pants. Same comment (as above) for sizing up applies.
Eileen Fisher. Eileen Fisher has always done a nice job with petites, and this is by far our most classic pick for petite, cropped, wide-leg jeans in white. A style that’s so timeless it’s worth the investment.
Paige. A best-selling style in multiple colors for a good reason. Grab them in white now and denim in the fall.
Banana Republic. This cotton-stretch blend is a win for comfort and movement, and we also really like the high waist. Buyers note: these wide-leg jeans lean a little more straight leg in shape, which can be a plus for those who find themselves overwhelmed in traditional wide-leg pants.
All products featured on Six to Sunday are independently selected by our editors and contributors. We may get paid commissions on products purchased through our links to retailer sites. However, we recommend products based on our independent research and point of view, and the decisions we make regarding the products we feature on our site are always driven by what we believe our community will love, first and foremost.