Maybe you have your whole wardrobe planned out, from this summer’s must-have trend to the best dress to wear as a guest at a wedding. However, ladies considered tiny (5’4″ or shorter) might benefit from following a few fit standards when it comes to wearing pants. Here, we’ve selected only the most relevant items for modern style.
Take note of how high your jeans rise
(image courtesy of nordstrom.com)
Discovering if you have a long or short torso can help you choose between high, medium, and low-rise jeans. High-waisted pants are essential to me as a long-waisted person because they visually elongate my legs, which are naturally shorter in length. Alternately, you can get an ideal fit for your high-waist jeans by shopping in the petite department if you have a medium or short waist.
Examples:
The Petite Perfect Vintage Flare Jean in Beaucourt Wash
Raw Hem Crop Straight Leg Jeans
Karolina Petite High Rise Straight Crop
Rolling up your pants and calling it a style is not appropriate
(image courtesy of nordstrom.com)
Never wear your jeans until you have correctly hemmed them to approximately an inch above the ground while sporting the shoes you will wear with them unless they are ultra-lightweight, won’t bulk out when rolled up, and seem deliberate with a couple of folds. A neat, figure-flattering trouser line is worth the effort of designating particular pants for heels and another for sneakers.
Examples:
Piper Relaxed Ankle Straight Leg Jeans
New slim wide-leg jean in Medium Indigo Patchwork wash
Paige Anessa High-Rise Destructed Jeans
The knee cannot be shortened, but the hem may
(image courtesy of nordstrom.com)
Any pants with a defined knee (skinnies or flares) have to fit appropriately; else, the knee will pop out in an odd spot much below your natural joint. You may raise hems as necessary. Generally speaking, this is more necessary for slimmer cuts, so if you fall into this category, you should choose petite sizing; for broader crops, where the knee doesn’t need to strike precisely somewhere, this is less of a concern.
Examples:
Faux Leather-Like Ankle Skinny Pants
9″ mid-rise vintage slim-straight jean in Stay Black wash
Balleay Art Faux Leather Pants for Women
Pants must be proportionally cropped
(image courtesy of nordstrom.com)
A pair of pants that “doesn’t need to be hemmed” is something to be genuinely happy about. Yet, even if your cropped trousers aren’t touching the floor, it doesn’t imply they are the perfect length without a hem. The ideal length for a pant hem is about halfway between the knee and the ground, with extra room for more oversized pants.
Examples:
Corey Lynn Calter Cropped Pants
Maeve The Colette Cropped Linen Wide-Leg Pants
A French tuck is an alternative to a full tuck
(image courtesy of anthropologie.com)
High-waisted jeans may wind up resting awkwardly on your breasts in the absence of a proportionally long torso. If you’re determined to pull it off, try a nonchalant French tuck to create the illusion of a trimmer waist while emphasizing your curves.
Examples:
Pilcro Printed Voile Surf Shirt
Women’s Surf Short Sleeve Button-Up Shirt
Lightspun Short-Sleeve Flap-Pocket Shirt
You shouldn’t feel intimidated by ultra-wide pants
(image courtesy of anthropologie.com)
Ultra-wide leg pants are a fashion trend that isn’t limited to those with longer legs. The flow of long, draped trousers may look fantastic on petites, even though a lot of heavy fabric won’t flatter shorter ladies. This is especially true when the hem touches the floor and the pants are worn with platforms or heels.
Examples:
Pilcro The Jane High-Rise Wide-Leg Jeans
Your best buddy is the matching pajama set
(image courtesy of shopbop.com)
Most of us petite gals know that matching shirts and pants may make us look taller and leaner with less effort put into the match (we love the elastic waist on the pants side as well).
Examples:
Rebecca Taylor Wide Leg Mesh Pants
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