- Inseam: 25 1/4”
- Length: Regular
- Style: Straight-leg, relaxed fit
- Rise: 12.5”, wears high-rise
- Size: 23 to 33
Why It’s Worth It: Petite jeans for women can be hit or miss, but Nelle Atelier delivers with its tailored-to-fit off the rack denim offering. The Emily in Sapphire, is an editor-favorite, a straight-leg “mom” jean for petite women with a mid-rise that doesn’t cling to the thighs or knees as well as The Claire, which gives a slouchy, relaxed fit that feels adjacent to a boyfriend jean.
- Inseam: 28”
- Length: Petite
- Style: Relaxed Fit
- Rise: 11”, wears mid-rise
- Size: 23 to 32
Why It’s Worth It: Mother is one of the best labels to shop petite jeans and recently, the storied denim brand took it one step further to optimize their petite collection for the most flattering fit for women 5’4” and under. They’ve raised the denim’s knee placement and adjusted the proportions to feature shorter rises and inseams.
- Inseam: 25 1/2”
- Length: Cropped
- Style: Ankle fray
- Rise: 10 5/8”, wears high-rise
- Size: 23-34
Why It’s Worth It: If you’re looking for a set of wide-leg jeans that have the added benefit of a cropped hem, look towards Veronica Beard’s Taylor jeans. The cropped hem offers a shorter inseam at 27” which is helpful when paired with flats. The light-wash is equally perfect for summertime when styled with a set of espadrilles and a breezy white blouse.
- Inseam: 27”
- Length: Crop
- Style: Wide-leg
- Rise: 12”, wears high-rise
- Size: 24-32
The difference between regular and petite jeans
“Petite jeans are shrunken down versions of regular size jeans,” Madewell’s SVP of Denim Design, Mary Pierson tells Vogue. “This means the jean is taken in at every major measurement point— slightly on the circumferences but a little more in the lengths. We don’t just make the inseams shorter; we make the rises slightly shorter and change the placement of the knee to accommodate for a smaller petite frame.” This approach ensures a balance of proportions; it’s also why a “quick snip” of the hem rarely works out.
When it comes to specifics to look out for, Pierson says that rise and knee placement are crucial to keep in mind. “Even if it is a high-rise jean, it still needs to hit at your natural waistline at/or slightly above your belly button. The knee placement needs to align so that the leg shape of the jean stays true to its intent,” she says. (I can concur—nothing throws the overall proportion off quite like when the knee caps hit the shins or when the rise’s all the way up at the ribcage.)
