Short people need jeans, too!

October 6, 2013 2:24 PM

It seems like every time I find a pair of jeans I like, they stop selling them. Most recently, I found these at Target, and they were perfect! Just the right length, bootcut, dark wash, with some stretch in the material so I can move (very important), and NO obnoxious glitter or weird stitching or fake whisker marks. Of course, they are not currently available. So, short mefites, where do you go to buy your jeans? I'm not willing to buy pants that I can't try on first, so the internet is out, but I'm in Phoenix, AZ so we have most of the stores. I work, so I'm hard on jeans and don't really want to spend more than $30 or $40 a pair. Oh, and I usually wear a 14P or so (the Target ones are "fit 4" designed for people with curves and that's perfect) so places that only have tiny people sizes are out. Please give me some suggestions so I'm not driving all over the place wasting my whole day trying on pants! (I've seen previous questions, but what's available seems to change on a weekly basis...)
posted by Weeping_angel to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (23 answers total)

I've had good luck at Macy's with both their store brand and Levi's - last pair of Levi's I got there was on sale for $15. (I'm 5'1")
posted by leslies at 2:28 PM on October 6, 2013

My current jeans are '1912' style from L.L. Bean --- not fancy or particularly fashion-forward, but both the inseam and the rise (the measurement from the crotch to the waist) fit without going up to my armpits.
posted by easily confused at 2:30 PM on October 6, 2013

You do realize that 99% of online retailers have free shipping and free returns? Are you willing to buy online if you can do free returns? It has saved me SO much running around looking for specific items in a specific size, especially when that size is not a standard women's 8!

Have you tried the Gap Curvy line? They are more than $40 but often have sales and 30% off Friends and Family coupons.

If you want to go in person, I'd go to a mall with an Ann Taylor, Gap and Macy's. Wear slip on shoes and be prepared to try a ton of jeans on in one trip.

When you say you're hard on your jeans, what are you doing exactly? I've found that buying a slightly nicer pair of jeans is worth it - they last way longer between washes, don't show as much wear, and don't fade in the same way. But if you're being really physical with them, it might make sense to get a cheapo pair of work jeans, and save your nicer jeans for wearing around town.
posted by barnone at 2:32 PM on October 6, 2013 [3 favorites]

So I'm hard to fit in jeans, but these days I don't even worry about length. I find something that fits in the rise and the butt, and I get it altered to nip in the waist and shorten the length. This way I can buy whatever fits at Penneys or Ross, and the alternation doesn't cost much. Many dry cleaners do alterations. It's so extremely worth it to have jeans that are custom fit - I can't even tell you how nice it is to have them not sagging by the end of the day.
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:32 PM on October 6, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I buy my jeans almost exclusively at Old Navy - they have short regular and petite sizes (although I'm not sure what the difference is). I always try them on instead of going through the website though since they are somewhat inconsistent in their sizes. I'm 5'2".
posted by lasamana at 2:45 PM on October 6, 2013

I swear by Nordstrom's Catherine Slim Boyfriend jeans in petite (brand is "Kut from the Kloth"). It's a bit higher than your price range, but they are so comfy and sturdy that one pair could easily replace two regular pairs of jeans. The models on the site all have the jeans rolled up, but I wear them rolled down and they look fine.
posted by whitewall at 2:50 PM on October 6, 2013

Best answer: I like Old Navy Sweetheart Petite Bootcut.
posted by Snazzy67 at 2:50 PM on October 6, 2013

Honestly, I just get my jeans hemmed and I tell them I want the exact same stitching as the retailer had on the original jeans. I've had instances where "short" jeans weren't available, so I'd buy the regular size and have them hemmed. Many dry cleaners do hemming, but you could find an actual tailor or alterations shop. I go by online reviews for something like this. Where I live I think I paid like under $10 per pair. It's worth it to have jeans that don't drag on the floor and get ragged edges or look bunchy and weird. However, I just buy my jeans from Old Navy and sometimes the "short" fit me fine.

I buy my jeans almost exclusively at Old Navy - they have short regular and petite sizes (although I'm not sure what the difference is).

On Old Navy's website, they show you the measurements of petite and of short using their "size chart." Petite (29.5") is slightly shorter than "short" (30") but petite fits a bit smaller all around too.
posted by AppleTurnover at 2:53 PM on October 6, 2013

I am 5'4, but my legs are REALLY short. I've had really good luck with their "Skimmer" jeans in petite. They're often marked as "legging" jeans, but they're not like jeggings at all -- they're slim-cut, but more body-skimming than anything else, and I find they're actually roomy in the waist (which is wear I personally carry my own weight). Regular goes up to size 20, I think, and petite to 14. I find they run a little big.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 3:16 PM on October 6, 2013

Style & Co. jeans at Macy's are pretty good for larger sizes, with a nice amount of stretch.
posted by limeonaire at 3:19 PM on October 6, 2013 [2 favorites]

I can't help you find a pair, but when I find jeans that I like I buy 2-3 pair. Or more. Totally boring but less frequent jean shopping is wonderful.
posted by 58 at 3:56 PM on October 6, 2013 [2 favorites]

Check on Amazon for those exact pants. Someone might be selling overstock/close-out inventory. I buy new shirts on Amazon that are 2008 close-outs.
posted by Dansaman at 4:03 PM on October 6, 2013

I also used to like Gap Curvy, but I feel like the quality has gone down - a couple years ago I noticed that they started getting holes and stretching out way too quickly. SO now I buy all my jeans at Loft. They retail at $60 but there are always ridiculous sales there, and they last FOREVER - I am also hard on my jeans, and these last me at least 2-3 years. They come in petite sizes, go up to a size 18, and though some of their jeans have dumb whiskering, there are lots of nice-looking regular jeans. I usually get the curvy straight-leg, but they have boot cuts too. These in particular seem like what you're looking for.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 4:48 PM on October 6, 2013

Best answer: Snazzy67: "I like Old Navy Sweetheart Petite Bootcut."

I've lost some weight and I swear to god I just this week replaced my old Target boot cut jeans (I bought four pairs at once since they fit really well at the time) with Old Navy Sweetheart jeans. (I tried on a few styles and got the skinny jean this time but I plan on getting a bunch of styles.) If the Sweetheart isn't quite right check out the Flirt, which has a slightly different fit at the waist.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:51 PM on October 6, 2013

Try American Eagle. Their jeans tend to be cut shorter (for flats and sneakers rather than jeans). If that's still too long, they do sell short sizes online. I find that they fit me well even though I am well out of their demographic target.
posted by charmcityblues at 5:34 PM on October 6, 2013 [1 favorite]

What's your inseam length? Most of the jeans mentioned above are too long for petite 26.5"-inseamed me (Old Navy, Loft, Levi's, Style&Co; *not* Gap, surprisingly!), so if your inseam is shorter than 29" and you don't like wearing heels, most of the above may not work for you. And the thing about bootcut jeans is that shortening them means you lose the proportions of the bootcut-ness, so I don't consider that a workable solution for that particular cut of jeans; YMMV.

Zappos will let you filter by inseam - here's their bootcut jeans, and the inseam filter is a couple of screens down. I know you said "no internet," but you can just use Zappos' filter to get some brand names that cater to your leg length - 26" and 27" yielded some Hudsons (but ulp expensive), 28" turned up a pair of Lucky, 29" is when you start having multiple options. I know I've seen a pair of Calvin Klein Petites in their 27" filter before, but it may be sold out at this point. But I have seen all of these brands at Macy's or Nordstrom or similar department stores.

Also, I stumbled across Dorothy Parker the other day, and this pair has a 71 cm inseam, which translates to just under 28". Again, Internet, and it's a brand I've never heard of before, so I don't know if they ever show up in department stores or big boxes or the mall.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 5:48 PM on October 6, 2013

I am 5' tall, size 12 with a 28" inseam and ankle-length Gap jeans are just about perfect on me. Their jeans are pretty basic (no obnoxious detailing) and tend to have some give. I only wear skinny jeans, but their bootcut is probably worth a shot. (Go to a factory outlet if you can, as the prices there are much more reasonable.)
posted by constellations at 5:50 PM on October 6, 2013

I found Petite 14 & 16 at Land's End inside a Sears store.
Also Talbot's for nicer jeans.
posted by calgirl at 7:00 PM on October 6, 2013

I dumbly forgot to note that the Skimmer jeans of which I spoke in my first post are likewise from The Gap.
posted by Countess Sandwich at 7:06 PM on October 6, 2013

See if you have a mall near you with a Torrid store. They carry great jeans (jeggings and trousers too) in various fits and washes and start at size 12 and up. The jeans come in tall, short and regular as well!
posted by sleepykitties at 8:14 PM on October 6, 2013

Another vote for Gap Curvy ankle-length.
posted by Terriniski at 5:56 AM on October 7, 2013

Seconding American Eagle. I am a big fan of their Artist boot cut and their hi-rise skinny, both of which come in short lengths that my store usually carries.
posted by ThatSomething at 1:36 PM on October 7, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks guys! Who knew Old Navy had such a decent jeans selection! The Sweetheart boot cut was practically perfect (they're slightly too long, but I got the "short"; I forgot to check for a "petite" version).
posted by Weeping_angel at 3:13 PM on October 8, 2013