Jeans with Short Inseams: A Petite Buying Guide

While most of us at Search By Inseam have the opposite problem, we all have petite friends who’ve resorted to buying capris and wearing them as full-length pants at one time or another. Some petite women need a 26-inch inseam, while others need a 30-inch inseam. So, how does one find jeans that are short enough? 

First, you need to measure your inseam to know exactly how short of a pant to buy. You can find your inseam by having your tailor measure it for you, or you can do it yourself. Here's how to find the length of pants you really need:

Begin with a pair of jeans you already have that fit you well (please tell us you have at least ONE pair!).

Lay the pants flat on the floor, back pockets down.

Get out your measuring tape, and carefully measure from the crotch seam to the very bottom of one leg. 

This number is your inseam and, for shorter gals, will likely be something between 26 inches and 31 inches. Click here for more tips on inseam measurement, including how to account for shrinkage, high-heeled shoes, and different types of pants.

Now, you are ready to shop! Here are our top ten resources for buying petite jeans:

Search By Inseam does all the inseam finding for you, saving you time by organizing pants from multiple sellers by inseam length. The site usually carries jeans and pants with inseams from about 20 to 38 inches. You can narrow your shopping criteria by brand name, price range, and rise. You'll find designer brands with short inseams from 7 For All Mankind, Serfontaine, Joe's Jeans, Rich & Skinny, Hudson, Citizens of Humanity, Siwy, Paige Denim, Made in Heaven, Anlo, GoldSign, J Brand, and more. There's also a good selection of less expensive petite jeans from Gap, Old Navy, Paris Blues, Calvin Klein, Truck, Levi's, Lee, Wrangler and more, that start at prices under $25. You can also sign up for notifications when a new pair of pants is added to the site that fits your inseam.

Photo credit: Seattle Family Photographer Ling Ling Zheng

 

Silver Jeans Co. lets you search for your exact inseam length, which is nice! You’ll find women’s petite jeans in inseam lengths of 29”, 30”, and 31”, plus some shorter ankle length jeans around 27” and 28”. Silver offers free standard shipping and returns on all orders.

 

Banana Republic offers petite jeans that don’t sacrifice style. Most of the time the inseam length is clearly spelled out in the Fit & Sizing box or under Product Details.

 

Gap.com offers inseams of 26, 27, 28, 29, 29.5, 30, 30.5, and 31 inches in some of their jeans. Each pair is different, so be sure to check out the fit and sizing details. (You can also shop via Search By Inseam and for your inseam and enter Gap as the brand.) Shipping is free on orders over $50 and on all returns.

 

Old Navy has petite jeans that start around a 28" inseam. Some of the jeans have inseams listed in the product details, while others do not. You can check out the "size chart" or "Petite Fit Guide," but they tend to be hit or miss. Old Navy carries short inseam maternity jeans, but the inseam isn't usually defined, which is frustrating. Shipping is free on orders over $50 and on all returns.  

 

Lands' End has great ratings from their petite customers. Jeans are well made and come in inseam lengths of 26-30 inches. They often run discount and/or shipping offers.

 

Nordstrom.com has a petite shop that carries top denim brands and short inseams from about 27 to 32 inches. Shipping and returns are free on every order, and so are basic alterations. 

 

 

Petite jeans and women's petite pants from all of these sellers and more are available at Search By Inseam, making it a great site to easily find your inseam and quickly shop multiple brands and sellers. Don't yet know your inseam or why it's important? Check out our short video on how to measure your inseam length. If you hate the whole shopping process, sign up to have new jeans in your petite inseam length delivered right to your inbox as soon as we add them! You can also shop for petite maternity jeans, petite maternity pants, and even men's short inseam jeans at Search By Inseam.     

 

Note: This buying guide contains affiliate links that pay Search By Inseam a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.