Dark-colored pants with straight legs work best for most petites, but they may present a bit of a challenge for short women who have hourglass shaped figures. Sometimes it's difficult to find pants that fit well at both the waist and hips, and it can be difficult to find pants with straight legs that are roomy enough in the hips. If you're 5'0" or under, you may also need to find pants with a
shorter inseam than regular petite pants have.
Your best bet: try on lots of pants and jeans styles until you find the brands that fit you best. If you can't find a brand that fits in both the waist and hips, select pants that fit in the hips and have the waist altered. When you have alterations done, it's always easier to make something smaller than enlarge it in clothing because there usually isn't enough of a seam allowance to let out clothing.
When selecting pants or jeans, avoid:
- print designs.
- plaid
- low-rise waistlines.
- belting your pants or jeans at the hip.
- pleated styles
- cargo pants
In our example above, the classic fit straight leg pants create a vertical line, which helps petites look taller. A dark color, such as charcoal or navy creates the thinnest appearance.
