Okay, real talk.
When is the last time you put on a pair of jeans and thought my god, these are amazing?
Because if you’re anything like me and especially if you’re on the shorter side that feeling is rare. Like, genuinely rare. And after recording this week’s guest episode with a fashion therapist who said the number one wardrobe staple every woman needs is a great pair of denim, I had to sit with that for a second. Because finding that great pair? For those of us under 5’4”? It’s kind of a whole thing.
I’m 5’1”. And I’ll be honest ever since the skinny jean started fading out (though I think it’s making a comeback, which, good), I have really struggled with denim. And it’s not a style problem or a body problem. It’s an industry problem. The fashion world is designed around bodies that don’t represent most of us, and that shows up everywhere, but especially in denim.
Here’s what I’ve figured out after years of trial, error, and a closet full of jeans I don’t actually love:
The tailoring trap. If you’re petite and you fall in love with a flare or a boot cut, just know: cutting 4–5 inches off the hem changes the shape of the leg entirely. That flare becomes something else. This is why straighter and skinnier styles tend to work better for us they hold their shape no matter how much gets taken off the bottom.
High waisted is not our friend. I know. I know. They look incredible on everyone on Instagram. I bought a pair of Agolde high-rise jeans and the waist was practically up to my chest. It’s just math…you really need to be closer to 5’10” for that waist placement to hit where it’s supposed to. Mid-rise is our sweet spot. Low-rise can work too, especially if you feel confident in it (and honestly, it sits higher on us than it does on taller women, so it’s not as extreme).
The cropped jean hack. This one I love. I buy what brands call “cropped” styles because what hits mid-shin on a taller woman hits perfectly at my ankle. No hemming required. I’ve done this with Rag & Bone and it’s a game changer.
Stop ordering based on influencers. Unless you know their exact height and measurements, you don’t know how that jean is actually fitting. What looks incredible on someone 5’7” does not automatically translate to a 5’1” frame. Try things on in person when you can. It’s worth it.
Invest in quality, find a great tailor. I have jeans I paid $200–300 for over a decade ago that still look great. When you find the right pair, it’s worth it. And a good tailor is part of the equation not just for hemming, but for making sure the fit is actually doing something for you.
On brands: Rag & Bone is my personal favorite, though they don’t have a dedicated petite line that I know of. Mother Denim does have petite sizing worth checking out. I’ve bought two pairs of Mother and don’t love them on me, but that might be a style selection issue on my end. Paige does too I’m going to do some investigating while I’m in New York. I also have a vintage Levi’s situation going on that I am genuinely obsessed with the real vintage ones, not new. When they fit right, nothing beats them.
And look at the end of the day, the goal is to feel good. If you love high-waisted jeans and you feel amazing in them, wear them. I’m not here to police anyone’s wardrobe. I’m here because I’ve spent years frustrated, buying things that don’t work, and I know a lot of you have too. Once you find what works? Buy it in two or three washes. Dark denim for a dressier night out, lighter denim for casual, maybe a cream or white for spring and summer. You don’t need thirty pairs you need the right three.
Okay, slight detour but stay with me because I promise it connects.
All of this is happening right as I’m packing for New York. And I say that because New York is one of those cities that reminds me why I love to travel in the first place.
I haven’t been back in almost ten years, which feels insane to me because there was a stretch where I went almost every year. And getting ready for this trip being intentional about what I pack, thinking through actual outfits instead of just throwing things in a suitcase and hoping for the best it’s made me realize that travel has a way of making you more deliberate about everything.
There’s something that happens when you get out of your routine and your city and the same four walls. You see how other people live. You walk neighborhoods that have nothing to do with your life at home and somehow they show you something about yourself. I love a walkable city… there’s a sense of community in a place where everyone is just out, moving, existing together in public space. You’re shoulder to shoulder with people who have completely different lives and perspectives, and it’s just good for you. It opens something up.
Travel is also one of the best educations you can give yourself. Not in a “went somewhere exotic and came back enlightened” way just in the quiet, everyday way of realizing the world is bigger and more interesting than the version you see from home. It makes you more curious. More empathetic. Less stuck in your own head.
And for women in midlife especially I think we put travel in the “someday” or “when things slow down” category way too often. But I’d argue this is exactly the season to do it. You know yourself better. You’re less worried about what it looks like and more interested in what it feels like. You pack lighter literally and figuratively.
Anyway. That was a tangent. But a worthwhile one, I think. If you have petite denim tips or a brand that’s changed your life, please DM me or drop a comment. And if you have NYC denim intel, even better I may already be home with a full report by the time you’re reading this.
Listen to the full episode HERE 🎙️
Follow me on Insta HERE
xo,
Nicole
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