I’m 5’2″, and I’ve always known from my own experience that finding pants for a shorter girl is never easy. But if you are short and curvy, the challenge doubles! The key is to find pants that not only fit you but also flatter your curvy petite shape.
I’ve put together this complete petite pants guide with the 10 types of pants that look the best on short and curvy women, and what you should be cautious about and even stay away from.
Table of Contents
Flare pants
The flare pants are fitted at the waist and hips and flare out around the knee region. They are an edgy and stylish design of pants suitable for a woman that is short and curvy.
The flared region around the leg balances out the top region of the short and curvy woman. Choose flared pants that cover most of your shoes and don’t also opt for flared pants that are too short so it does not make your length appear shortened.
A short and curvy woman would get the best out of flared pants if she does not try to rehem them and if she pairs them with heels to further lengthen her height. Flared pants are classy and could make the short and curvy woman appear elegant.
Full-length wide-leg pants
Another wardrobe staple piece to be owned by a short and curvy woman is the full-length wide-leg pants. They are very comfortable and offer enough coverage for the figure of a short and curvy woman.
Full-length wide-leg pants do not create broken lines along the body figure nor make a short and curvy woman look cropped but rather offer the illusion of an extra length that would make her body look lengthened. They are an easy-to-wear pant option for every short and curvy woman.
Why Wide-leg pants is a must-have?
Wide-leg pants are designed for a short and curvy woman who prefers to not reveal her curvy shape and still look sleek.
This is because wide-leg pants are structured to conceal areas that one intends to hide and highlight the most flattering areas.
High waist pants
The structure of the high waist is meant to naturally elongate the body, especially the legs because the high waist pants extend slightly above the natural waist. They are very flattering on women that are short and curvy.
The best pant options for a short and curvy woman should be able to help her appreciate her figure and boost her confidence. That’s the main reason why high-waist pants are invariably one of the best pants for a short and curvy woman as the waist gets highlighted and the curves accentuated.
High-waist pants are uniquely designed to give the body comfort, lengthen the body and allow the short and curvy woman to step out looking elegant and chic. They are a highly recommended wardrobe staple for a short and curvy woman.
Sailor pants
Sailor pants have a slightly higher rise than traditional trousers and are flattering for a short and curvy woman. The sailor pants are designed to give the illusion of an elongated leg and they also accentuate the waist of a short and curvy figure.
The sailor pants are versatile and exist in different lengths. The incredible thing about this design of pants is that all lengths of sailor pants are very perfect and suitable for a short and curvy woman.
Why you must own Sailor pants
They are easy-to-wear pants that are aesthetically structured to make the short and curvy woman comfortable.
Sailor pants tend to draw people’s attention above your natural waistline which creates an effect on the legs making them appear longer than normal.
Stripe pants
Pants with stripes can be very classy and effortlessly stylish on short and curvy women. An important point to note there is to choose striped pants that would balance the body proportion of a woman who is short and curvy.
The best-striped pants for a short and curvy woman are the vertical striped pant because it is designed and patterned to give the illusion of an elongated body. It creates some sort of visual balance that makes the body figure look lengthened.
On the other hand, horizontal stripes do the opposite and make you wider than normal. It makes the figure of a short and curvy woman also seem shorter and should not be an option for striped pants for a woman who is short and curvy.
Caution with paper bag pants
Paper bag pants can be a double-edged sword for curvy Petites.
They are trendy pants beautifully designed to cinch at the waist with most having a tie or belt around the waist.
However, because they have even higher waist than regular high waisted pants, some paper bag pants can make your short torso look even shorter.
Even though the waist of the paper bag is fitted and cinches appropriately, some are baggy at the bottom, which can look overwhelming on a short person.
How to choose and style paper bag pants?
If you are a curvy petite woman, make sure the paper bag pants are not excessively high-waisted.
Otherwise, they can make your torso look like it has disappeared.
Paper bag pants must be properly paired with fitted tops to create balance in the silhouette.
Cigarette pants
Cigarette pants are pants that feature wide waistbands, back zippers, and flat fronts and are slim fitting through the legs. They highlight the waist giving the illusion of a lengthened body and accentuating the curves of a short and curvy woman.
They are versatile pant designs that can be styled in different ways and the features of cigarette pants make them a great pant option for a short and curvy woman. Cigarette pants are a not-too-complicated pant design structured to create a streamlined and sleek outfit that is suitable for a short and curvy woman.
Cropped pants
This pant design though cropped and can make one look shorter is uniquely designed for short and curvy women to give the illusion of length to the figure without having to overwhelm the body. Cropped pants are trendy fashion pants that should be paired in an appropriate way to avoid getting an undesirable effect.
Pairing cropped pants with heels could make a short and curvy woman appear stylish and grandeur. They are a flattering pant design that is perfect for a short and curvy woman.
How to choose Cropped pants?
When choosing cropped pants if short and curvy, always choose those that are high rise and have a slim fit because they would highlight the slimmest part of the waist and make your legs look lengthened.
Wide-leg cropped pants are the wrong choice of pants because they would make you look wider and shorter than your natural figure.
Well tailored pants
Pants can generally stay fitted on any body shape if they are well-tailored to perfection. Pants not sitting rightly on the waist of a short and curvy woman would make her look shapeless and one that’s not made for her length would make her look shorter and sometimes bulkier.
Well-tailored pants are always form-fitting and it is the first thing to look out for before purchasing any pants. The pants to be worn by a short and curvy woman should be form-fitting and flattering on her.
Oversized pants are not appropriate nor flattering and should not be worn by a short and curvy woman. Keep all pants form-fitting and well-tailored to fit the size and shape of a short and curvy woman.
Solid color pants
The right colors that are flattering on the short and curvy woman is always a recurrent subject but the best remains solid colors. The solid color pants help to reduce the attention on the lower parts of the figure of a short and curvy woman.
Solid-color pants are still of better preference for a short and curvy woman because they are incredibly amazing and flattering, and give the short and curvy woman the illusion of an elongated body.
Why is it important to choose the right colors?
Some bright color pants are cool but it is best to try a series of them on the body before purchasing the one that looks best.
The idea is to pick those that would help boost the confidence of a short and curvy woman.
Avoid cuffed pants
A short and curvy woman should not wear cuffed pants because this would only reduce the length of the pants and make the legs look shorter. Cuffed pants can be stylish but not flattering for a short and curvy woman.
The cuff on the pants of a short and curvy woman would shorten the way your pants and legs look, creating a visual break in the pant before it hits the shoe. When your legs look shorter, the person wearing the pants also looks shorter.
The pants of a short and curvy woman should not be cuffed if the right proportionality must be attained.
Avoid excessive details
Patterns and embellishments on pants can be very beautiful but are not necessary on the pants of a short and curvy woman. They would only make the pants a point of attention to the eyes and add unwanted effects to the body.
Simple and basic details on pants are classy and even more stylish and fitting for a short and curvy woman and do not add any unwanted effect to her figure.
Why you should not opt for pants with too many details
Excessive details in pants would make the lower body of a short and curvy woman look wide and bulky without proportioning and balancing her figure appropriately.
Too many details in pants would do so well in shortening the length of a short and curvy woman and in turn become less flattering for her figure.
Lisa Parker says
You give a lot of awesome information some of it I’ve known through the years just by trial and error what looks good on me I was thinking about it is there a style box for petite you would certainly be able to rocket just a thought
Chi says
Thank you Lisa! I do have a clothing line for women 5’4″ & under- be sure to check it out at petitedressing.com