The best jeans I’ve bought as a five-foot fashion editor

Brand blurb: “It’s the name you can’t forget: our Wedgie Straight. This vintage-inspired style includes special construction to highlight your curves and give your butt an extra lift. Trust us, you need these jeans in your closet.”

Real-life review: Growing up in the ’90s, I always believed there were two things I could count on: the legitimacy of the LimeWire download, and that blue jeans with a white T-shirt was the chicest a woman could look. The latter being true, I spent my 20s in search of a pair of straight-cut, classic blue, four-button Levi’s, but for all their cultural ubiquity, the signature styles were no good. At five-foot-one, the 501s were too big/too long/just wrong. And on my short torso, the high-waisted Ribcage went basically up to my armpits.

So when I pulled on my first pair of Wedgies and finally felt that rigid denim mould to the shape of my body, it was more than a fashion win. It was closing a loop that had been depleting my CNS for a decade. I snapped them up in a size 24, snipped off the excess length, and wore them 3-4 times a week for the next 5-6 years – replacing them only last month with a light wash version in the same size.

This time, I also tried a size 23 and made a profound discovery: when a cut works for your proportions, the pattern block likely has more for you beyond the first one that fits. Worn higher at the narrowest part of my waist, the smaller Wedgie is just as comfy, but loses its slouch and transforms into a smart, full-length cigarette jean with its finished hem intact. So size up. Size down. Try all the washes. Sometimes a centimetre is all it takes to unlock a whole different silhouette.

Size range: 23-34” waist
Fit notes: Snug fit through the hip and thigh. Hint of stretch for all-day comfort.
Fabrication: 99% Cotton, 1% LYCRA
Fastenings: Four button fly with metal hardware

Brand blurb: “Sitting high on the waist with a neat finish through the hip and a flattering A-line silhouette that crops at the ankle, the Hi Aline Crop has a youthful ethos that will resonate with trend-focused denim fans.”

Real-life review: You’ve heard of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, now meet the Solo-Parent of the Travelling Waistline – one jean, one body, three sizes that all look fantastic, and further proof that when the proportions are right through the waist, hips, bum and thighs, another sweep of the store is warranted to see how far you can stretch that style.

In this case – and unlike my Levi’s experience where the same Wedgies were unrecognisable just one size apart – it was a desire for consistency, not variety, that sent me back to the changing room. Here I learned that minor differences in fabric composition can cause size discrepancies across washes. I ultimately achieved the exact same fit from a size 23 (jet black wash), size 24 (light blue wash) and the mid-blue size 25s. As for this so-called “cropped” hem, it now identifies as “floor-skimming” and continues to thrive in the world of the full-length, wide-leg denim workhorse.

Petite girl PSA: Shopping with Abrand just got way easier, with the Aussie label’s online store now sporting an entire petite section. Currently stocked with customer favourites cut 5-7cm shorter, “so babes 5’4 and under can still get our infamous peach hugging fit”, there looks to be lots in the pipeline and naturally, I’ll be investigating. Bookmark this page and check back soon for updates.

Size range: 23-36” waist
Fit notes: Comfort stretch. Some fit discrepancies between washes, worth checking reviews.
Fabrication: 99% Cotton, 1% Elastane
Fastenings: Zip fly and button closure with metal hardware

Brand blurb: “Master a trendy silhouette with these barrel jeans. Shop this durable denim style with its comfortable fit and utility-inspired pocket details for a versatile addition to their everyday wardrobe.”

Real-life review: Look. I haven’t been completely upfront in the framing of this piece. Yes, I want to show other short women where to shop for cool jeans that fit. And yes, the ones I’ve mentioned so far are legitimate, long-term faves. They’re also reputable-sounding recs, and I really needed to earn your trust before getting to the whole truth. Which is (and stay open-minded here), you’re finding the best-fitting jeans of your life in the boys’ department at Postie.

Blame Ashley Olsen. A pre-NYFW paparazzi shot had me on high alert for a faded-black, slightly feral, smidge above full-length barrel jean. Separately, I found myself at St Luke’s attempting to source a stack of white tanks. My sourcing led me to Postie. Postie led me to ‘Tilt’. And presumably Tilt’s creative director is now tipped for a job at The Row. DO NOT sleep on the Tilts. If you’re under 5’2 and a standard size 6, secure a 10 while you can. Then swing by the table of Kids’ Fleece Trackpants and treat yourself to new sweats.

Size range: 1–10 years
Fit notes: Internally-adjustable elastic waistband to accommodate your next growth-spurt.
Fabrication: Cotton/Polyester/Viscose/Elastane
Fastenings: Zip fly and button closure with metal hardware

Brand blurb: “Baggy jeans with an elastic waistband and front button fastening. Featuring front pockets and rear patch pockets.”

Real-life review: The Postie discovery obviously prompted a trip to Zara Kids, where the sizes don’t make any sense and a top-quality Oxford shirt costs $38. According to Zara, my height is that of your garden variety 12-year-old. I take it Gen-Alpha prefers an excess of fabric bunched over their sneakers, as the ankle-grazing length I was after required I size down one more. Happily, this was no issue, thanks to the internally-adjustable elastic waistband – a feature I’m getting quite fond of, and that I vote we work back into womenswear.

So, a boy’s baggy jean, size 9-10 years, is now on my constant watchlist. I left these ones behind only because on the shop floor, the wash skewed slightly yellow. Extremely likely that this was just my degraded Millennial eyesight, but I couldn’t risk showing up to work dressed not as a fashionable grown-up lady, but a tween skate micro-influencer with an 8:45pm curfew. This is a serious job.

Size range: 6–14 years / 122–164cm
Fit notes: Internally-adjustable elastic waistband
Fabrication: 100% OCS-certified organically grown cotton
Fastenings: Zip fly and button closure with metal hardware

Brand blurb: “Wide-leg jeans featuring an adjustable inner waistband and front button fastening. Includes front pockets and rear patch pockets.”

Real-life review: Same 9–10 size. Same perfect length. Same solid quality and construction. Did my years-long search for a crisp white jean just end in the girls’ section at Zara?

No. No it did not. Because unlike the boys’ baggies with their comfy, carefree elasticated waists, this rigid waistband had no interest in accommodating a female adult’s waist-to-hip ratio. I could probably have tried other sizes. I probably will, this weekend. At the time, all I could concentrate on was keeping my head down and fleeing the mall before the meanest girls at my intermediate could materialise and bully me out themselves.

A near miss rather than a recommendation, but useful proof that petite perfection on paper still has to survive the fitting room.

Size range: 6–14 years / 122–164cm
Fit notes: Rigid waistband with internally adjustable elastics.
Fabrication: 100% OCS-certified organically grown cotton
Fastenings: Zip fly and button closure with metal hardware

Brand blurb: “The Vintage Straight Denim Jean is a high rise, straight leg, rigid denim five-pocket jean designed to sit at the waist or be worn loose when sized up.”

Real-life review: Petite woman seeking nice boyfriend? Tale as old as time. Here’s my advice: first, stop looking in the obvious places. The ‘boyfriend’ section? You know what’s in there. You’ve tried before. Those jeans are not going to provide for you. Take your imagination over to the quirkier cuts – think vintage, a little shorter. These are your high-value jeans.

Two years ago, I bought the Vintage Straight in a size 24/light-blue wash and we’re happier than ever. Sitting low-slung on my hips, they graze the ground in stilettos – ideal conditions for a roughed-up hem, with enough structure and volume to look just as good in flats. Slouchy, not sloppy, is the goal.

And as always, finding a great match doesn’t force you to stop looking. I’m familiar enough with this style now that I’m willing to bet a neatly-hemmed size 23 in an elegant ecru or dark indigo wash will be giving marriage material.

Size range: 23–34” waist
Fit notes: Citing extensive customer feedback, Assembly Label specifically states that the ‘Heritage Blue’ wash runs smaller than others. Additional variances between washes are noted in the 300+ reviews (of which 97% are positive).
Fabrication: 100% cotton (non-stretch)
Fastenings: Zip fly and button closure with metal hardware