ISO: Low rise professional pants for petites!

B

brwneyedgrl

O.G.
Jul 24, 2007
528
4
#1
I'm just shy of 5'2" and wear P4 or P6 depending on the brand and the fit. I have a flat butt, small hips, thin thighs and a really short rise. Even though the fit will say that the waist is below the navel, it very rarely is for me! I don't really need anything that is a curvy fit. I don't really want to spend more than $100 for a pair of pants, but I still want them to be of good quality - I usually like lined pants with a blend of wool and some kind of stretch. So far, I really like the Ryan fit at Banana. However, they rarely make pants in this fit for petites. I've tried Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor loft, but again, they don't make many low rise pants. I don't like the quality of Limited or Express pants especially at the prices that they charge.

Petite pants are so far and few between, and very rarely are targeted for younger women. What are your favorites?
 
#2
Unfortunately, I have yet to find pants that I don't have to hem except for BR dress pants. I wear the Martin ones the most but wish, like you, they made more in Ryan. I'm also 5'2. I like that BR's dress pants are proportionate. I find that's the biggest challenge with a lot of other brands. They basically take a pair of pants and make shorter legs.

As a last resort, I would go with Bebe or Guess (it takes a little searching, but you CAN find a pair of very tailored plain black dress pants for about that price) and get them hemmed. Since they're more fitted, they won't make you look stumpy when hemmed.
 
#3
What is your inseam? I'm only 5' tall but I wear a 30" inseam so I can get away with most pants if I wear 3"-4" heels.

Ugh, I hate Express pants, they are such poor quality. Even though I hate them, I would check out GAP's collection of petite pants. They come with a 29" inseam, have a shortened rise, and narrowed hips and waist for smaller sizes. I've found that their woven/wool pants tend to hold up much better than their sateen pants. And all of their cotton pants have shrunk from a 32" inseam to a 30" inseam, so even if you can't find a style that you like in the petite inseam, you may want to consider buying it in the regular inseam and sending it through a few cycles of laundry.

You should also consider checking out J. Crew's petite line of pants. Short inseam is 30". Their nicer trousers are a bit pricey, but if you decide to splurge on them, trust me, they are completely worth it in terms of quality. Good luck!
 
#4
Hmmm...this is a good question, brwneyedgrl! I have a hard time finding good dress pants, too. I am 5'3'' but my legs are a bit longer, so I can usually get away with hemming regular length pants. I have a mini bubble booty and narrow hips, so Banana pants don't fit (not even the 0 :sad:). I've had some success with Frankie B dress pants (low rise), Alvin Valley (also low rise), and also Theory. You might have to hem them, but they're great, and you can find them on sale once in a while, too! ;)
 
#5
lithiumpearl said:
I'm only 5' tall but I wear a 30" inseam so I can get away with most pants if I wear 3"-4" heels.
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Good to know I'm not alone!
I, too, get away with wearing jeans and pants with this option!
But poor DH... I'm 5'2" and my DH is 5'5", so he doesn't like it when I wear my 3" heels. I'm his height or taller. :roflmfao:

I find that I need jeans to fit my waist and bootie, then I always have to hem.
 
#6
I'm 5'2ish and love Jcrew slacks as well. They are reasonably priced considering the quality is very good. I find that their P0 is a smidgen tight while their P1 is too big so I end up getting their regular size 0 and have it hemmed.
 
#7
At 5'0" I'm in the same boat. I usually have the best luck with Banana Republic. Gap also does have some good petite options. I've pretty much given up on J Crew and Ann Taylor petite pants because their inseams run longer and I still need to hem them.
 
#10
they have a lot of lined pants from gap in the winter. the length on mine hella shrank in the dryer though, so be careful. i just get the regular length and let the dryer do the shortening.
 
#11
I am 5'2", and usually a 6P. I buy a lot of Ann Taylor petites, but it is still exceedingly rare that I find something off the rack that fits perfectly. I finally found myself a good tailor and all is well. I'm so spoiled now that I even take my jeans and shorts to have the lower back gap removed.:smile:
 
#12
I would also check out old navy since you like BR pants. Old navy uses the same patterns as BR for their dress pants. They aren't lined but use similar materials as Theory. I had several and they hold up well and look expensive when pressed. Right now most of the pants are "mid rise" and are closer to the martin cut. Try on several pairs in your size because I found the rises can vary by as much as 3" in the pants. When I find one that works I just get it hemmed.

The quality isn't great but BeBe and Guess usually have a short rise in additon to Express.
 
#13
I am on the same boat being 5'1". And I recently found the answer to my prayers...VICTORIA'S SECRET.

Yup, they have a lower rise cut, the "Kate" and it fits perfect, also they come in different inseams 30",32" and 34". they're about $60-$70 and I love the quality, so far no problems.

by the way I get the 'seasonless stretch' ones.

Here is a link:

http://www2.victoriassecret.com/col...cgname=OSCLOFITKAT&cgnbr=OSCLOFITKAT&page=all
 
#14
I'm 5' 2" w/ a short torso. I LOVE Macy's INC dress pants. They're a perfect fit for me - no longer need to try them on, I know my size exactly - and they're a great price for lined, good quality pants. I believe they're $69 regular price, but will go on sale from time to time (when I found a bunch in my size for less than $40, I snatched them all up!). I'm not sure if they'll be low-rise enough for you, but maybe worth a visit!
 
#15
mangowife said:
I'm 5' 2" w/ a short torso. I LOVE Macy's INC dress pants. They're a perfect fit for me - no longer need to try them on, I know my size exactly - and they're a great price for lined, good quality pants. I believe they're $69 regular price, but will go on sale from time to time (when I found a bunch in my size for less than $40, I snatched them all up!). I'm not sure if they'll be low-rise enough for you, but maybe worth a visit!
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Good one, Mangowife. I had forgotten about the INC pants, they really are great!
 
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