NOTE: In order to provide readers of my Blog with the most clothing options to choose from, I try out more styles than I’m personally able to buy and keep. I do my best to note which items I have personally bought. Please be aware that items with a “Buy” rating may not be ones I personally own. The “Buy” rating indicates that the clothing item passes my standards for garment fit. Additionally, there are “affiliate links” (i.e. a link with a special tracking code) in this blog post. If you purchase something via “affiliate links” on my blog, I may earn commission.

After a reader reached out to me about where to find straight leg jeans, I realized that I’ve hardly covered this topic on my blog! Also writing this review showed me how much harder it is to find straight leg jeans than it is to find skinny jeans that fit me! The theme that kept coming up for me as I tried all of these styles was that the front side of the jean would look amazing and then the back would look terrible 🙁

Hopefully, you’ll find this review helpful and it will save you from the frustration of striking out! The good news is that I did find some promising options!

---

MY MEASUREMENTS

---

Height = 5’ 2’’ or 157.5 centimeters

Bust = 34.5’’ or 87.6 centimeters

Waist = 27.25’’ or 69.2 centimeters

Stomach = 31.5’’ or 80 centimeters

Hip = 38’’ or 96.5 centimeters

Thigh = 22.5’’ or 57.2 centimeters

Calf = 14’’ or 35.6 centimeters

Inseam = 27’’ or 68.6 centimeters

Bicep = 9.5’’ or 24.1 centimeters

*all measurements in centimeters are approximate and are rounded to the nearest tenth

---

MY DENIM RATING SCALE

---

Length: 1 to 5 (1 being not petite friendly, 5 being petite friendly)

Fit: 1 to 5  (1 being not curve/pear friendly, 5 being curve/pear friendly)

Waist Gap: 1 to 5 (1 massive waist gap, 5 no waist gap)

Price: $ to $$$$ ($: under $50, $$: $50 to $99, $$$: $100 to $149, $$$$: $150 and up)

Everlane The Curvy 90s Cheeky Jean – Size 28 Ankle

What I loved…

• Petite-friendly length – I always order Ankle length jeans from Everlane because I find that they work well for my height. If you’re shorter than me or need a shorter inseam, these might be slightly long.

• Style – When you think of a vintage 90s jean, this is what’s comes to mind from the wash to the rise! 

• Slight waist gap – Overall, these fit me decently well in the waist. While there was a slight waist gap, it wasn’t a deal breaker. 

What could have been better…

• Drag lines – These jeans looked perfect from the front, but sadly they didn’t look great on the back side. They were tight in the inner thigh area so there were some drag lines. 

Denim Ratings: 

Length: 4

Fit: 3

Waist Gap: 4

Price: $$

Garment measurements:

Waist = 28”

Front rise = 11.5”

Back rise = 16.875”

Hip = 41.25”

Inseam = 26.5”

Thigh = 25.75”

Calf = 15”

Leg opening = 13.75”

Verdict: Don’t buy! 

LOFT Petite Curvy Button Front Fresh Cut High Waist Straight Crop Jean – Size 28 Petite

What I loved…

• Style – From the button front fly to the kick flare hem, these jeans are so cute!

What could have been better…

• Too big in waist – As much as I wanted these jeans to work, they were too big in the waist. I’ve run into the same issue with their curvy skinny jeans before so I think they just aren’t made for my proportions. 

• Drag lines – Similar to the Everlane jeans, these jeans were tight in the inner thighs so there were some drag lines in this area. 

Denim Ratings: 

Length: 5

Fit: 3

Waist Gap: 3

Price: $$

Garment measurements:

Waist = 30.5”

Front rise = 11”

Back rise = 16.75”

Hip = 40”

Inseam = 23.5”

Thigh = 25.5”

Calf = 16” 

Leg opening = 15.75”

Verdict: Don’t buy!

Madewell The Petite Curvy Perfect Vintage Jean (Coffey Wash) – Size 27 Petite

What I loved…

• Ideal length – These ended just about my ankle bone, which is great for wearing with sneakers. However, I think they are a bit longer on me than intended looking at the photos on their website. 

• Fit – Out of all the new styles that I tried these by far fit me the best! They fit so well in waist (minimal gapping)! Also there were hardly any drag lines on the backs of the thighs.

• Comfy – I love that these jeans have some spandex because they felt so soft! 

Denim Ratings: 

Length: 5

Fit: 4

Waist Gap: 4

Price: $$$

Garment measurements:

Waist = 29.125”

Front rise = 12.125”

Back rise = 16.625”

Hip = 37.5”

Inseam = 25”

Thigh = 24”

Calf = 15”

Leg opening = 13.75”

Verdict: Buy, but order one size down! 

Madewell The Petite Curvy Perfect Vintage Jean (Fitzgerald Wash) – Size 27 Petite

What could have been better…

• Waist gap – These were too big in the waist! You could wear a belt with them, but it was an annoying gap!

• Drag lines – Similar to other jeans I tried in this post, these jeans looked great on the front, but there were drag lines on the back thigh area.

Denim Ratings: 

Length: 3

Fit: 3

Waist Gap: 3

Price: $$

Garment measurements:

Waist = 30.25”

Front rise = 12”

Back rise = 18”

Hip = 40”

Inseam = 25.125”

Thigh = 26.25”

Calf = 14.75”

Leg opening = 13.25”

Verdict: Don’t buy!

Levi’s 512 Straight Leg Vintage Jeans – Size 6 

What I loved…

• Fit – Compared to all the new 100% cotton jean styles that I tried, these jeans still fit me the best. There’s no waist gap and the back rise fits just right. Also there are minimal drag lines on the back thigh. (Which is mostly due to them being stretched out slightly right now because I’ve worn them a bunch).

What could have been better…

• Previously were too long – These are actually a Size 6 long so I had to have them significantly hemmed after purchasing them. If you’re petite, it’s not always easy to find jeans that are made for your height so be prepared to have alterations. 

• Tight in hip and thigh area – These jeans are a bit tight in the hip and thigh area sometimes, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me. Also the more I wear them, the more that I break them in. 

Denim Ratings: 

Length: 4

Fit: 4

Waist Gap: 5

Price: varies based on vintage seller

Garment measurements:

Waist = 28.25”

Front rise = 11.375”

Back rise = 15.375”

Hip = 38”

Inseam = 27.25”

Thigh = 24”

Calf = 16”

Leg opening = 12.75”

Verdict: Buy! (These are vintage jeans so you might not be able to find the exact same pair! For reference I spent about $20-$25 on my pair at No Relation Vintage. However, you may find that they are more pricey online.)

Where to Shop: L Train Vintage/No Relation Vintage (stores in NYC), Ebay, Etsy, Poshmark and Depop.

Abercrombie Curve Love High Rise Mom Jeans – Size 28 Short

What I loved…

• Minimal waist gap – Compared to the Abercrombie Curve Love Ultra High Rise Straight Leg jeans these fit me much better! While the jeans were slightly big in the waist, the jeans didn’t gap due to the waistband being stretchy.  

• Length – This time I opted to buy the short length jeans (rather than regular) and they were the ideal for me!

What could have been better…

• Slightly big in certain areas – If you look at the back image of the jeans, you can see they look a little baggy in the thigh area. I will point out that my weight is lower (my current measurements above) than normal so these jeans were a bit in the hip area as well. If I had been back at my usual measurements of 28’’ waist and 40’’ hip, then I likely wouldn’t have had this fit issue. 

Denim Ratings: 

Length: 5

Fit: 4

Waist Gap: 4

Price: $$ to $$$ (depending on wash)

Garment measurements:

Waist = 29.75”

Hip = 41”

Front rise = 11.50

Back rise = 15.25”

Thigh = 25”

Calf = 15.25”

Ankle = 13.75”

Inseam = 24.75”

Verdict: Buy! (I’m going to wait until they restock new colors because it was a bit limited when I ordered).

Levi’s Ribcage Straight Leg Ankle Jeans – Size 28 Waist x 27 Inseam

What I loved….

• Silhouette – I’ve really been wanting another pair of vintage-looking straight leg jeans because I think they look chic and are so versatile. While I’ve found it easy to find skinny jeans that are petite and pear-friendly, it’s been much harder to find straight leg ones that work for me. These were definitely the closest I’ve gotten. 

• Length – These are petite-friendly length and are great if you’re planning to wear them with sneakers.

• Super high rise – Y’all already know that I’m all about high rise jeans! I love this pair because they remind me of my vintage Levi’s

• Comfortable – If you’re not ready to wear 100% cotton jeans (which generally require a breaking in period), then these area great in between. They are made of 99% cotton and 1% spandex. They look like a vintage jean, but have just enough stretch when you’re sitting down so they’re comfortable!

What could have been better…

• Slight waist gap – Although these have a slight waist gap, it wasn’t a deal breaker for me because they sit so high on my waist. Therefore there’s less risk of them sliding down. I could definitely wear these without a belt based on how they sit on me.  

• Thighs are too tight – My main complaint about these jeans is that the thighs are a little small for me. They don’t feel uncomfortable by any means, but it’s definitely visually noticeable.

• Drag lines at knee – Since these jeans are tight in back thigh and a little big in the knee area, there some drag lines on the side of my knees.

Denim Ratings: 

Length: 5

Fit: 3.5

Waist Gap: 4

Price: $$

Garment measurements:

Waist = 29.5’’

Front rise = 12.5”

Back rise = 16.375”

Hip = 35”

Thigh = 22.75”

Calf = 17.5”

Inseam = 27”

Verdict: Buy! (I’m setting these as a “buy” rating because they were a much better fit than the premium denim options I tried last year.)