I have the opposite problem.

I am long waisted and have short legs.

Trying to find yoga pants or

pajamas is difficult.

I wear a 34 inch inseam just to get pants to hit the tops of my shoes. Tall sizes don't work for me as I am normal waisted. Just have super long legs.

I complain because I have to have most of my pants shortened...I haven't thought about it from your prospective, seniorgal!

It is not easy to find the petite length, I wear a petite and so many times I have to get average and cut and hem them or have it done. It Is extremely exasperating. I guess we all have a problem except those "average" folks.

A lot of petite and short sizes are 30 inches. Perfect for me would be 28.5 for jeans and shorter in dress pants. I am like Carol. Even petite pants are too long unless I wear them over boots.

Rhizo is correct about petite being an industry standard for body length proportions.

I must be an odd size = average too long, petite too short - a lot of hemming done here.

I'm a petite. As a teen I remember having bell bottoms hemmed. They lost most of the bell!

Now, with petites, it's a bit easier. Although, I have been disappointed in the Gap lately. The short length jeans are too long now.

I guess you have tried Gap? In your case, I would keep going online to all the sites. Every two weeks or so. There is always something coming in. Once you find something, get at least three pairs(or more!). My motto: One on, one in the closet and one in the wash/dry cleaners. I am a firm believer in dry cleaning pants that fit me well. Jeans included. They stay nicer and last longer. After a few years, I will bump the jeans down to the wash. Although dress slacks are always dry cleaned.

Pants are the only thing I will pay full price for. Then, I will follow it and get subsequent jeans or slacks on sale.

Don't get me started on how hard it is for me to find shoes. That can be another thread.

It is interesting how many people don't get the petite concept. I have a friend at work who wear a 16P. She always talks about how it's an oxymoron to say she is petite.

Is there a petition out there to manufacturers to quit making lowered waistline pants? Haven't they saved enough on those shorter zippers? I've certainly seen more than enough of the 'muffin tops' and belly flab these showcase. The only *waisted* pants I find are Gloria Vanderbuilt brand.

I'm another long-torso, short-leg variety. I can sometimes wear petite pants without hemming, but they are not really proportioned right (Maybe only my thigh bone or my lower leg bones are short; not both?) Petite pants sort of 'pull' at the knee. At least I can find 'regular' and 'petite' pants in size 6 -- that would be the size 8 or 10 of my youth!

I'm only really aware of my short legs when trying to keep up with my DIL and grandchildren, all of whom are the long-legged variety! I am like a little beetle, scurrying along with two steps to their single stride.

Chisue, it looks like the trend is swinging our way. Waistlines are getting higher.

Ok, ladies. And do you remember when panty hose first came in? Mini skirts were in, but hemlines were higher even if you did not wear a mini skirt. Garter belts were not working, but panty hose were made for short girls at first. I am tall (5 feet 7 1/2 inches), but too short to wear tall sizes. Panty hose were not long enough--the crotch came to just above my knees. It took over a year before tall girls could buy hose that fit. A bit of history.

I'm short-waisted but not really tall so I can wear average length pants. My arms are also relatively short, so the sleeves on many long sleeve sweaters and tops comes way down past my wrist. I try to shop in the petite section for tops if possible. If not, I just push the sleeves up some or look for three-quarter sleeve tops, which are more like regular long sleeves on me. Pants, though, are hard for me because of my hip/waist proportions. No matter what weight I'm at, my waist is app. 12 in. smaller than my hips. Finding pants that don't have a big gap in the waist isn't always easy. I usually wear the travel knit type for work. They don't wrinkle and have an elastic waist. I tried the lower rise pants but they don't work for me. I'm self conscious when I sit in them and feel like I have to wear a really long top to avoid any issues when I sit down. I guess all of us have our different challenges with clothes!

I have a tall/skinny friend with a 36-inch inseam (I swear her legs start just under her chin ;-) so she just wears dresses/jumpers/split skirts she makes herself, and a couple pair of ill-fitting men's jeans.

My mother-in-law had scoliosis and one hip was drawn up much higher than the other, therefore she had to alter every pair of slacks/pants/jeans she ever purchased or made, and alter them in several areas of the garment because one leg was longer than the other and the length of her hips were different. There wasn't anything in ready-wear that fit.

Meanwhile, HER mother-in-law had a poorly-set broken leg as a child and one leg was 3-inches shorter than the other and she had to have a specially made shoe to compensate for the difference and still walked with a hobble. She would wear boys bib overalls (she was very tiny) because that was the only thing that would fit her comfortably for working on her farm because they hang from the shoulder, not the waist, and it was difficult to make a dress look "correct" on her (more geometry than tailoring).

I have a body "designed by a committee" - long narrow waist, short legs, and an hour-glass figure, so if I find things that fit my hips, the waist has to be taken in (I love things with a draw string or elastic!!!). Glad I learned how to tailor clothing in high school because I've been doing it all my life.

When I took my Master Knitting Class, the instructor had to alter her husbands sweaters 9-inches from one shoulder to the other in order to make the sweaters hang straight at the waist because one shoulder dropped by that much due to childhood polio.

So not to be snarky, because I've spent a lifetime working over ready-made clothing trying to make them fit properly, but THEY (my tall skinny friend, mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law and knitting instructor had something to complain about.... I'm just slightly inconvenienced, by comparison (LOL).

If you are of a mind, you can get computerized patterns designed for your body and have clothes made to fit you perfectly. This is especially helpful for people with severe/unusual conditions.

-Grainlady

I also wear petite sizes but find that they not only make parts shorter, but also narrower, sometimes petite jeans are too tight in the knee or tops are too tight in the arm or shoulder.

I hope they never stop making low waisted jeans, I despise being grabbed at the waist. I like being comfortable. I miss those couple of years in the 70's when hip-hugger bell-bottoms were in style!

I better stock up on low-waisted pants, regular waist pants sit on my ribs.

I used to be 'hour glass', and I have narrow shoulders and 'no' back. Now the 'sand' in the top of the 'glass' is migrating downward. I still have the problem of a blouse that fits my shoulders being too tight over my bosom.

I am short and order capris online from various websites. They are the perfect length for me, and I never have to worry about hemming.

A little off topic but what is it with women's jackets and coats these days. I swear the out shell is cut from a fitted blouse pattern and the lining and fluff is added after. I have jackets going back 12 years or so that still fit me marked small and medium. I can even layer them over a sweater or sweatshirt. I've been trying to get a new warm coat/jacket for 4 years now. Even size large won't fit me and the sleeves are 4 or 5 inches too long. What's with the tapered skin tight jacket trend?

I gave up trying to buy women's jeans because of the length issue. Men have the luxury of buying with waist and inseam specifics, so I have bought them many times in the men's department. Glad I don't wear jeans often!

Yeah, what's up with making the sleeves longer instead of actually making the shirt/jacket fit right? I have to get it to fit across the top portion and when I do that, the sleeves hit midhand? weird!

Have you checked out Blair? Over time I have ordered mostly sweat pants, which is what I like for everyday wear. I'm waiting now on an order for two pair. I'm a 5ft2 petite size type so don't have your problem, but Blair has a good petite size information link which might be helpful for you. Good size helps here.

I tried Blair. Found that they simply lengthened the legs. Did not take into account the "rise" or crotch length. Makes it kinda hard to sit down. I used to buy Penney's Worthington brand and was quite satisfied. Most of my comfortable pants came from Land's End, but even they have gone to shorter rise, wide waistband styles. Of course part of my problem is a bigger middle.

Have you tried Llbean? They have talls. I happen to be tall but with a long torso and get my bathing suits from them because they sell longs