Denim
Jan 15, 2019

How to Wear the Anti-Skinny-Jean Trend When You're Short

by Allyson Payer

I don't think I'm alone in saying that I was a bit intimidated by the whole baggy-jean trend when it first appeared. I'm not a person who only wears skinny jeans, but I just assumed that the only people who looked good in the looser style were at least 5'9" (which is five inches taller than me). But anti–skinny jeans have become such a thing so quickly that I decided I could no longer avoid them. So I took my 5'4" self and set out to figure out how to wear anti–skinny jeans as well as the models do. (Wish me luck.)

First things first, finding the right loose-fit jeans is key. I looked for a non-stretch pair with less than a 30-inch inseam, deciding on Reformation's Dawson jeans (which have a 29-inch inseam). The jeans also have an ultra-high 12-inch front rise, which I knew would be helpful in making my legs look longer. The next step was figuring out what to wear with them. Since proportions can be tricky with baggy jeans, I took to Instagram in search of inspiration. The most successful baggy-jean outfits I came across featured tops that were cropped enough to expose the waistband and shoes that added some height.

Keep scrolling to see how I fared and to check out some of the baggy-jean outfits that inspired me, and shop my favorite pairs on the market.

My First Attempt

How to wear baggy jeans when you're short

Photo:

@allypayer

I found this to be the easiest way to wear loose jeans: with a cropped sweater and heeled ankle boots. Since I'm a newbie at the trend, the simplicity of this combination worked well for me.

My Second Attempt

Photo:

@allypayer

This time, I went with a little more layering, pairing the Reformation jeans with a cropped cardigan, patent-leather jacket, and square-toe mules. I'd definitely wear this look again.