Petite vs. Petite Short vs. Tall Pants: Pick Your Length
Choose pant length by inseam: our exclusive Catherines Suprema® Pant is 30" Regular, 27" Petite, 25.5" Petite Short and 33" Tall.
Petite Short is the shortest of the four lengths, made for women about 5'0" and under; Petite suits roughly 5'1"–5'4"; tall adds length beyond regular. Your inseam is what decides, and it shifts from style to style. Across our Catherines Suprema® collection, our signature pant comes in all four for sizes 0X-6X!
How do the four lengths compare by inseam?
Petite Short is 1.5"–3" shorter than Petite, Petite is 2"–3" shorter than regular, and Tall adds about 3" over regular. The exact numbers move by style, as the listed inseams below and on our product pages show.
Read across a row to see how one style steps down or up. Read down a column and you'll see why "Petite" alone isn't enough: it ranges from 26" to 28" depending on the pant.
| Style | Regular | Petite | Petite Short | Tall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suprema® Pant | 30" | 27" | 25.5" | 33" |
| Suprema® Wide Leg Pant | 30" | 27.5" | 24.5" | Not listed |
| Suprema® Legging | 28" | 26" | 24" | Not listed |
| Right Fit® Pant (Curvy) | 30" | 27.5" | 25.5" | 33" |
| Smooth Fit Pant | 30" | 28" | 25.5" | Not listed |
| Refined Pull-On Pant | 30" | 27.5" | Not listed | Not listed |
| The Knit Jean | 29" | 26.5" | 24.5" | 32" |
Which length fits your height?
Start with height, then confirm with your inseam. Catherines points women 5'1"–5'4" to Petite and women 5'0" or under to Petite Short, with Regular and Tall covering longer legs.
- 5'0" and under: Petite Short, with inseams of 24"–25.5".
- 5'1"–5'4": Petite, with inseams of 26"–28".
- Taller than 5'4": Regular, at 28"–30" depending on style.
- Longer legs for your height: Tall, at 32"–33".
Height is only a starting point. Two women at 5'2" can need different lengths if one is longer through the torso, which is why the measurement below settles it.
How do you measure your inseam?
Measure a pair of pants that already fits you well, from the crotch seam to the hem along the inner leg. That number is the inseam to match against each pant.
- Choose pants whose length you like with the shoes you wear most.
- Lay them flat and fold one leg back so the inner seam is visible.
- Run a soft tape from where the seams meet at the crotch straight down to the hem.
- Round to the nearest half inch and note it for every pair you shop.
No pair that fits right? Stand barefoot and have someone measure from the top of your inner thigh down to where you want the hem to land.
Why can two pants in the same length fit differently?
Because each style sets its own inseam. A Petite Suprema® Pant is 27", the Petite Suprema® Wide Leg is 27.5" and the Petite Knit Jean is 26.5", so check our product page details each time, even within a collection.
Measure new pants against your inseam when they arrive, before you wear, wash or hem them.
Bunching at the ankle usually means the inseam runs longer than yours. Dropping one length, from Regular to Petite or Petite to Petite Short, typically removes 1.5"–3".
Does leg shape change the length you need?
Yes. Silhouette affects where a hem lands and how much length shows, which is one reason listed inseams vary between leg shapes.
- Straight leg: the Suprema® Pant skims from hip to hem, so the hem is on display. Match your inseam closely.
- Wide leg: the Suprema® Wide Leg Pant has a slightly wider leg for a smooth drape, with its own lengths: 27.5" Petite and 24.5" Petite Short.
- Legging: the Suprema® Legging is designed for a long, lean look and runs shorter overall, at 28" Regular, 26" Petite and 24" Petite Short.
- Slim jean: The Knit Jean has a slim leg, with a 29" Regular and a 32" Tall.
Which Catherines pants come in Petite Short and Tall?
Six of the styles here come in Petite Short and three in Tall; the Refined Pull-On Pant stops at Petite. Size spans differ by style, so check each one.
- Suprema® Pant — all four lengths in 0X–6X, with Petite and Petite Short in 0XWP–5XWP. Fans stock up on this easy, pull-on pant; one reviewer has "about 20 black."
- Right Fit® Pant (Curvy) — all four lengths in 16W–34W (16WP, 16WPS and 16WT through 34). It's designed for women fullest at the hips and sits among our plus size work pants.
- The Knit Jean — all four lengths: 0X–6X, Petite 0XWP–5XWP, Petite Short 0XWPS–5XWPS and tall 0XWT–5XWT. Browse more pull-on and classic jeans too.
- Suprema® Wide Leg Pant — Regular, Petite and Petite Short in 0X–6X.
- Suprema® Legging — Regular, Petite and Petite Short in 0X–6X.
- Smooth Fit Pant — a pull-on style with an elastic waistband in Regular, Petite and Petite Short, 0X–6X.
- Refined Pull-On Pant — a flat-front pull-on in Regular and Petite, 0X–6X and 0XWP–5XWP.
To compare beyond these seven, shop every length in plus size pants and filter by the Size Family length that matches your inseam.
Frequently asked questions
What inseam is Petite Short?
Across the styles above, Petite Short runs 24"–25.5". It is 25.5" on the Suprema® Pant, Right Fit® Pant (Curvy) and Smooth Fit Pant; 24.5" on the Suprema® Wide Leg Pant and The Knit Jean; and 24" on the Suprema® Legging.
What is the inseam for the Petite pants?
Petite inseams run 26"–28" by style: 27" on the Suprema® Pant; 27.5" on the Suprema® Wide Leg, Right Fit® (Curvy) and Refined Pull-On; 28" on the Smooth Fit Pant; 26.5" on The Knit Jean; and 26" on the Suprema® Legging.
What do WP, WPS and WT mean in a size?
They mark the length: WP is petite plus, WPS is petite short plus and WT is tall plus, so 2XWPS is a 2X in petite short. Some styles label petite short with WP, so confirm the length on the listing.
Can I just hem a regular-length pant instead?
You can, but ordering the length closest to your inseam skips the alteration and keeps the original finished hem. That is why Petite, Petite Short and Tall are offered as their own lengths.