34: Why Your Wide-Leg Pants Look 'Frumpy' and 8 Easy Petite Fixes

Do wide-leg pants make you feel the dreaded 'F' word...frumpy?

When they're good, they're elegant, comfortable, and polished enough for work or weekends. 

And when they're bad, they make us look shorter, wider, and throw us into the “borrowed my taller sister’s pants” category.

In this episode, Petite Style Coach Angela Foster breaks down 8 simple style tweaks that help Petites wear wide-leg pants AND avoid the frumpy factor.

Inside the episode, you’ll discover:

👖 Why wide-leg pants look frumpy on Petites—and what to check before blaming the pants

👖 How to choose the right inseam based on the shoes you’ll actually wear

👖 The fabric, pleat, and proportion mistakes that make wide-leg pants look wider, heavier, or less polished

And so much more.

Angela also shares which Signature Body Shapes need to pay extra attention to volume, movement, and balance when choosing wide-leg pants.

By the end, you’ll know exactly what to tweak before you give up on wide-leg pants completely.

Because Petites absolutely can wear them.

We just need the right style strategy.

Resources Mentioned

Petite Body Shape Quiz
Best Petite Boutique Directory

Petite Wide-Leg Pants Pinterest Board
Episode #32: Petite Proportions: Why Your Outfit Feels Off and How to Fix It  

Transcript

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Is it any wonder we all want to look great in wide leg pants? Of course not. They're incredibly versatile, elegant and classy at work, slouchy and slightly sexy for when we're going for an effortless vibe, and they're comfy in denim on the weekends. Yet many style coaching clients are hesitant because they're concerned wide leg pants make them look shorter, wider, and even frumpy. But why is that? Because we know from seeing petite style icons and even our fellow short friends that petites can absolutely wear them and look super chic. So what are we doing wrong? Well, that is exactly what we're gonna talk about in this episode. The tiny style tweaks that we can make when we want to wear wide-leg pants without the frumpy factor. My friend, this is gonna be a good one. I'm Angela, your petite style coach, and when you're ready, let's dive in. Welcome to Inside Petite Style, the only podcast created exclusively for women, 5'3, and under. You've built an incredible career, you've navigated all the crazy life changes. And somewhere along the way, getting dressed stopped being easy. Maybe your body's different or your role is different, and your closet, it just has not kept up. I'm Angela Foster, Petite Style Coach since 2018, and creator of the Spark Petite Style Method. And together, you and I will get your wardrobe back in shape. Every week we'll talk about why petite proportions require a different approach. Discover what actually flatters your body shape and works with your lifestyle. And get all the insider shortcuts on where to shop so you're not wasting hours scrolling or even worse, settling for good enough. This is about more than looking good. It's about walking into any room, whether it's a big presentation or client meeting, a family event, or heck, just Tuesday, and feeling confident, polished with a style as smart and savvy as you are. Let's get this style party started. A couple things before we jump in. The first is while we're specifically talking wide leg pants, these same troubleshooting spots can apply to every style when something's not working. And the second thing is, is be sure to hang around until the end when we're going to talk about the best brands and the best places to find wide leg pants for petites. Oh, okay. Three things, I guess. One other thing, and that is that all of these pictures are from the Petite Wide Leg Pants Pinterest board. That's a tongue twister. I'll add the link to the description so you can find it easy peasy and see even more inspiration. Okay, so style tweak number one, and let's eliminate the elephant in the room. As petites, we often blame the pants as the issue. And sometimes that's true, but not always. So the first thing that we should ask ourselves when we think the pants look frumpy is could it be what we paired with them? So for example, you're a signature body shape number three, which means your shoulders and bust measurement are similar or the same to your hip and thigh measurement. So you have two choices. You can keep the balance by wearing tailored pieces on the both top and the bottom, or you can choose to add volume on the bottom, in this case in the form of the wide leg pants, while avoiding adding any volume on the top by pairing it with something more tailored. The same exact rules apply for signature body shape number four, right? Because you have natural volume from the waist up, so you want to avoid adding any more there in that area. And the wide leg pants are brilliant because they add volume from the waist down, hence balancing out your overall shape. Now, if you're not familiar with body shape three or four, first of all, welcome. I'm so glad that you stopped by. And as soon as you and I wrap up this wide pant leg conversation, you'll want to hop on over to Inside Petite Style and take the petite body shape quiz. It'll not only explain why you feel like wide leg pants look frumpy on you, but it will also solve a ton of other petite style conundrums, like how to create flattering outfits from all the pieces that you have in your closet, or what shoes to pair with different pants, which blazer is right for you, and so much more. Now, it's super fast, it's only seven questions and takes about two minutes. Okay, back to the wide leg pant confrontation and how to avoid the frump. Now, in case you're a signature body shape number six, hang tight. We're gonna cover everything you need to know in just a little bit. Tweak number two, know what shoes you're going to wear first. Now, it may seem counterintuitive, but when buying pants, know or at least have a really good idea of what shoes you're going to wear with them. The reason why is because the inseam you order will be a whole lot different if you plan on wearing, say, pointed toe stilettos with a four-inch heel, than it will be if you're planning on wearing them on a casual Friday with low profile sneakers. Buy the longer pants and then wear them with the sneakers, and we'll end up having a wad of material at the bottom, not to mention end up looking like we're wearing our taller sisters' pants. Definitely not the executive presence we want to portray. Now, just in case for whatever reason you really, really need to wear your wide leg pants with several different heel heights, here are a couple of brands to check out MM LaFleur and by Neil Vernon. Again, I will put both of those links into the show notes. They both offer pants with an adjustable length. One caveat though, they are not petite brands. So you'll want to double check the rise before you order to make sure they hit you at a great spot. Tweak number three, consider the material. Signature body shape number six is you'll want to pay special attention to this one because it can make all the difference. Now, a quick refresh: number sixes you have natural volume from the waist down, which means you want to choose styles and silhouettes that add volume from the waist up and avoid adding volume from the waist down. That can be tough though, right? With wide leg pants, unless we choose styles in a thinner material that have movement. So for all of us, imagine a pair of wide leg pants in a thick, heavy corduroy or a pair in a really thick, rigid denim. The material lacks movement, and when they're wide and on the loose side and don't graze your body at all, they can make us look larger than we actually are from the waist down. On the flip side, imagine a pair of wide leg pants in a linen or jersey that moves with you. Completely different experience, right? They're lighter weight, more flowy, and that movement hints at your figure underneath, completely avoiding the frumpy factor. Tweak number four. We're going to stick with the top being the problem and ask ourselves: is the proportion right for petites? In episode 31, we talked all about proportion and how it helps us put together the most amazing outfits. In case you missed it, you'll definitely want to add it to the top of your playlist. I'll add the link to the description so it's easy to find. We won't rehash everything we talked about, but here's a quick sound bite so we're all on the same page. A good rule of thumb is that the hem of our top, our blazer, our sweater, whatever, should hit no lower than the top of our hip bones. If it does, and it's possible, then tuck it. Either solution will create that waist definition, which is super important for us because we have less vertical real estate. As far as proportion goes, you might think that's it. But there's one more thing to consider, and that is the silhouette of the top or the sweater. One of my coaching clients recently sent me several mirror selfies for outfit audits. She's leaving for a big business trip in a couple of weeks and has done quite a bit of shopping and wanted to get some feedback. Wide leg pants look amazing on her, except when paired with a very blousey sweater. First, because while the hem technically landed at her hip bones, there was no waist definition. Hence, the two together looked frumpier than what she wanted. If you ever find yourself in that same situation, a quick solve is to pop a belt on over the sweater. That will typically give you the waist definition that you're looking for. Frumpy is such a funny description, right? Because it means all different things to all different women. To some petites, it means not flattering or old-fashioned. To others, it brings to mind how our moms and grandmothers dress, which is often tied to our middle section looking fuller than we would like. Which leads us right into tweak number five, which is pleats. Specifically whether they pull apart instead of lying flat. Pleats that pull apart will create the illusion that our middle section is fuller than it actually is. And here's the part where I say something you probably don't want to hear. If the pleats pull apart, then try on a larger size and see if they lie flat. If so, problem solved. If not, it may simply be a bad style for you. Not to jump on a soapbox, but if the thought of a larger size made you wince or completely tune me out, here's the truth. No one cares what size they are. And honestly, you shouldn't either, because it's simply an arbitrary number that some chick or some machine sewed into the pants. The number has nothing to do with how great your bum is or how you were blessed with curvy hips or anything else. In case you don't believe anything I just said, then cut the label out when you get home and move on with your day. Okay, soap ran over. What are we up to now? Like tweak number six or something. I was trying to think of a good analogy for this one and could only come up with one that might be remotely helpful. When I was growing up, I had this really irritating cousin. And one year at Thanksgiving or Christmas or something, the whole family was together and he burped. A couple of my uncles laughed, and for the rest of the holiday, that annoying little brat would not stop burping. Some positive reinforcement, and all of a sudden the burps got louder and louder and longer. Well, that's clothing brands for you. We keep buying wide leg pants, and in their quest for our attention and money every season, they keep making them wider and wider and wider until they are so huge that no one under seven feet tall will look good in them. No matter how many savvy petite style tips we bust out. All that to say, wide leg is one thing. Pants that are so wide that they're really more of a Palazzo pantslash bell bottom hybrid, mimicking a full-length dress, is a whole other ball of yarn and should really be avoided. So keep that in mind when shopping at brands in stores that like to push the envelope. Two more quick ones that we've talked about a lot in recent episodes, so I'll mention them briefly and then link them both in the show notes in case you miss them. The first one is to create a long column of color by going monochromatic from head to toe. Second, choose a pointed toe shoe, preferably in the same color as your wide leg pants. Both of those will help avoid the frumpy factor. Alright, as promised, there is a list of the best places to find wide leg pants for petites. And it's called the Best Petite Boutique, a free directory of all the best brands and stores with petite size clothes. You can grab your copy at AngelaStylecoach.com forward slash BPB for best petite boutiques. Okay, do you know what time it is? Yep, it's time for this week's style challenge. This week is super easy and super helpful. Take a pair of wide leg pants you already own and think looks frumpy, then do a quick scroll through all the tweaks we just talked about. Is it the top that's causing the problem? Or do you need taller shoes? Or to hem the pants so you can wear them with lower ones? Is the material too stiff and just refuses to move with you? Whichever one it is, make that small change, try on the pants, and then let me know how it went. Did it solve the problem? And how are you feeling about wide leg pants now? Be sure to email me at hello at angela stylecoach.com and spill all the juicy style beans. But wait, before you head on over to your closet, be sure to follow the show or the YouTube channel, however it is that we're connecting, so you never miss out on a petite style tip. Thanks so much for hanging out, and I will see you back here next week. Thanks for tuning in to Inside Petite Style. When you're ready to create a wardrobe that fits your hype, flatters your body shape, and makes getting dressed fun and easy, head over to insidepetitstyle.com and take my free Petite Style quiz. You'll get personalized tips and strategies made just for your proportion and your hype. And hey, you know that girlfriend who's always rolling up her sleeves and hemming her pants? Share this episode with her. She needs to know she's not alone and that there are real solutions. See you next week. Until then, have fun and stay stylish.