Talk

I'm 5'1 and the only trousers short enough for me are either Dorothy Perkins or tesco extra short (only £6!)

M&S petite range do extra short - I'm 5ft & they're a good fit. Some of the trousers are reasonably plain & non-frumpy.

I can only buy from petite ranges too. I find boden to be the best by far. Banana republic are good too for some things but are pricey. Other ranges which do petite are m and s, Wallis, principles in debenhams, Dorothy Perkins, debenhams own brand ... I will try and think of some more.

Can't really offer any advice, but I feel your pain OP! Haven't bought trousers (apart from jeans) for years for this very reason, and I'm 5'3! All very well saying they can be rehemmed, but as you say it's extra ££ and for some styles the overall shape is affected if you alter them.

At 34, I'm recently struggling to find suitable petite-proportioned clothes in general - choices seem to be either the likes Topshop/New Look, whose clothes fit me but are often synthetic tat in horrible prints, or Next, DP etc, where most things tend to be a bit frumpy. I love Cos and & Other Stories, but almost everything in there swamps me.

The one place I can think of that has a decent 'smart' petite collection is Banana Republic - it's all a bit tailored for me, but might suit for work? Will await further replies with interest...

I'm just 5 foot and have taken to buying ankle length trousers - not ankle length on me but don't need altering. Uniqlo have a large selection

Gap petites are a good length

Matalan do shorter lengths. Got a pair of dark stretch slim leg £10 jeans there yesterday. Length 29".Good for big thighs and chunky calves.

Thanks everyone. Will investigate Banana Republic. sonata 29" is still 2" too long on me!

Banana Republic website says their petite trousers are 31" inseam. No go for me!

If you can get to uniqlo (they only have branches in London) they will tailor any bottoms you buy for free and you collect them later on that day.

I too haven't bought smart work trousers for years.

Another shortarse here (5 foot if I stretch) - I recently found some black work trousers in the Debenhams petite collection. Not exactly high fashion, but ok for work.

I find I have to shorten debenhams petite and I am 5ft nothing. But I can hem trousers in my sleep, I even have to do pyjamas.

Some american brands will hem trousers to the length required- landsend for instance, but they don't really do smart.

You could try Precis Petite or JD Williams - they do short length though may well be too frumpy for you.

Boden have a really large petite range with good choice of colours. I get a lot from there, but I also buy regular length cropped trousers which work for me as normal length trousers.

4 foot 11 here. All my trousers come from M & S in shorter length. In summer I mostly wear crops

I've found topshop to be the best for me . I'm 5ft . I think they do. 28" leg

I'm not even that short - 5'4" which used to be the average height for a woman - and I need to buy petite ranges these days.

I look around me and although I do see a lot of tall younger women, it feels as if clothes are made for a race of giants.