I recently took advantage of J.Crew’s big sale and bought another pair of these awesome pants that I had been loving in navy. I was curious about how the standard sizing would compare with the petite, so ordered both to try out.
Sydney Wide Leg Pant
The pants in their latest 4 season fabric have been one of the best additions to my wardrobe this year. The fabric feels weighty and substantial for me, with a little stretch that’s comfortable for all day wear. For commuting in the cold weather, I’ve also tried them on with stretch ankle booties for ankle coverage.
I’m 5 feet tall and the Petite is a slightly cropped, ankle length on me, while the Standard is nearly floor length on me and works perfectly with flats or lower profile sneakers. If you like to wear heels, I think the Petite looks better on someone my height for an intentionally cropped look.
Petite 00 crop: 24” inseam, 9.5” rise, 12.5” across the waist
Standard 00 crop: 26.5” inseam, 10” rise, 13” across the waist
Notice the Petite sizing is not only shorter, but also proportionately smaller at the waist and rise compared to the same style pant in Standard sizing. FYI there is also a newer Full Length Sydney style but with a much longer 30″ petite inseam, too long for me personally to wear even with heels.
Other Pieces I Tried On
- Sophia tweed dress – Gorgeous and well made shorter dress. Even though the 00 fit is loose on me all around, this was a keeper and I’ve already worn it with turtlenecks layered under. Length is good for petites and would be mini on someone taller. See on me.
- Cable knit lady jacket (see try-on pic at bottom of post) – This is a chunky, cropped cardigan jacket that’s thick in weight. The balloon sleeves also add to the relaxed vibe, compared to the slim classic look of their Emilie cardigan jacket.
- Vintage rib Lady Jacket – this is more like a ribbed long sleeve tee shirt that is thin and snug fitting and not really a “jacket.” However, if I sized up the sleeves would be very long.
- Double breasted top coat in Petite sizing. I’d only recommend this newer style for someone who wants a more masculine overcoat, as this has defined shoulder pads and a looser boxier fit. The quality is nice though, with a weighty wool fabric and full lining.
- Daphne coat (see try-on pic at bottom of this post) – I also like the relaxed, classic fit of this in a size 00 regular, but note that it is unlined and made of a textured boiled wool fabric.
Chunky Stripe Sweater
In tons of colors and stripe options. This is a more plush, thicker weight pullover that’s slightly wider and relaxed cut with a shorter petite-friendly length. I’m surprised they titled this a crewneck since it’s more of a low mock neck which I personally like. I fold the sleeves up once on this one.
Lady Day Coat
Mine is a few years old so I can’t speak to how the latest version fits, but in my experience the sleeves run short and the Lady Day is one of J.Crew’s smallest and slimmest-fitting coats. Most reviewers mention sizing up, and as you can see in the below photo, my previous 00 Petite is now too snug on me especially with a weightier sweater under. If I were buying this same coat again now, I’d go either 0 Petite or 00 Regular for a longer sleeve length.
J.Crew Factory also carries a version of this coat in petite and classic sizing.
I ordered the petite lady day coat from JCrew factory and found that it was slightly longer than the JCrew lady day coat. this made me looks slightly stumper. Have you noticed sizing to slightly off in the factory website vs JCrew?
I personally haven’t tried the Factory Lady Day coat yet, but I am not surprised there are sizing and cut differences between Factory and regular J.Crew. I do wish that the Lady Day coat that I have were a little longer, so I may need to check out the Factory version!
Jean,
I so appreciate your website! I am looking for a pastel or neutral color suit( blazer and pants) to wear for my daughter’s wedding. I have tried suits from Theory and J.Crew, and while the angle length pants fit perfectly (full length on me), the blazers are disproportionately long. I am 4’11” and a 00p, 88lbs. Do you have any other suggestions? I have thoroughly researched your resource list. Please help!
Thank you so much, Julie! Sadly I’m afraid I don’t have any recommendations that would be a good fit for your frame – anything I have tried would likely need some alterations to be the right fit on you. However, if you are open to getting alterations, Ann Taylor has some lovely crepe suits in neutrals and colors that could work well for your daughter’s wedding!
Jean, do you launder your Sydney pants or dry clean them? I’m trying not to buy anything that I can’t wash at home, so the recommended dry cleaning is a deal breaker for me. Thanks for your help!
I dry clean them but I wash them very infrequently, only when dirty, so it has not been an issue! I haven’t found any pants with a professional quality fabric like these that I’d feel confident washing in the machine, though if anyone has hand washed these successfully, I’d love to know!