Being tall is a good thing—until it comes to buying denim. At least, that's what I learned from my best friend in high school, who would regularly be brought to tears in the fitting rooms on our mall escapades. You see, back in the early aughts, jeans for tall women were not a thing. (That was particularly tough during the dawn of bootcut era, when grinding your hems under the soles of your Steve Madden flatforms was part of the aesthetic—but I digress.) Today I meet you with my 2021 self, and with some 2021 news, which is this: While jeans for tall people are still hard to come by, things have gotten better for the long-legged among us. To compile this list, I tapped all my tallest and chicest friends, many of who are not riddled with angst anymore. Now, there are a lot of great jeans for tall women!
To determine if a brand carries jeans that will fit, remember that it's all about the inseam, a.k.a. the length of the seam from your crotch to the hem of your jean. If you're average height—or shorter than about 5'9"–most brands think around a 28" inseam will do you just fine. But if you're on the tall side, you'll want to look for inseams 30" or above, especially if you're after wide-leg, bootcut, or slouchy fits. Ahead, nine brands who offer extended inseams for either every single silhouette of denim offered, or enough that we were left thoroughly impressed.
1. Madewell
With over 125 pairs in The Tall Shop, it's fair to say that Madewell is committed to providing good jeans—and a lot of them—for women 5'9" and up. What's especially nice: The offering of cropped styles, so you can purposefully be on-trend, and not just because your jeans are four inches too short.
Our Pick: Tall High-Rise Slim Crop Boyjean, $128
2. Express
When they say long, they mean it. (For instance, the bootcut pair we're wild about come with a whopping 34.5" inseam.) Don't sleep on styles you like, though. Inventory is tight and the best stuff goes quick.
Our Pick: High Waisted Curvy Bootcut Jeans, $80
3. Levi's
Not every single pair of Levi's comes in an extended length, but enough do to make tall gals feel included. Rather than shop for tall-specific sizes, just select your inseam—28" through 32"—before you add to cart.
Our Pick: Skinny Women's Jeans, $89.50
4. Citizens of Humanity
One click into Citizens' long edit yields dozens of resulting styles, from cigarette to stovepipe, and bootcut to boyfriend. The selection is so varied that you can quibble over more exciting decisions—like the ideal denim wash—rather than fussing over inches.
Our Pick: Daphne High-Rise Stovepipe, $218
5. Gap
Gap doesn't dedicate just one inseam to the height endowed. The brand's long offerings boast a 33 ½" inseam, while the tall sizes go all the way up to 35 ½".
Our Pick: High Rise Cheeky Straight Jeans, $41
6. Abercrombie
The long inseam at Abercrombie measures 32.5". The brand does best with lived-in, destroyed denim that looks a lot more expensive than the sub-$100 price tag belies.
Our Picks: '90s Ultra High Rise Straight Jeans, $99
7. Acne Studios
My most stylish tall friend wears Acne jeans, so you, too, should wear Acne jeans. Each cut allows you to select both waist and length, all the way up to 34".
Our Pick: Slim Fit Jeans, $290
8. Ganni
Even before the Levi's collab, Ganni was coming in hot—and long. For styles that need to drag, like the one pictured, select custom lengths run up to 34".
Our Pick: Classic Denim Wide Pants, $235
9. Good American
Not every pair of Good American jeans comes in an extended length. But the ones that do are worth mentioning. (For instance, the Good '90s Loose, pictured here, has a standard 33.5".) Also worth checking out? The perfect skinnies, with their 35" of coverage.
Our Pick: Good Legs, $99
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