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Ski jacket/pants for petite female

lenap3

Certified Ski Diva
Hi everyone,

Last year I got a new ski jacket and pair of pants, but didn't like how they looked or performed. Given I'm quite petite (5' about 95-97 lbs), finding gear can be tough. The hardest for me are ski pants, every single adult pair I've had gets torn to shreds by clicking in and out of my bindings. I also have a very small waist (22"), so even ones with velcro adjusters (like burton) usually I end up velcroing to the fleece lining part. Last year I purchased obermeyer kids snowpants, but they're more resort-wear geared and don't hold up well in less than ideal conditions. I also have a helly hansen jacket, this one was a women's jacket xs but resort style as well because the shells were too long on me. I would really love better performing gear for rough conditions, so I was wondering if anyone had luck who is similar in size? I tried as many adult ski pants as possible last season and drove my mom nuts in the process, so I'd prefer to stick to kids ski pants if anyone knows of some really great ones (burton has a new kids goretex line--anyone know about it?). What I'd like to avoid is paying top dollar for something like a pair of arcteryx pants and then rip the ends to shred by the end of the season (their pants are too long on me, I spent an hour trying on various models last season). Any recommendations? Obermeyer petite was too big last year as was a few other brands in petite/short sizes :/

I'll be skiing mostly northern east coast (VT, NH, ME), also going out to JHMR for 11 days in January
 
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marzNC

Angel Diva
Given I'm quite petite (5' about 95-97 lbs), finding gear can be tough. The hardest for me are ski pants, every single adult pair I've had gets torn to shreds by clicking in and out of my bindings.
Been there! I'm the same height, about 10 pounds heavier, a lot older. Haven't been able to fit in youth sizes for several decades. My daughter (now in college) is your size. She mostly fits XS for jackets. I need S or M.

I had one pair of XS Marker insulated pants that actually fit well at the waist and in length. Found it on a rack in north Tahoe back in 2010. I also have a pair of insulated snowboard pants but they are relatively lightweight since I bought them in the southeast.

Once I found that uninsulated pants work better for me, there was only one approach that made sense in the long run. I'd learned that @geargrrl is in the business of dealing with technical material. I found two pairs of uninsulated pants (one for me, one for daughter) during sales and sent them to be shortened professionally. I used the grey pair. Since daughter didn't like the color of the other, it became a backup.

At one point Patagonia Youth Size 16 jackets seemed reasonable. But I never tried on youth pants. We found a good jacket for my daughter in a Boston ski shop buy looking at jackets geared towards the snowboard market.
 

Little Lightning

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm your size but 100lbs, 5'1". Since I've been consistently lifting heavier weights I've put on muscle in my quads and glutes. Waist has gotten a little bigger also. I've tried girls but what fits the hips is huge in the waist. I find that sizes that come in numerical sizes fit better. I've totally given up on what is considered "fashion" brands. I've had good luck with Descente, sizes 2-4, fit and length, Armada-XS and my current fave is Strafe in an XS, a little oversized but gives me room to layer on cold days. If the pants are too long I roll them up when I'm walking so they don't drag and shred on the bottoms. All have material on the inside of the legs to prevent tearing.

I get my best prices online from EVO, REI, and Amazon (only because I was looking for a discontinued color} and Christy Sports. Even though I live in Colorado I rarely find anything in the stores. With Black Friday sales already starting you should be able to find something in your price range. Also, end of season, or summer, is a good time to get good deals. For example, this summer I got a great deal at REI on an Odlo down jacket. Perfect fit in an XS and great for layering under my jacket. Also, read reviews online, they can be very helpful.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Curious if you’ve tried North Face short pants? I am 5’4 and the regular length is pretty good (perfect if I’m barefoot, could be a bit longer in ski boots), so maybe the short would get you close. The inseam is 28.5 for short vs 30.5 on the regular.

@tinymoose might have some good recommendations too.
 

Little Lightning

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm your size but 100lbs, 5'1". Since I've been consistently lifting heavier weights I've put on muscle in my quads and glutes. Waist has gotten a little bigger also. I've tried girls but what fits the hips is huge in the waist. I find that sizes that come in numerical sizes fit better. I've totally given up on what is considered "fashion" brands. I've had good luck with Descente, sizes 2-4, fit and length, Armada-XS and my current fave is Strafe in an XS, a little oversized but gives me room to layer on cold days. If the pants are too long I roll them up when I'm walking so they don't drag and shred on the bottoms. All have material on the inside of the legs to prevent tearing.

I get my best prices online from EVO, REI, and Amazon (only because I was looking for a discontinued color} and Christy Sports. Even though I live in Colorado I rarely find anything in the stores. With Black Friday sales already starting you should be able to find something in your price range. Also, end of season, or summer, is a good time to get good deals. For example, this summer I got a great deal at REI on an Odlo down jacket. Perfect fit in an XS and great for layering under my jacket. Also, read reviews online, they can be very helpful.
I'm also exploring the Kari Traa brand. They are a Norwegian company. I see a lot of their base layers here but they seem to be expanding into outer wear. Not sure of their fit yet but they are a women's only company. I have a pair of tights that fit me pretty well and have ordered another pair, so we'll see.
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
I'm also exploring the Kari Traa brand. They are a Norwegian company. I see a lot of their base layers here but they seem to be expanding into outer wear. Not sure of their fit yet but they are a women's only company. I have a pair of tights that fit me pretty well and have ordered another pair, so we'll see.

They make beautiful stuff, but I think their tops run a little long.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Curious if you’ve tried North Face short pants? I am 5’4 and the regular length is pretty good (perfect if I’m barefoot, could be a bit longer in ski boots), so maybe the short would get you close. The inseam is 28.5 for short vs 30.5 on the regular.

@tinymoose might have some good recommendations too.
Not really short enough for me. Mostly because of the length of my legs in comparison to my torso. I've tried on North Face stuff because it's easy to find and often the small sizes end up on the sale rack.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Not really short enough for me. Mostly because of the length of my legs in comparison to my torso. I've tried on North Face stuff because it's easy to find and often the small sizes end up on the sale rack.

True, I have long legs with a shorter torso, so those proportions definitely matter.
 

tinymoose

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Curious if you’ve tried North Face short pants? I am 5’4 and the regular length is pretty good (perfect if I’m barefoot, could be a bit longer in ski boots), so maybe the short would get you close. The inseam is 28.5 for short vs 30.5 on the regular.

@tinymoose might have some good recommendations too.

I don't think I'm going to be much help b/c I've always bought Burton Lucky pants and she said even Burton pants don't work for her. lol Sounds like my waist is larger than hers, though.

North Face pants have always been too big for me. Jut an FYI there.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
I don't think I'm going to be much help b/c I've always bought Burton Lucky pants and she said even Burton pants don't work for her. lol Sounds like my waist is larger than hers, though.

North Face pants have always been too big for me. Jut an FYI there.

Darn..
 

Little Lightning

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
They make beautiful stuff, but I think their tops run a little long.
Might be good for me then because I have a longer torso and shorter legs. I'm more concerned about the fit though the hips and the bust. Gaining some muscle through my back has changed the fit of a lot of my shirts.
 

SkiBam

Angel Diva
I'm short (under 5 ft) and about 105 lb. Kids' stuff doesn't really work. I've never had a problem getting jackets - lots seem to fit and I have a tendency to buy more than I really need (can you say jacket slut?). Pants are another story and always have to be shortened. So when I get pants I like I keep them a long time - I'm guessing maybe the 4th or 5th year with the current pair!
 

snowburgh

Certified Ski Diva
I am the same size as you and have had luck with 686 XS -> but they could be a little long depending upon your inseam.
that is the ONLY adult pant that has ever been close to fitting, and it they fit loose (which i am ok with).
For a small waste, you may like TNF Girls Large. i have those and they are the right length, but i prefer more room in my waste. (they are a bit shorter than the 686).
For my daughter - we are using BOYS REI ski pants ... but did not ski a lot last year in the north east.

Please post what you end up with. I am am ready to update soon ...
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
For my daughter - we are using BOYS REI ski pants ... but did not ski a lot last year in the north east.
That reminds me, back when I was under 35 I bought a boy's ski jacket on sale in Reno at the beginning of a ski trip. Main advantage of youth jackets is that the sleeves are shorter.
 

gr8outdoors

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
You may want to check out Rossignol pants if you can find them. Years ago we bought them for my son (who is a beanpole) and the waisted on them was quite small.

I used to be thinner than I am now and have Obermeyer girls size 12-14 pants that have a stretchy waiste. They might even be too big on you, but I have had them for over 15 years at this point. I am about 5’ tall.
 

lenap3

Certified Ski Diva
You may want to check out Rossignol pants if you can find them. Years ago we bought them for my son (who is a beanpole) and the waisted on them was quite small.

I used to be thinner than I am now and have Obermeyer girls size 12-14 pants that have a stretchy waiste. They might even be too big on you, but I have had them for over 15 years at this point. I am about 5’ tall.
I have obermeyer 12-14 and they're just huge, but the size 10-12s are a tad too tight on my bum, so looking for a better alternative. I head kjus run small, anyone tried those?
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Yes! I have kjus pants in a size 34 and think they do come in a 32. I'm 5'1 around 102 these days but do not have teensy tiny waist (anymore).
 

Bowl

Certified Ski Diva
I am 5'1. I fell your pain! I found good luck on amazon. I also get extreme warm boy snow bibs from LLbean for sub zero days. regarding jacket, there are many choices for petite women on line. They all fit quite well if you look outside of big ski -specific brands. Two brands I like are: LLbean and Eddie Bauer. They are not ski specific brands, but they do have a few jackets designed for ski. They have petite pants as well for ski.

Hi everyone,

Last year I got a new ski jacket and pair of pants, but didn't like how they looked or performed. Given I'm quite petite (5' about 95-97 lbs), finding gear can be tough. The hardest for me are ski pants, every single adult pair I've had gets torn to shreds by clicking in and out of my bindings. I also have a very small waist (22"), so even ones with velcro adjusters (like burton) usually I end up velcroing to the fleece lining part. Last year I purchased obermeyer kids snowpants, but they're more resort-wear geared and don't hold up well in less than ideal conditions. I also have a helly hansen jacket, this one was a women's jacket xs but resort style as well because the shells were too long on me. I would really love better performing gear for rough conditions, so I was wondering if anyone had luck who is similar in size? I tried as many adult ski pants as possible last season and drove my mom nuts in the process, so I'd prefer to stick to kids ski pants if anyone knows of some really great ones (burton has a new kids goretex line--anyone know about it?). What I'd like to avoid is paying top dollar for something like a pair of arcteryx pants and then rip the ends to shred by the end of the season (their pants are too long on me, I spent an hour trying on various models last season). Any recommendations? Obermeyer petite was too big last year as was a few other brands in petite/short sizes :/

I'll be skiing mostly northern east coast (VT, NH, ME), also going out to JHMR for 11 days in January
 
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snowburgh

Certified Ski Diva
For pants:
In the $500 price range - sale, i like bogner. They are pricey, but i wore my mom's old pants almost 35 years after she did. So - if you can find something in black it would be an investment. I now have the fire and ice and love them and they are holding up well. I am 5". 95lbs. Size 4 - which is a little roomy but i ski hard and like the extra room.

$150 - 686 or roxy which are more geared to young adults and snow boarding, also marmot boys
$100 or less - REI ,Marker, Northface - Childrens size / boys if you dont have hips.
North face girls if you do have different build than a small boy. - My girls use the girls clothes and they dont fit me properly.

Jackets - Patagonia has some shells in XS i have liked for my kids.
Northface (with the thermoball liner) instead of fleece liners. We have passed them on year after year succesfully and currently my older kids has her 3 year on her TNJ jacket.
Others that have worked : Marmot

Everything i mentioned we buy in the spring in the sales. So the price range i provided is not full price.

We ski east and west, so really like layers since one coast is very cold and the other is definitely warmer. That way we can add some wool underneath all of that, and just unlayer as the day gets warmer.

FWIW
 

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