Slim sizes are for kids who fit a regular size in height but swim in the waist. They keep the same length as the standard size and take in the waist and hips. Here's which of the brands on Little & Youth make slim sizes — and how differently each one defines "slim."
Same height as the regular size — only the waist changes. By how much depends on the brand, and on the size.
Every published slim size — one dot per brand, per size — by how much it takes in the waist. Through the smaller sizes it holds near the usual 2 inches almost everywhere; at the bigger sizes it fans out, to 4 and 5 inches, as brands stop sticking to a standard.
● 2 inches ● more or less than 2 inches
All 10 brands on Little & Youth that carry slim sizing.
| Brand | Slim sizes offered | Waist vs. regular |
|---|---|---|
| Lands' End Kids | Girls & boys: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 | −2" to −5½" |
| JCPenney Thereabouts | Girls: 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 | −2" to −4" |
| Walmart Wonder Nation | Girls: 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 Boys: 8, 12, 14, 16, 18 | −2" to −3½" |
| French Toast | Girls: 4, 5, 6X, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14 | −2" to −3" |
| Children's Place | Girls: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 Boys: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 | −2" (every size) |
| Gap Kids | Girls & boys: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 | −2" (every size) |
| Justice | Girls: 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 | −2" (every size) |
| Kohl's Jumping Beans | Girls: 4, 5, 6, 6x, 7, 8, 10, 12 Boys: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 | −1½" to −3" |
| Old Navy | Boys: 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 | −2" (every size) |
| Target Cat & Jack | Girls: 5, 6X, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14 Boys: 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14 | −1½" to −3" |
A slim size keeps the same length as the regular size but takes in the waist (and usually the hips). It's made for a leaner child who fits a size in height but finds the regular waist too loose. Across the brands that publish figures the take-in averages about 2–3 inches — though, as the chart above shows, it isn't standardized from brand to brand.
No — that's the key point. A slim is the same height as the regular size; only the waist and hips are trimmer. So if the length is right but the waistband gaps, a slim usually fixes it without losing length.
It depends on the brand and the size — that's the point. For the smaller sizes it's about 2 inches almost everywhere, but it grows in the bigger sizes, reaching 5½ inches at the top of the range. Lands' End Kids takes in the most, while Children's Place, Gap Kids, Justice, and Old Navy hold to a flat 2 inches at every size.
When the waist already fits, changing the size just to fix the length usually leaves the waist wrong again. The better move depends on which way you need to go:
Waist fits, needs more length: don't just size up — a bigger size adds waist and rise along with the length, so the waistband ends up loose. Pick a slim in the longer size instead: it gives the length while keeping the trimmer waist. If the brand has no slim, look for an adjustable elastic waistband (inner button tabs), which many kids' pants have.
Waist fits, needs less length: don't size down — a smaller size takes the waist in with it, so it'll pinch. Keep the size that fits the waist and have the length hemmed, or choose a style with an adjustable or roll-up hem. A slim won't help here, since slim changes the waist, not the length.
Either way, Little & Youth does the matching for you: enter your child's waist and height and it shows, brand by brand, the size and fit — regular or slim — that best lines up with both measurements at once, and points you to the brands with slim or adjustable-waist options. So instead of guessing which measurement to compromise on, you start from the choices that already come closest on both.
On Little & Youth, Lands' End Kids, JCPenney Thereabouts, Walmart Wonder Nation, French Toast, Children's Place, Gap Kids, Justice, Kohl's Jumping Beans, Old Navy, and Target Cat & Jack all carry slim sizing. Coverage varies by brand — some carry slim only in the bigger sizes, and a couple carry slim sizes without publishing a comparable chart — so check the size range above.
Enter your child's waist and height once and Little & Youth shows the right size — regular or slim — across the brands on the site, each pulled from that brand's own published chart.
Find your child's size →