Inseam (Inside Leg) Lengths...

I recently wrote on another petite group about how pant lengths seem to be increasing over the years. As late as 2000 or so, I was still able to buy regular length pants at many main street stores without alterations. Then, they became longer, and at the same time, petite pants became longer as well. When Banana Republic first launched its petite line, pants were offered at two lengths, 26.5" and 28.5" (which, according to this 2003 article, were "industry standards"...can anyone confirm this? 26.5 seems a little short. In any case, I thought standard was 29"...though J.Crew lounge pants are 28.5" and some petite pants at UK's Next are also shorter than 29", such as this pair of boot cut trousers and the pants for this suit) Today, Banana's petite pants only come in one length, 30", though the length was 29.5" until recently. Paige Premium Denim's petite jeans are a whopping 31", which is technically "short" at many other brands. But why this sudden increase? It's not like petite women have shot up 2 inches in the last three years. A 30" (actually, 30.5" might be better for some) inseam may be great for someone who is 5'2" or 5'3", especially those wearing a 2" heel, but what if you like flats? Or maybe the person is shorter or has shorter legs? Wouldn't it be better to have more than one length, or is this just part of what sells and what doesn't?