"Petite Sized Clothes for Me? You Must Be Kidding ...
Petite Sizes Are For Skinny Women! I Could Never Wear Petites!"

Maybe you've never even considered shopping in the petite section for clothes because you actually eat food and struggle with your weight like the rest of us. All these years you have just assumed that petite sizes were only for skinny women who only eat celery.

Or the last time you visited the petite section, most of the clothing was not stylish and looked like it was meant only for sweet little elderly women.

Confusing the matter more, many misses clothing lines will be sized as P, S, M, L, XL. In this case, the P means petite only in the sense that it is smaller than small, but it is not truly petite sized clothing.

It's time to learn what petite clothing really is. It could open up a whole new world for you.

What Does Petite Size Mean?

Petite Size in clothing refers to arm length, leg length, torso length and proportions ... it has nothing to do with your weight.

Petite sized clothing and fashion is designed for women 5'3" or less.

It is also designed for women with shorter arms or legs or torsos.

If you have ever struggled, as I have, with having to hem everything (shirt sleeves, jacket sleeves, pants, skirts, dresses, the bottom of tops), you should really try on some clothing from the petite section.

• Have you ever found a beautiful jacket then looked at the cuff and thought "pretty buttons, nice detail but once I hem it the detail will be gone"? Shop for petite jackets.


• Have you ever tried on a beautiful blouse or top only to realize it is too long and the proportions are all wrong? Maybe the darts for the bust are too low or the neckline comes down too far? Shop for petite blouses, shirts, tops and sweaters.


• Have you ever stood in a sea of just-tried-on jeans in the dressing room realizing that you will spend even more money getting them hemmed and it seems half the leg will be cut off? Shop for petite jeans and pants.


• Have you ever tried on a dress that was just beautiful through the top but the waistline was too low or you realize that once you hem it the bottom detail, border or back slit will be gone. Shop for petite dresses.

It is true that you will have fewer options in petite sizes than in misses or juniors. But if you shop around and learn how to shop for your body, you will be surprised by the number of great fitting and stylish outfits you can pull together from the petite section. Or try combining one great petite item that truly fits you with other regular sized items.

How Do Petite Sizes Differ from Regular Sizes?

Regular sized clothing is designed for women at least 5'5" tall.

For many reasons, regular sized clothing does not fit women who are more than a few inches shorter. The sleeve lengths are too long, the leg lengths are too long, and the torso is too long. If there is any detail in the torso area, the item will have to be significantly altered for a proper fit. Sometimes (and this has often happened to me) the tailor will just look at you like "why did you even buy that? it would have been easier to just design it from scratch."

Properly sized petite clothing will not only have shortened arms, torso and legs, it will also have design details that are more appropriate for the petite frame. For example, it may be styled to give the illusion of more height through vertical lines or detail near the upper body.

Unfortunately there are some designers and lines who just take a little off the legs and arms and slap a petite size tag on it. It will take a bit of trying on and comparison shopping to find the brands that work for you and to find the brands that design petite clothing correctly. You will also have to wade through a sea of petite clothing in department stores that is designed for the geriatric set. (Do not get me wrong they deserve nice styling clothing too.)

Having said that, selection is much better now than it used to be. You can now find decent selections of stylish clothing in petite sizes.

What are the Standard Measurements for Petite Clothing?

U.S. Standard Clothing Sizes for Petites may be the standard but I have found that different brands and designers use different measurements and standards. And these standards do change over time as the population changes.

You really have to check the size chart for the brand you are considering or better yet try it on. Also if buying online read the reviews. A few years back, I purchased a trench coat in a petite size online. When it arrived, I was shocked that I could not even see my fingertips and the coat hit me midcalf. It went back to the store. Once I read the reviews I realized that everyone had this problem. Happily, I was not a mutant. Not long after that it seemed the item had been taken off the site.

Are There Petite Sizes for Larger Women?

Yes. They are called Petite Plus or Plus Size Petite. If you are a regular petite and are frustrated by shopping, just imagine the frustration experienced by our plus-sized sisters. Our limited selections to choose from just got whittled down even further. Plus so many women just have an aversion to even shopping in the plus size sections.

But, fit is not about the number shown on the size tag, it is about what fits your body and looks good on you. If you have a large chest, I don't care what your arms and belly look like, you have to find clothing that fits your chest. You can usually take a garment in, but there are limits to how much you can take it out. You can buy a $500 jacket from a designer, but if the cuffs come down to your fingers you will look silly and you'll always be pushing up the sleeves trying to make the jacket look right. It won't.

"Oh I'll Just Take It To the Tailor Like They Say On TV"

TV makeover shows always say "take it to the tailor". But unless you live in a big city, this is easier said than done. Many of us live in rural areas and the closest thing to a tailor is the local (or no) dry cleaners whose idea of tailoring is to hem a pair of pants. Or you have a relative who knows how to sew. They may do a nice job of hemming, but it is unlikely they can reproportion your garment.

Plus, who wants to buy something pretty to wear, then have to spend even more money and wait a week to get it back from the tailor, dry cleaners or your sister-in-law who sews. How many items of clothing have you bought intending to get it tailored and today it's still at the back of your closet or in a bag on the floor?

Save money. Buy clothing that fits "off the rack" whenever possible.

Why Don't Designers Make Clothes for Real Women?

Statistics indicate that the average American woman is roughly 5'4" with a standard deviation of roughly 4". So that means that 40% of all American women are 5'3" or shorter and roughly 25% are 5'1" or shorter.

The vast majority of clothing is only sold in standard sizes for misses sizes 4-14 for women 5'4" to 5'8" tall. The fashion industry says this is the most profitable market. Huh? So apparently most designers don't mind leaving 40% of the potential market on the table? Or maybe they only want to sell to anorexic tall super models? I thought the purpose of business was to make money but I digress.

I Think I Might be Petite on the Top, But My Legs are Long ... and other combinations

Don't be afraid to shop for one part of your body in the misses section and the other part of your body in the petites section.

Sure this might not work for a matched business suit but most of us shop for only a few of those. For a matching suit, feel free to buy the top and bottom in different sizes. Or choose a brand that has the same suit in both misses and petites. Buy the best fitting suit you can find and then get it tailored.

Otherwise, shop separates. They are what's hot anyway. Try pairing a cute petite sized jacket that really fits your short torso and arms with a nice pant or skirt in standard sizes to show off your nice long legs. You get the idea.

What are Some Tips for Dressing the Petite Body?

I see these tips all the time. But really? It matters more what type of petite body you have.

What works for a 5'0" woman who weighs 95 pounds and has a small bust is not going to necessarily work on someone like me who is 5'2" and weighs 130 pounds (I wish) and carries all my weight in the middle.

That said, fit your problem area first. My problem area is my waist. I can look at a size chart and see that I don't fit a specific size. If I fit my waist it tells me I should be in a size 14P or 16P but I can often wear a 10P or 12P and if I fit into an 8P I'll buy it just because it fits even if I don't like it :).

So you have to try on and shop and learn what works for you.

What almost never works? Horizontal stripes ... but if you're 95 pounds, a cute nautical top with horizontal stripes would look cute. So throw out the rules and beware of fashion tips.

For example, my latest pet peeve is when they tell someone like me to put a belt on to create the illusion of a waist. I do not have a waistline. Putting a belt on my non-existent waistline just tells everyone "look I have no waistline" when they might not have noticed otherwise.

Where Can I Find Petite Clothing?

God bless the Internet and a few enlightened designer who dress for real women.

Back in the dark days, you had to schlep around to different stores to see if they carried petites. Usually they were only found in a back corner of the department store. Once you eliminated the polyester pants with elastic waists and the grandma tops, there were about two racks left that you might consider. On the other hand, I spent less money on clothes back then.

Now your choices, both in stores and online, are quite good. Most of the department stores carry petites, although you still have to work to find fashionable clothes if you are younger or young at heart. Also the petite sized clothing in many stores tends to gravitate toward bottoms (eg pants and jeans) with smaller selections for tops and jackets. You will walk through racks of petite clothing only bought by sweet little old ladies. But be patient. There are treasures in the petite section.

And why oh why do department stores put the petite dresses with the regular dresses instead of in the petite department??? Why must I schlep all the way across the store to find the two racks of petite dresses when no one in that section of the store is going to try on a petite dress? Nuf said.

It's getting easier to shop for petite clothing, but there's still room for improvement.

On many web sites, you will find petite clothing under Special Sizes. Beware that if you are shopping in the Misses section and see a P in the available sizes that just means the P is smaller than Small and it is not a true Petite. Also, if you do a search on a particular site for "petite" you will also return results for misses sized clothing that is just a P, eg not a true petite. You really need to go to the Petite section (sometimes found in Special Sizes).

Stores that sell petite clothing for women include: Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Macys, Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, JCPenney, Belks, Stein Mart, Dillards, Talbots, Ann Taylor, JCrew, Banana Republic, Coldwater Creek, Kohls, Gap, Old Navy, JJill, Lafayette 148, Lands' End, L.L. Bean, Chadwicks and DressBarn. Go to our Where Can I Find Petites section to find a list of retailers and some helpful shopping tips for buying petite clothes. If I've missed someone, let us know.

What Designers Make Petite Clothing

It is stunning to me that so many designers choose to ignore 40% of the market. I guess they don't want to do runway shows with us munchkins. However, they should know that most of us women who have money work too hard to work out every day and we're shorter than what the fashion industry considers short (5'7"). So come on designers. There's a whole world of customers out here waiting to spend our money.

Fashion designers who get it: Michael Kohrs, Calvin Klein, Max Azria BCBG, Donna Ricco, Ralph Lauren, Eileen Fisher, Vera Wang, 7 for All Mankind, Not Your Daughter's Jeans, True Religion, Citizens of Humanity. If I've missed someone, let us know.

In Conclusion

• Petites are not just for tiny women who never eat
• Petite sizing refers to arm length, leg length, torso length and proportions, not to your weight.
• Limit tailoring costs and never worn clothing by buying clothing that fits off the rack
• Petite sizing (done right) means more than just shorter arms and legs. Petite clothing is styled and proportioned differently.
• Petite size dimensions vary from brand to brand. Check size charts or try on.
• Plus size women can also shop for petite sizes.
• There are no hard and fast rules for dressing the "petite" body because we are all different.
• Petite clothing is more available than ever but you have to shop around.
• Shop for the body you have.
• Don't fret about the size on the label.
• Remember that a few really great outfits are better than a closet full of clothes you never wear and that don't fit.
• Encourage your favorite stores to expand or include petite selections.
• Tell the stores what you want and don't want.
• Hold your breath and turn blue for the day a runway show or one of the reality TV competitions features real women who eat. :)

Now go shopping!

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