STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

curiouscookie · BCBG

Help for a Petite person

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

I know Banana and Ann Taylor have petite sizes, but I have no idea how they fit.

Also, if you have a Macy's, they have cute petite stuff.

hotcocoa · Kate Spade

j. crew has great classic clothes in petite sizes: suits, trousers, sweaters... all your classic basics and i think the fit is wonderful on most of their items.

i know banana republic carries petites as well, but i never shop there, so i cannot vouch for fit.

i've also taken things that "almost" fit me perfectly to my tailor. it seems that i always, always have to have the waistband taken in... even on Petite 0s.

Grace · Dooney & Bourke

I'm petite also. 5'2" about 102. I have a really hard time too, I feel your pain. The thing is, I can't afford to shop at places like banana or j.crew. Sometimes Old Navy works but their pants never fit quite right. Although I did just get a pair of denim trousers there and they fit awesome. I usually end up shopping at a lot of junior stores but then it's hard to find work appropriate things.....good luck. I think it's the reason I'm a shoe person.

-- Edited by Grace at 13:30, 2005-11-17

TexasGal · Kenneth Cole

I'm very petite as well and I feel your pain. I can never find things that fit properly...I have practically sworn off Gap, BR, and the like cause their clothes are way too big. I usually just look around...it can be very hit or miss. Sometimes even stores where the clothes are normally too big might have a style that runs small. The stores where I can easily find things that fit are places like AF, AE, Hollister, and the juniors dept. at department stores. Online boutiques are good too...I find they usually don't vanity size as horribly.

Cecilia · Nine West

I am so there with you! I am 5' (well, really 4'11" & 1/2--but you round up, right?) and VERY curvy, even at 98lbs. I have also been trying to build a quality wardrobe, but every time I think I'm getting there, I lapse back into "buy it because it fits" syndrome which ends with me having pieces that don't really go together. That's fine for jeans and casuals, but my work wardrobe has sunk down to Gap cotton pants and Old Navy t-shirts (for some odd reason, Gap shirts and Old Navy pants don't fit well!), not exactly the greatest wardrobe.

But here's what I have found. My favorite department stores: Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom. I'd never step foot into their petites department, because the clothes make me look like an old lady (even though technically, I am). Instead, Juniors works well, along with a good taylor.

Melange4women carries a few things like Isda and AG Jeans that fit me really well. Actually, AG Jeans in size 25 are nearly perfect (although if they have too much stretch, they slide down my hips after a while). I have a pair of Paper Denim jeans with no stretch that are pretty good too. Love Old Navy for basics and cottons. Also I've found that if you email the Melange ladies, they will help you quite a bit: One of the owners discovered that we had similar proportions and tried on nearly every pair of jeans they had in the store to give me feedback! It was so cool and funny at the same time.

I could never wear Ann Taylor or Banana Republic or J Crew, the clothes are too big, too boxy, too skinny, and just don't fit right. Once in a while, Anthropologie will have a shirt that looks really good on me (and isn't just a basic, which I have way too much of!), but I can't wear their skirts or pants, way too big and too expensive for tayloring.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone purchased clothes from Garnet Hill? They have some petite clothes that look cute, they advertise that they are "organic" (which I take to mean natural fibers and soft fabrics), but they're a little on the expensive side to take a chance on.

If I'm in need of a dress, To the Max! dresses fit fairly well without a taylor, but of course look better after tayloring. I also had some success at RevolveClothing, and they have a good return policy, which always helps.

I do wish there were more "petite" styles that involved more than "just the basics" though. It's really hard to be small & fashionable at the same time.

Hope this helps,

-- Edited by Cecilia at 14:57, 2005-11-17