Are you really a Petite?
June 26th, 2006The word “petite” in French means “small”. Quite understandably, people therefore assume that petite clothing is for slender and smaller framed women. This is a misconception – petite clothing is for shorter women irrespective of their size. If you are 5’3” or below, chances are high that you should be shopping in the petites department.
However, this is not always the case – especially if you are on the cusp with your height. This is something that surprises me every single time I dress a lady between 5”2 and 5”4. Women may be petites for the top half of their body, but not for the bottom half, and vice versa. Whether you are a petite will depend on:
- The length of your limbs
- The width of your shoulders
- The size of your bust
- How short-waisted you are
Ideally, if your height is around the 5’3” mark it’s best to try on both petite and regular size ranges. As annoying as this might be, the correct fit is crucial. A 5’3” person that I took shopping recently had always assumed that she was a petite because of her height. Clothing for her top half was for most part uncomfortable. We changed her size from a 4P to a size 2R and, hallelujah, the fit was perfect! Her long arms and shapely bust called for another set of proportions despite her height.
The biggest trap that women fall into with petite clothing is with the length of skirts and bottoms. While regular sized clothing will certainly be too long – petite proportions can be too short (see “perfect pant lengths please”). In this case, shop in the regular department and have your bottoms altered. If you buy your bottoms at Nordstrom – they will hem for free!
Pretty petite options at Nordstrom.
June 26th, 2006 at 8:19 am
And for those of us that have been short our whole lives, what fun indeed to buy something in the regular sizes.Hallelujah, indeed!
February 1st, 2007 at 10:20 am
I was browsing the old body type entries and found this one. Something else to consider is frame size, especially if you are on the heavier side.
I am 5′2″ and generally wear a sz 12 or 14R. I can’t wear petite sizes at all — not because I don’t fit into them, but because they’re hideously uncomfortable. They assume I have a small frame surrounded by fleshy bits, but I don’t; my hipbones, ribs, shoulderblades, collarbones, and wristbones are all either readily visible or actively engaged in the sticking-out process. As a result, petite bottoms pinch over the bones and gap hugely in front. As you might imagine, this is both not a good look and not going to win any awards for comfort.
I spend a lot of time either hemming things myself, or paying people to hem them.
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Although I’m nearly 5′5″ with long legs, I like to shop the petite’s for skirts because I can find professional styles in shorter lengths than in the regular dept. I’m not talking mini-skirt lengths, just at or above the knee.
June 21st, 2008 at 6:44 am
Don’t forget that the rise of the pant/ short is also different in petite styles. Too often people have told me that I can just have regular pants hemmed, however this still leaves me with the dropped crotch effect.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Am I really a petite? I am 5′4″ 130 lbs, 35-29-39 (pear/triangle). I have narrow shoulders, short arms, a long torso and short legs. Petite tops fit perfectly across the shoulders, through the chest and in the sleeve length but are just too short (ending at my navel). Regular tops/coats/dresses are too big in the shoulders and chest but just right in length. I am having difficulty deciding what size trench coat to order, should I order the petite to have it fit across the shoulders and through the arms or a regular to ensure proper coverage around my hips (the pear issue)? I’m interested in the Gallery Belted Trench Coat at Nordstrom.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/29.....0423c27407
July 8th, 2008 at 7:41 am
I have a true petite figure but unfortunately a lot of petite clothing is cut for a longer-waisted/longer armed person - And hence are not true petite sizes at all. I am 5′2″ tall with relatively average body proportions for my height according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Army on this site: http://robyn.faeriemanor.org/B.....ons.phtml. Plug in your height and it will tell you what average measurements are for others of your size and gender. Despite that a lot of petite clothing is not cut short enough in the waist or arms, but the pants are cut way too short! They are supposedly fitting a woman who is 5′3″ and under, but a lot of petite pants are cut for someone who is no more than 5′ tall. I have had to learn the brands that tend to cut longer or shop in the regular misses’ department.
What really bugs me is the lack of selection. If 60% of women in the U.S. are 5′4″ and under, then why are there so few choices for them? And why do they cater for an increasingly older market? I am 50 years old and I think a lot of the clothes they push in petite sizes look matronly! And I don’t dress too young for my age, either. I know this has been a rant for a long time amongst petites but no one is listening. I am happy that chain stores like Banana Republic, the Gap and Ann Taylor are selling petite sizes of the same styles that come in regular sizes. I also wish manufacturers would not “cutesy-fy” petite clothing. We don’t want to look like little Betty Boop dolls, just regular women! OK, rant over for now!