Shopping for Petite Sizes

Chris987

Angie’s suggestion
about looking for petite sizing in a wrap jersey skirt if you are short got me
thinking about petite shopping in general. If you need petite sizing as I do, I
highly recommend you try shopping online. I’ve had a lot more success lately
with online shopping than in stores. (I
have the same comment about shopping for shoes, will save that for another
time).

More and more
retailers are eliminating their brick and mortar petite departments, but still
carry petite sizing online. Most of my
local TJMaxx stores have stopped carrying petites, and the only one that still
does only has Ralph Lauren preppy styles so if you’re not into preppy you are
out of luck. Nearby Nordstrom’s have very small petite departments. The Lord
and Taylor in the first mall I ever went to as a teenager has just stopped
carrying petites,
and they said their other store in area would be expanding it’s petite
department but looks to me like it has shrunk. I could go on but you get the
idea. Apparently the sales dollars in petite departments are just not high
enough to justify the cost of the floor space. (I’m just talking about the U.S.
here, I’m not familiar with shopping patterns in other countries and I know
women tend to be smaller for example in Asia.)

Online it’s
completely different, the possibilities seem endless and many retailers carry
petite sizing ONLY online. Also you can
sometimes find regular sizing that works… blogger Jean Wang at extrapetite.com
(mentioned in the outfit blogger list here at YLF) recommends looking online
for tops/dresses that appear short waisted/cropped on the models, they often
fit well for a petite. I have not tried this much but do see it could work.

On the con side you
have to spend time going through all the options, deal with deliveries/returns,
and make sure to return things before the bills are due. On the pro side you
get lots of choices, get to try them on at home and not have to make up your
mind immediately, and the big retailers are very good about returns.

I for one have become a big fan of online shopping.

Would love to hear
other comments about experiences shopping for petite sizes.

8 years ago

Shopping

24 replies

Latest reply was from Chris987

Chris987

Veteran

wow, that formatting sure is awkward!!! Lesson learned for next time.

8 years ago

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

So true about more petite options online than in stores.

J. Crew, Eddie Bauer, and Gap only have petite sizes online.

Banana Republic - some stores carry petites, others do not.

You can return petite items to J. Crew, Banana Republic and Gap stores even if they don't carry them in the stores - occasionally there will be a "return by mail only" item at Gap, but that's not because it's petite. Either way, it's free. Not sure about Eddie Bauer as I've never had to make a return there.

8 years ago

Anonymous

This is precisely the reason I have to order online.

8 years ago

AviaMariah

Veteran

This is one reason I do a lot of on line shopping. In my area the best BM store to shop petites is Nordstroms. But they tend to cater to a "more mature" demographic than my taste. Occasionally I can go in and hit the jackpot but it's usually with more basic items. The Loft used to have an ok selection but the store just closed. The other stores I shop at online you've already mentioned - BR, GAP, WHBM. I'm also trying to get better at looking at measurements instead of how an item looks on a model. The other day I was looking at ordering a dress (I can't even remember from which store). It was a petite size and looked like the right proportions on the model. Then I looked at the model stats and she was 5'9". Why would you have someone 5'9" model petite sizes? I need to look for more crop tops. I haven't really done this yet.

8 years ago

karen13

Veteran

I have been doing a ton of on line petite shopping recently - I've lost 15-20 lbs after bringing basically the same size for 20+ years. I pretty much need new everything.

I tend to buy online from stores that have a BM presence in the nearest large city - 45 minutes away, but I get down every week or so. But there are many retailers who offer easy mail order returns, often free. The GAP-Athleta-Old Navy-Banana Republic group gives free prepaid mailing labels, and everything from those retailers is returned to the same center. And they all offer petite sizes.

My pet peeve is is the inconsistent sizing between petite and regular sizes. Some stores make petite size smaller (often a full size) than the comparable misses size. I discovered that at the Limited - at least they tell you that in their sizing charts. Some are the same width measurements, and some don't say.

I recently compared Old Navy cami dress the petite was about 2 inches narrower around bust/waist. That is a pretty big difference.

It helps to pour over the size charts and the reviewer comments, and adjust from there.

My hardest time is finding high end technical gear - Gore-tex shell ski pants/ parkas. The few manufacturers who make "short' versions only seem to do so in pants, not tops, and only for the lower end of their line.They are almost impossible to shorten because of the zippers/cuff details. I'd love to get suggestions on this front -maybe brands that run short.

8 years ago

karen13

Veteran

I've returned petite items to the BM Eddie Bauer. Lands End petites can be returned at Sears, and just had some great success with Kohl's online petite dresses, was able to return the one I didn't like at a local store.

For discounters, Burlington Coat Factory and Nordstrom Rack offer petites on line and take in store returns.

Loft, Ann Taylor and Talbots all carry petites online although I haven't purchased anything from them so I have no experience with returns there.

8 years ago

Chris987

Veteran

karen13 totally agree on the inconsistent differences between regular and petite, and the fact that some retailers share very detailed measurements online so you can figure it out and some do not.

I too find it hard to find good workout gear in petites, even in the lower end brands. I have only found one brand that carries shorter tops, it's one of the JCPenney store brands (can't remember the name) so they don't last all that long.

I know of one way to shorten sleeves that have zippers on them that I have done myself. It involves essentially taking a "tuck" in the sleeve, usually up above the elbow but it could be anywhere. You end up with a visible seam around the upper arm of both sleeves. It's tricky if the sleeve tapers a lot, and if there are multiple layers that have to be done separately. Don't know if a tailor would do it, I did it myself. Once on a lightweight wool coat that worked well except I didn't take enough and the sleeve is still a little too long. The other time was on a raincoat with a separate lining, did both pieces and it worked out well. Both were black so the sleeve seam was not too obvious.

Good comments on all the stores that will take returns even if they don't sell petites on the premises....there are a lot of them and that helps.

8 years ago

Keix

Veteran

Oh, I hate hate hate shopping for petite workout gear. It took me a year to find a track jacket that didn't have thumbholes in the sleeves (because the sleeves were always too long and thumbholes made it impossible to cuff them). I have had better luck with pants, because retailers seem to understand the need for varying inseams better (Athleta has a good selection) and at least they're easily hemmed.

8 years ago

Marilyn

Veteran

Yes, to all of the above. It's extra tough to get petites in Canada. We don't have the same availability and ordering from the US is not cost effective these days. I do still order from J Crew because you can do online returns in store now so no more paying to send things back.

For workout gear I like Lululemon.....they do free alterations so most pants, tops and sleeves can be tailored to fit.
I actually just purchased a cover stitch machine so I can hem my own knits now. Very excited about that.

8 years ago

catgirl

Veteran

Athleta carries gear in petite which is WONDERFUL!

8 years ago

Chris987

Veteran

I didn't know Athleta had petites, so thanks Alaskagirl. Just checked their website and they have bottoms, dresses, skirts, basic Tshirts (all sleeve lengths) and long sleeved sunblock tops all in petites.....but none of the many other types of tops they carry in regular sizes. I'm short waisted so it's tops I need in the petite sizes. Step in the right direction I guess. Marilyn I hem my own knits too but get a little tired of having to alter ALL of them. I need to stop whining....:-)

8 years ago

Keix

Veteran

I'm sad that Athleta doesn't carry petite workout tops in the majority of their line, too, although I'm long-torsoed so I can get away with a regular size. They do offer free hemming on bottoms in-store, so I wonder if they would do it for tops as well? If you have a local store, it's worth asking.

8 years ago

Banoffi

Veteran

Good topic for a post! I do most of my shopping online because of the need to get petite sizing in most things. Most of the local B&M stores like BR and J Crew don't carry petite sizing; only Ann Taylor does. It's come a long way since I first entered the work force and have to wear suit. I lived in the UK then, and it was virtually impossible to find good petite suits (ones that weren't frumpy and/or super cheesy.) I love having all the options online now!

I had no idea Athleta carried petite sizing - I need to check it out.

8 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Yes, this is why I am a dedicated online shopper! I do sometimes check out the misses' version of a garment in the store before I order its petite version, just to get extra info on color or how the fabric feels, but I rarely just go into a store to shop because nothing is going to fit me right!

I have managed to get a couple of tops from places that carry only misses' sizes IF the top is extremely body-con on the model and IF it looks cropped. Then I am good to go. At first I also thought that if I tucked, that would eliminate the problem with the shirt being too long, but I have found that because the waist hits too low, there is too much excess fabric above my waistband, which looks yucky.

It's so frustrating, because petite offerings are usually so boring that I could cry.

8 years ago

karen13

Veteran

Lululemon seems to offer free hemming for tops too, based on this blog post http://www.thepetitepearprojec.....fkzvic8b5w

Marilyn - i'm so jealous of your cover stitch machine! I am experimenting with a twin needle, but haven't taken the plunge on an actual item I wear yet. I just found and the learned to use the "triple stretch stitch" on my beloved 40 year old Elna, but a true cover stitch would be so much better.

Chris987 - A few months ago I shortened a cuffed sleeve on a shirt at the shoulder, by taking it of off and reattaching - same problem - I didn't shorten it quite enough - so annoying to do all that work and not get a perfect result. I can't do that or the tuck on Gortex, because of the sealed seams, but I will keep it in mind for other items.

8 years ago

carol3012

Active Member

Would like to keep tabs here since I buy everything petite.

Workout gear is terrible. Sometimes I have some luck buying XS things (then it's a crapshoot to see if the shoulders and the armpit fit, forget the length of sleeves now -sigh-) but I really do wish Athleta carried a petite top line. I'd buy em in a heartbeat.

Nordstrom is where I get my fittings. Eileen Fisher is one of my favorite designers, albeit expensive (but I don't try to have a large wardrobe, maybe just around 50-70 pieces of clothing) so it doesn't hurt. Nic+Zoe also has nice things but I'm not a super huge fan of their style (their basics are very nice though).

LRL petite also has some nice things that are very plain and work appropriate--their normal line I feel have more preppy things.

I don't have much to say about the other stores though. AT I used to like a lot, but the quality has gone down over the years and I've had about had it for paying 40-50 for something made completely out of a blend of cotton or wool (what happened to the 100% things anyway)? BR has nice things but sometimes the fabric is too thin for my tastes. JCrew has the same problem for me. They also tailor more to the skinny petite (of which I am not) so if you have that kind of build, you'd fit better in their clothes.

Oh and super preppy stuff--Adelamei has you covered. They are expensive though.

All right that's my rant on the current status of petite clothes. Would love to hear other people's input on their sources to shop because I'd like to get some tunics that don't look like dresses without shape. Though I'm partially resigned to simply accept the fact I'll have to tailor them to get rid of their boxy-esque shapes..

8 years ago

Gigi

Veteran

Anthropologie has some really interesting petite things, although it's pretty pricey.

You might want to try J. Crew again sometime in the future. I'm very small on top (narrow shoulders), and I'm finding that their shirts are too wide for me, even in petite. So maybe they are making them bigger now (the stuff I tried in the past seemed narrower). But I do have problems in bottoms at J. Crew, because they do seem to be made for people with smaller rear ends than I have.

8 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

I found short hiking pants for me and short DH at REI.

Most of my purchases are from Nordstrom.com; that's where I've found Topshop petite items which are a bit trendier (wolf print cigarette leg trousers anyone?) than the mostly staid Nordstrom offerings. I also sometimes venture into regular sized clothing if I think it might fit or Nordstrom alterations would make it fit. I've taken to using up the $100 (or now, $200 for my Level 2) alteration benefit.

After seeing a YLFer in a silver pleather moto, I ordered for the first time from JC Penney. When I made my returns to the store, I bought even more. The petite department was decent size; some pretty frumpy, some not so much. These sections can really differ from one store to another.

I am a P2/P4, which means I am generally a PS -- unless I fail also to order a PXS. Topshop Petites run P2/4, as does Eileen Fisher which is not quite my style.

8 years ago

K.M.

Veteran

I've also been frustrated by how fewer retailers carry petite sizes in BM stores. In my case that's annoying because I'm borderline and it depends on the brand and item. Often a petite item will fit my torso but be too short in the arms, for example.

I've been a regular online shopper for a while so this lack of BM petite sizing hasn't changed my habits radically, but it is frustrating not to have the option to try things one--in the past I would try things in person before ordering online...

PS. Chris987, your formatting makes the post look like a poem

I've had similar formatting issues before when I type a post in my word processor and then copy and paste here. To solve the issue I edit the post and delete extra spaces and paragraph returns between lines to make sure all the words are in the same line (the ones that need to be).

6 years ago

Toban

Veteran

Like you, I almost exclusively buy petite. It makes such a difference. I am grateful that many companies have petite lines now but get so very frustrated that I have to order online. When I can, I scout out many options in regular sizes in B&M stores before some of my orders to test fabrics and colors and shapes. I don’t seem to have as much problem with gear, though, perhaps because of the stretch? I have fairly long arms for my height, too. I have to stay away from high rise gear pants, though.

6 years ago

Alicewonderland

Veteran

I LOVE shopping online petites, especially eBay. I can type in my size and get hundreds of results, and ask the seller for exact measurements. Easily turns into an addiction though.

6 years ago

Minah Lynn

Active Member

That's why online stores are very helpful and convenient. They cater all kinds of sizes especially for the petite ones. Most of my clothes were ordered through the Internet.

6 years ago

Laura G

Veteran

Something I've noticed when ordering "petite" sizes online is that often the garment isn't actually any shorter! This has happened with both tops and skirts, at a lot of the bigger retailers, e.g. Ann Taylor.

I'm moving toward a default mode of calling to inquire about actual garment measurements before ordering anything. Sometimes it works. Sometimes the call center is in a different country from the warehouse and they have no idea what the merchandise actually looks like.

6 years ago

Chris987

Veteran

KM, Interesting comment on being frustrated about the lack of petite sizing. I worte this post 2 years ago and since then I've accepted the reality of this much better, and don't feel as frustrated! Two years ago I did have a lot of problems formatting my postings. I use WORD to draft them (old habit from using it for decades at work) and learned I have to cut/paste the text into the notepad app to strip out all the extra formatting before I post on YLF. I mostly remember to do it now

Toban, I think you and I have similar proportions in terms of height. Petite tops most of the time, and no no no to high rise pants! I do a sit down test and when the waistband hits my ribs that's a clue

Alicewonderland interesting idea. I've never tried to buy clothes on EBAY.

Minah Lynn yes, although there are lots of clothing brands that do not carry petite sizes, especially the higher end ones. Don't get me started on that

Laura G you are singing my tune! It's so silly how many vendors call something Petite when there is only one measurement that is any different from Regular sizing. If I'm in a store looking at something in a regular size I often ask the SA if hey can look up what is different about the petite sizing. They usually either have no idea what I'm talking about or can't find the info online. Some vendors (like Anthro) are very good about posting the difference and some post NO information at all. HAH. I'm enjoying my whine party

6 years ago

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