Where are the 5"4' and under Girls Shopping? - YouLookFab Forum

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Where are the 5"4' and under Girls Shopping?

Bianca

Veteran

Do any of you ladies know any retailers that have a nice selection of petites? Ann Taylor/LOFT are generally my go-to stores. I find the occasional item at Macy's. I just feel like everything I own looks like it came from LOFT! (it does!). Also I prefer to try on items than buy on-line...

Where is everyone under 5'4" shopping these days? What are your solutions? All comments welcome!

Shopping

34 replies

Latest reply was from NK

Maya

Veteran

I'm 5'2 and almost never wear petites so I just shop anywhere. Too bad Shiny doesn't post anymore. She wore petites almost exclusively.

Kari

Veteran

I've noticed that many Nordstrom brands (Halogen, for example) carry nearly the exact same items in petite sizes. I'm 5'5" but am short waisted, so on occasion I can buy petite tops if I'm planning to wear them with skirts.

Karli

Hi Bianca! I'm 5.6, and petites are too short for me, but I find that regular in most retail stores is too long if not worn with heels. For me the best solution is a good tailor. Mine does a great job and charges from $10 to $15. Hope it helps:-)))

Bianca

Veteran

Maya, if you never where petites, do you spend your paycheck on tailoring? I just feel like shoulders and hems are a MUST for me. Sometimes I feel I'm breaking the bank on hems/ take ups....

How do you manage getting clothes that fit? Or are you able to carry it off w/o alterations?

Vix

Veteran

Kelly at http://AlterationsNeeded.com has a great petites-only blog (recently mentioned in InStyle, go Kelly!) with a fairly lively forum. [IIRC she's 4'11.]

AN tends to focus on brands that have a more classic style (AT/AT Loft, Banana Republic, J Crew, Theory etc) but she lists lots of sales and you'll find links to other petite bloggers via her site. She models all her online orders -- many of which go back -- so you can get a sense of fit/sizing.

April

Veteran

Like Maya, I shop almost anywhere. I'm 5'2" and wear a small size, and when you combine small size with petite proportions, the inseam on petite trousers is just too short to wear with anything but the flattest flats. In tops, the shoulders in petites tend to be too small and the sleeves too short.

The one place I often look for petite sizing is in skirts.

FYI -- I find that many of the petite bloggers are *extraordinarily* petite. Like, under five feet and under 90 pounds petite. Size 4 shoes petite. I'm very sympathetic to the difficulty of fitting such a tiny body, but my point is that I haven't found that much that I can relate to on those sites because the bloggers are in a whole different category of small.

judy

Veteran

Since I'm only really petite in height, 5'3, I don't shop in a petite section, except I do have a look at petite jeans, and have owned some in the past, and appreciate the lack of hemming and better proportion if they are bootcuts. My torso is not shorter than average, just the legs! When shirts and dresses got SO short, I still shopped regular size, because now they are the longer...as in just above the knee...length on me.

Maya

Veteran

I only alter hems and rarely sleeves. Jeans I can alter myself and I never wear pants so I don't have to worry about that. Sleeves are simple and inexpensive and not necessary most of the time anyway.

Buying petite sizes does not solve shoulder issues for me.

The only thing that I struggle with are huge, gaping arm holes on sleeveless tops. They still gape too much in petites, and are very dififcult and expensive to alter. I have given up and plan on sticking with cap sleeves.

Vix

Veteran

April, I hear you but even though I am much bigger, I use many petite bloggers' size info as a guide for me.

In non-designer brands I am frequently in "online only" sizing ranges and if the size I usually order/was planning to order fits a blogger who is much shorter/slimmer than me, I know not to "go there!" Likewise if she's modeling a size that's way too big on her I know I've got a shot at things.

I also think the before-and-after tailoring pictures (and related info) are very useful.

qfbrenda

Veteran

I'm taking notes. I need petites more than I used to realize. Long sleeved shirts are almost always too long for me. Not only am I short, but I have short limbs.

So far I've done most of my petite shopping at Landsend, but I want to expand that as I improve my wardrobe. I've been looking at some things at Old Navy. Old Navy has their jeans in different lengths, works better for me than a petite size since I'm relatively long-waisted. I've found some things in JCPenney's petite department. It's the biggest local one I've found so far. I've been checking out ATL and Gap stuff, but up until now they've been out of my budget range.

MsMary

Veteran

I have had fantastic luck with petites at Macy's in my area. (I often wonder whether it is because we have a huge Asian-American population that tends to wear those sizes.)

I've also been really happy with the Gap petite pants I've tried.

rute

Veteran

I'm 5'2 but here we don't have clothes for petites, I shop everywhere: Zara, Massimo Dutti and I take the clothees to a tailor.

Bianca

Veteran

Really good info.
Vix, thanks...will look into that blog.

April you are 5'2. and a small? This should be a good clothing swap then!

qfBrenda, I feel petite sizes really help.

I'm just around the 5'0 mark, and busty. Not a teeny-tiny extreme petite (just short). I always feel v-neck shirts in missy sizes dip down too low, straps need shortening, armpit holes too big...sometimes sleeves depending. And ALWAYS HEMS!!!!

Bianca

Veteran

MaryK, our Macy's is just ok here in CT. Few find here and there. Never thought about JCPenny...No Nordstroms at our mall

Reneeb

Veteran

I am 5 2" and my jackets, tops and dresses are all petite. I think they have covered most of the stores but Talbots it is just OK and sometimes you can find basic white tunics and other basic tops at Cold Water Creek. I am growing tired of Loft myself and ordered some tops from Ann Taylor and a black Sheath dress (petite) from Jones New York. Nordstrom has been a great place for me to find my jackets and tops but it can be a challenge when all you can wear is petites. Zappo's has some petites online . Good luck.

MsMary

Veteran

Oh, I've had some luck at Talbots, too. There is an actual Talbots Petites store here! Although Talbots are cut for pretty pears and I'm more of an inverted triangle...

Steph

Veteran

I am very short--slightly less than 5'1--and I tend to shop regular sizes as well. I'm strange because my upper body is actually of average length, but my legs are super short. That means that I can wear regular tops and then just got bottoms hemmed. Sleeves do tend to be long on me, but I am so used to it that I almost prefer it. When I am wearing a button-down shirt or a suit jacket, I do get the sleeves altered, but otherwise I just stick with the length they are.

The two stores where I actively look for petites are Ann Taylor and J. Crew. I have no hope of wearing petite dresses at Ann Taylor because the waistline always hits me too high, but I do like their selection. I have also had some luck with Calvin Klein's petite options.

Diana

Veteran

I am just under 5'4" but I generally do not shop petites either. My limbs tend to be too long for petite sizes, and petite pants have shorter rises, which is BAD for me. I AM short waisted so sometimes I'll buy petite tops (but generally not long sleeved ones). BR is probably the only store where I'll deliberately look at the petites, and they have a nice selection.

Reneeb

Veteran

Has any petite ladies bought from Boden? I like allot of their tops but I always need petite in tops.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I am 5'4" with relatively long legs (long rise and thighs especially) so I have never worn petite pants with one exception: 7 for All Mankind. Their Lexi Petite A pocket jean is perfect on me with a small heel. I love that the (rather modest) flare of these pants breaks at the right spot for me.

I also like purchasing their jeans in "short" length, great to wear with small heels; they have like a 31 to 32" inseam. For a more petite woman these would be perfect with higher heels. No need to hem and you also preserve the unique hem of many denim styles.

So that would be my recommendation if you want premium denim.

taylor

Veteran

I am just under 5'4 so I am a tall petite as we are called and all leg. But I have excellent luck with petites from AT and ATLoft...they are my go to store. The pants are often too short but if they have a cuff or generouse hem I can let that out. I can usually only wear petites because they are cut smaller allround So even though I could(being just about 5'4) wear most regular missy , they are all too big around in their smallest size, So I struggle a bit with pants:(

here are some great petite bloggers:

Reallypetite.com
Petiteearlymorningstyle.blogspot.com
extrapetite.com

These beautiful little women seem to love Ann Taylor. LOFT , Theory and Jcrew

Scarlet

Veteran

I am well under 5' 4", but I have better luck with regular sizes. I can't figure out why that is. I do have a short inseam and hem most trousers.

cloud9

Veteran

Talbots has petite as well. Chadwicks (online only) has a good selection as well.

For pants, most brands have a "short" version, even if they don't call it petite, like Express/Limited. Otherwise I just hem them myself.

Maya

Veteran

Coco's post reminded me that I used to really like Banana Republic's short length jeans and pants. The rise was still regular, but the length was shorter than regular and longer than petite. They no longer work for me because I now need a very high rise but I liked them a lot at the time.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Bianca, peoples bodies are shaped so differently. I have 5ft 5 clients who shop petites successfully and 5ft 2 clients who cannot shop petites. It's the truth!

I'm 5ft 6 and everything in petites is too short everywhere, torso included. But the width works well.

I have a few clients who are regular height with short arms and they wear petites tops, coats and jackets quite well too.

Megan

I'm 5'3 and a 00. I like Sydney's blog at http://www.petitelittlegirl.com since she's almost exactly the same size as me.

A friend has been buying me things at H&M and I've had really good luck with their size 2's- their skirts are the perfect length on me. I find Jcrew too big as a general rule. My inseam is quite long (30 inches) so I really struggle with petite pants which are usually ok-ish with flats but too short for heels. I did notice awhile ago that LOFT were doing 'Leg legthening pants' which had a 31 inseam for petites.

Megan

Ooops- double post.

Lisa

Veteran

I am like Steph, normal size top half, petite bottoms. If I try a petite dress the proportions are "off" for me. For bottoms I favor Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, Gap, Lucky Brand, Joe's Jeans, Hudson Jeans. I find some bottoms, the petites run too short since I like to wear a heel (even a small one) and other times, the length is fine. It's hit or miss for me. I can usually squeak by with a normal size dress if it was to be a tad short on others, then it hits me just right. For skirts, I always run petite length.

Bianca

Veteran

Ladies, I have marked this under my favorites. I am going to take all notes down and see re-read suggestions.

Angie, so interesting how different gal at different sizes can be petite or missy.

I am also going to those other sites you all suggested. Awesome!

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