Petite Fashion

[fashionista-ta]

Long legs, long torso and short neck or head?

Most people who are 5'4" and think they're "not petite" are petite on top or on the bottom...unless you have a short neck or head.

I am long-waisted and do not have a swan neck I believe I have a big head (literally speaking only ). I took several fashion classes while in college and am quite familiar with the technical definition of petite ... and I definitely am not, top, bottom, or sideways. My mother and sister are both shorter than I am, and they're not petite either.

 

[writergal28]

I am long-waisted and do not have a swan neck I believe I have a big head (literally speaking only ). I took several fashion classes while in college and am quite familiar with the technical definition of petite ... and I definitely am not, top, bottom, or sideways. My mother and sister are both shorter than I am, and they're not petite either.

If you have short legs, wouldn't you be petite on the bottom? Or does it not really work that way?

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ No, petite implies a short rise, which I do not have ...

 

[Eurasian Mélange]

I really wish there was more petite fashion. I bought a jumper a few days ago because it was one of the few that did not have ridiculously long sleeves. Especially after I hadn't had any luck with the trousers and skirts (all too long to look good). And then I realised it also has a problem that ends up with me looking stupid: the armholes are too low. When I move around normally (without raising my arms) it eventually rides up so I have baggy fabric on top of my shoulders.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I think we have a pretty good selection here in the US--maybe what you need is a shopping vacation And of course the exchange rate is in your favor

 

[Eurasian Mélange]

I just moved here from Canada so I wouldn't be able to afford that. I never found any petite clothing I liked there other than a few things in the Asian shopping centres. I don't know if the US is much different.

What I bought was from the same store I have bought many tops from, but I always bought them in Spain and not France. My experience so far shows they expect women to be much taller here. I am going to Spain over Christmas so maybe if I get lucky I can find something beautiful yet affordable that fits properly.

 

[writergal28]

I just moved here from Canada so I wouldn't be able to afford that. I never found any petite clothing I liked there other than a few things in the Asian shopping centres. I don't know if the US is much different.

What I bought was from the same store I have bought many tops from, but I always bought them in Spain and not France. My experience so far shows they expect women to be much taller here. I am going to Spain over Christmas so maybe if I get lucky I can find something beautiful yet affordable that fits properly.

That's weird. I thought French women weren't that much taller than Spanish women. So they actually have shorter sizes in Spain? Are you talking about Zara?

I've found that the US isn't that much different than Canada when it comes to petite sizes. They just have more of things and Ann Taylor. There are a few designers which focus on petites that have started in the US, but they're not big enough right now to be know nationally...and I'm not sure how big they'd be without major media profiling.

 

[Eurasian Mélange]

That's weird. I thought French women weren't that much taller than Spanish women. So they actually have shorter sizes in Spain? Are you talking about Zara?

Yes, it is weird. From what I have seen in my short time living here so far, French women are slightly taller than me on average. Maybe 5'5"? Then again I am in an area a lot of people like to visit so foreigners could be skewing it... In Spain most women are around my height and many are actually shorter than me (that is in non-touristy areas).

Yes, it was at Zara. In the Spanish Zara everything fits as it should: the tops are not too long, sleeves are slightly long but not terribly, no bubbles on the back and the armholes appear to be in the right place. I've bought various tops, jackets and dresses from the Spanish Zara and they fit perfectly. I imagined the French Zara would be the same, but I found everything I tried was tailored to fit taller bodies (sleeves completely cover my hands and fingers, longer tops, longer skirts, longer dresses, lower armholes, bubbles on the back, etc.).

I like the European fashion a lot more in general than the North American.

 

[GasolineRainbow]

Lol at the definition of petite. It's all so relative. I find that my perceived petiteness changes according to where I've lived. For my culture I'm considered to be of average height with a petite build, because I'm slender. In some of the places I've visited and lived in abroad, I'm considered petite all the way. As in a euphimism for short. But I'm not as skinny and fine-boned as a lot of the girls who tower over me, and therefore I'm considered to have, and I quote, a "womanly" body.

Is it true that Zara clothes have different proportions in different countries?

 

[tomato8]

what are the proportions that make someone short/long legged/torso-d?

i always thought petite was just short too. hmm, interesting.

 

[ellesea]

^ not sure about top, but for bottom i would say petite (at least in US/Canada) is usually anyone with inseam of 30" or less as most jeans are usually 32-34"

 

[writergal28]

what are the proportions that make someone short/long legged/torso-d?

i always thought petite was just short too. hmm, interesting.

I think it would depend on the person's height. If you're 5'1" and wear a 30" inseam pants without heels, then your legs would be on the long side. If you're 5'7" and wear the same length pants, your legs would be shorter.

 

[Snow-White]

I have a horrible time with clothes in the US.
Size zero is HUGE for me.

 

[GasolineRainbow]

^Vanity sizing is quite prevalent in American clothing stores. It's a pretty obvious marketing gimmick when a size zero fits too largely on an adult body, no matter how short or slender you are. I used to be both oddly proud (which is precisely what stores are after) and alarmed that I could ease into XXS items, until I found out about vanity sizing.

Having said that, it's easy to tailor legs or arms of clothing that are too long, so focus on finding stores and brands that carry the right size for your build; vintage/secondhand is also a good bet.

 

[writergal28]

^Vanity sizing is quite prevalent in American clothing stores. It's a pretty obvious marketing gimmick when a size zero fits too largely on an adult body, no matter how short or slender you are. I used to be both oddly proud (which is precisely what stores are after) and alarmed that I could ease into XXS items, until I found out about vanity sizing.

Having said that, it's easy to tailor legs or arms of clothing that are too long, so focus on finding stores and brands that carry the right size for your build; vintage/secondhand is also a good bet.

Re pants: Easy to hem, but the rise is sometimes too long.

Tops/jackets: Sleeves can be shortened, but sometimes, the waist isn't in the right spot, ruining the entire fit!

 

[GasolineRainbow]

^You're right, that's what I meant about finding clothes that suit your build.

 

[plumaffair]

Sadly, sometimes I can still shop in the girls' section of stores (XL pants and tops fits me great) - mostly for lounge-y stuff and basics (sometimes I find t-shirts and tanks to just be way too long). It's cheaper too!

Agreed, it's all relative....It's weird because in Asia where I'm from, I wear a size L in women's clothes and my jeans size is a 27 or 28 there...whereas here in the US, I wear S, XS, PETITE and size 24-25 jeans.

 

[writergal28]

I recently found another blog, Alterations Needed, which highlights petite issues. The poster even takes pictures of her trying on clothes to show how they don't fit properly (and the type of alterations she needs)!

 

[GasolineRainbow]

^Thanks, great blog. Many of the alteration tips are useful even for those of us who aren't so petite.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I like it too. She is what she calls a "tiny petite," smaller than size 0 or extra small, very short, with tiny feet.