Should short people boycott fashion?

[tott]

The funny thing is...most clothes are made for tall people, but the majority of people are not tall!!!!!

Well, that depends on where you are... I'm only 1,71 m and here in Scandinavia I'm practically always the shortest guy, many girls are my height or taller. Of course there are shorter girls, but people in general are tall...

In Italy, I felt pretty "normal" and almost tall sometimes...

And yes, I also have to shorten arms and legs sometimes, but what do you do...?

 

[fashionista-ta]

This is the part that bugs me, tott ... I am both short and long-waisted, so my legs are really short. Pants are a huge problem because it's not just a matter of the length, it's the whole proportion of the leg. It's also an issue anytime there's any detail at the bottom of a skirt, like a ruffle or whatever. To really do it right, you have to yank the waistband off, chop some off, redo the darts, etc., put the waistband back ... That's a huge chunk of change and/or trouble, and to be quite honest I sometimes just tolerate the skirt hitting me in the wrong spot. I know, I know, 40 lashes with a short, wet noodle ...

 

[tott]

^ I can imagine it's difficult then, but I'm sure you manage your "shortcomings" well...

I think I'm relatively proportional so I don't have that much trouble really, but I sometimes wonder how designers get away with blatant mislabeling... Like if I try on a 46/48 jacket it should fit fairly well, but sometimes the arms and torso are way to long; it feels like they're labeling the stuff with "normal" sizes when they really are 146/148 (tall sizes)...

 

[cuteshoes215]

no, i think its hard for everyone to find clothes (tall, short, overweight, underweight...well maybe not underweight j/k) designers in general need to realize that there is no "mainstream" bodytype but I doubt there are ever going to be 50 different specialty stores at every mall for all the different body types...deal with what you got

i'm tall and underweight. (about 100-105 lbs.) i'm beginning modeling, but i'm this thin because that's how i've always been. the majority of the population is not as thin as i am, but a good portion is, and i feel that at least one designer should address this and create jeans for my body type. i have a very hard time finding jeans that are tight enough in the leg. if they fit in the waist (sitting at my hip bones), they are too baggy in the leg. and if they fit in the leg, they are too small to button at my waist. designers don't really take into account that when they shrink the leg in a jean, they should also keep the waist of the jean at the size of an average girl's hips. just because you're thin, doesn't mean your hip bones move closer together than an average girl.

 

[Pastry]

deep down, my height (5'6") does bother me...but 99% of the time i don't pay any attention..anyways yes, i do find it incredibly difficult to find clothes that don't need altering. i mean, there is no way on earth that i'm ever going to find a suit that fits, unless it's dior homme...but i don't like dior homme and can't even think of buying anything there..
but i get around, what i've found out through working in retail is that there are more tall people than short people, or at least it seems so..but i have to say this though, when i look at designer garments, i swear they don't bother to adjust the pattern they used for the runway sample...most things look like they could feet a 6' tall woman!

 

[.francesca]

oh, how i wish i were 5'6"!

 

[niki03]

I am 5'0 and I hardly ever have problems with clothes except sometimes with pants..but many time size 0 is the right length or any pants with a 30 inch inseam..I do like stuff a little on the long side

 

[.francesca]

^ so am i! nothing ever fits though.

 

[OlgaKorbut]

I am 5'0 and I hardly ever have problems with clothes except sometimes with pants..but many time size 0 is the right length or any pants with a 30 inch inseam..I do like stuff a little on the long side

Wow, I'm 5'3 and a 30 inch inseam's usually too long for me. I must have a really long torso (actually I know I do, but I try to ignore it)... I want to be one of those leggy petites damn it!

I find it near impossible to find clothes that fit properly here in Stockholm. I think I've been a bit spoiled, though, living in countries where sizes run smaller or there's a wider selection of petite ranges. It's annoying to hem and alter things, and it doesn't work on everything, but at least that's an option most of the time. If you're too tall on the other hand...

 

[InnocentFairy]

Since clothes seem to be designed for taller people, do you think all short people should make our own clothes rather than buy (unless the specific retailer/brand has a petite line) until more people create clothes that'll fit us? Many of us really don't like having to take things to the tailor, since we've already spent so much money on them. Also, pants, skirts and dresses may be easy to alter, but tops certainly aren't! Many stylists seem to believe that short people have normal length torsos and short legs, when in reality most are proportionately short, meaning that not only are our legs short, but also our arms and torsos. Stylists also tell us that we need to lengthen our legs, when in reality, we need to wear something that lengthens our entire body! Designers need to think outside of the box. What do you think?

Its funny you say that but I am a 5ft 11" girl and I still find it difficult to get clothes to fit me!!! Designers model their clothing on models - yet when it comes to tall girls buying them, they don't fit (as dresses are really short, the waistline comes higher up, sleeves on jackets and coats are short and trousers are short!). So what I have to do is jeans, coats, etc normally from companies that do a 'tall range' such as Topshop but sometimes if I am lucky some designer clothing will fit me well but quite often I have to buy a bigger size because they seem to think the 'bigger' you are the taller you are!? So I end up with a piece of clothing that fits my arms/legs - but are somewhat not very well fitted and end up looking a bit big.

And shoes!!!! Now that is another matter...but I find it SOOOOOO difficult to get shoes to fit me, whereas some shoes will fit me in a size 8/41 - whereas others don't and not all designers/companies make a size 9/42 shoe.

 

[InnocentFairy]

i'm tall and underweight. (about 100-105 lbs.) i'm beginning modeling, but i'm this thin because that's how i've always been. the majority of the population is not as thin as i am, but a good portion is, and i feel that at least one designer should address this and create jeans for my body type. i have a very hard time finding jeans that are tight enough in the leg. if they fit in the waist (sitting at my hip bones), they are too baggy in the leg. and if they fit in the leg, they are too small to button at my waist. designers don't really take into account that when they shrink the leg in a jean, they should also keep the waist of the jean at the size of an average girl's hips. just because you're thin, doesn't mean your hip bones move closer together than an average girl.

Well said!!! I am 5ft 11" and underweight like yourself, I find it so bloody annoying when I try to get a pair of jeans to fit me - as they don't come up to my waist, but my hip bones. Now I have big hip bones (obviously because I am tall) and they stick out - I end up getting a bigger size to fit me across my hip bones but the jeans end up being really big around my bottom and my legs.

 

[cuteshoes215]

Well said!!! I am 5ft 11" and underweight like yourself, I find it so bloody annoying when I try to get a pair of jeans to fit me - as they don't come up to my waist, but my hip bones. Now I have big hip bones (obviously because I am tall) and they stick out - I end up getting a bigger size to fit me across my hip bones but the jeans end up being really big around my bottom and my legs.

eeexactly my problem as well!

 

[Couture_Tribe]

Ok, a stupid maybe off topic question here, I always have arguments with my mom about where the pants should fit at the bottom, I strong think it should hit 1cm above the heel of your feet or longer is you wear high heels, my mom always say it shoud hit on top of your feet.

I am 5'7 and half, with 33" legs, and a size 11, sometimes pants are too long just because I am in a bigger size!

 

[coffeeandasmoke]

I love being short. I kind of think than I can get away with more in my style because of it. When I buy jeans, the place I go has a tailor, so I get them hemmed when I'm there, I still wear 7's and True Religion even though they're made for people that are like 5'11", but I feel great wearing what I do.

 

[SophieKawaii]

A question for a question: Do asian boycott fashion?
You see.. You just have to be careful like any other people and find the style that suits you.

 

[kokopuff]

I'm 5'1" and almost never shop at a petites sections, because a lot of brands that sell petites - Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, etc. - just aren't very fashionable. I usually do well with European brands (including H&M), especially Italian brands, because they seem to be cut smaller around the hips. I can do a simple straight stitch on a sewing machine and that has saved me a lot of money, I've hemmed jeans and pants and skirts and dresses. There are some silhouettes I can't pull off, but I don't let my height get me down, there's nothing I can do about it! I also look at pictures of some shorter celebrities (Nicole Richie, the Olsen twins), not to copy their style, but to see how they work with proportion.

My biggest problem is winter coats! They are all cut so huge! And altering a coat can be quite expensive, especially if the shoulders are too big. JCrew Petite coats fit me, but I don't always like their styles. I would love a "Helmut Lang Petites" for coats . Now that would make me very happy!

I just make do with what I have. I'm sure tall people have problems too, and it's much easier to hem jeans than to add fabric! Plus I've dated tall guys before and none have ever complained about my height

 

[writergal28]

A question for a question: Do asian boycott fashion?
You see.. You just have to be careful like any other people and find the style that suits you.

Petites should by petites WHENEVER POSSIBLE. If petites are not available, please, please, please, please write to ask if they're ever going to make them (Banana Republic, J. Crew and Ann Taylor/Ann Taylor Loft's petites are already a lot better than the department store ones. No wonder the latter's cutting down/shuttering!). If we don't know do that, then they're NEVER going to do anything about it. We have to be vocal like plus sized women. No one even TALKS about petite sizes because I have even created a petition that is addressed to the fashion industry because I feel that my site is not enough. WE NEED THE INDUSTRY TO HEAR OUR VOICE! As petite women, we look better if clothes are cut for us. Rises on regular sized pants, for example is longer than in petites. Jacket and blouse lengths are near-impossible to alter. Would you rather wear a pair of slightly baggy pants or a pair of pants that fit? Would you rather wear a jacket that is the correct length or something that is slightly longer than it should be or something that fits? I'm sure most people will choose the latter choices. We all think we can just "survive" by sending our clothes to the tailor, but it doesn't have to be this way. We can't be passive.

(apologies for the rant)

-writergal28

 

[SophieKawaii]

(apologies for the rant)

No need to apologize. I try to understand how you feel and i like how you fight for petites. ^^
I'm on the other side, tall and slim. I've never found pants that would fit me really, because which fits my hip and tights doesn't fit my long legs. Though i know my problem is not that serious..

 

[InnocentFairy]

No need to apologize. I try to understand how you feel and i like how you fight for petites. ^^
I'm on the other side, tall and slim. I've never found pants that would fit me really, because which fits my hip and tights doesn't fit my long legs. Though i know my problem is not that serious..

I don't mind being tall...it means I look good in a mini skirt!! Hehehehe!!!

 

[SophieKawaii]

I don't mind being tall...it means I look good in a mini skirt!! Hehehehe!!!

Now it's time for short people here.