Style solutions: some of my favorite petite-friendly finds
Wearing clothing that fits well and aligns with our style personality is a real confidence booster. Today I’m sharing some clothing styles that can work for petite women without requiring a trip to the tailor.
With most standard-sized clothing designed for women 5’6″ and above, petite women (under 5’4″) often face an uphill battle finding clothing that fits. At 5’1″, I’ve found myself slogging through rack after rack of clothing that doesn’t suit my proportions.
Yes, clothing can often be altered, but getting a proper fit isn’t always as simple as hem length. The rise on pants, where a waistline hits on a dress or top, and neckline depth and button placements all come into play. The more structured and tailored your clothing is, the more important these become in getting a good fit.
Petite women can have as much variation in body shape as average-height women. We can be angular or curvy. Short-waisted or long-waisted. We might have narrow or broad shoulders. (I’m broad-shouldered, short-waisted, with longer legs, proportionally.)
It can be easy to look “swallowed” by some clothing, so I tend to avoid very oversized pieces or large prints. And I find that showing a bit of wrist or ankle adds structure and definition. (That one’s a personal preference; you may prefer longer hems.)
Brands that offer petite clothing styles
It’s always a boon when stores or brands offer Petite sizing. Some of the brands I’ve had good luck with are:
- J.Crew (good range of styles, mostly good fabrics)
- Madewell (their Petite offerings are mostly pants and jeans, the occasional jacket)
- Talbot’s (good for classic & basic pieces, they also offer Plus Petites in many styles)
- Ann Taylor (a pretty good range of styles, though tops tend to be polyester-centric)
- Chico’s (dresses, pants, & jeans, mostly. Their “girlfriend jeans” are pretty good.)
- Eileen Fisher. (pants mostly, some shirts & jackets)
- Banana Republic.
- LL Bean and Lands’ End (great casual basics, activewear.)
- Athleta (for activewear and travel-friendly clothing)
However, I’ve noticed over the years that many brands are offering fewer and fewer styles in Petite sizes. And hardly any are stocking them in stores. So I’ve learned how to ferret out standard size clothing items that will work for my petite frame.
Standard size clothing that works for petite women
My sizes: jacket – Small, top – Small, jeans – 28
Above: everything I’m wearing here is a standard size. I LOVE these little “Chloe” cotton moto jackets from Kettlewell Colours. They’re lightweight and available in a bunch of different colors (and you can sort by seasonal palette, too). The sparkly top from Boden has short sleeves and is lightweight enough for warm weather wear. Jeans are the straight-leg Paige “Cindy” style.
The first step is to know your measurements: your best lengths for tops and jackets, and ideal rise and inseam lengths. When shopping online, you can often find this information for a garment. If not, customer service should be able to provide.
I can now “eyeball” many items in stores to see if the overall length might work. But I know that I may need to make some minor alterations or styling “tweaks.” Here are a few of the design details that can make it easier:
- straight legs on pants (allows for easy hemming or cuffing).
- raw hems. Yes, I’ll often chop these myself! ✂️ 😉
- button cuff sleeves on shirts that can be rolled or pushed up
- jackets *without* buttoned cuffs (will be easier to shorten sleeves if needed)
- bracelet sleeves, ruched sleeves
- “cropped” pants lengths (will often hit me at ankle or just above)
Here are some of the standard-size styles I’ve found that are petite-friendly:
Pants & jeans
Frank & Eileen | Mother | J.Crew | rag & bone
Tops & tees
Everlane | Frame | Frame | Everlane
Jackets & cardigans
Kettlewell | Sézane | Cinq à sept | J.Crew
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Thank you for this post! As a fellow 5′ 1″ woman of a certain age, I am painfully aware that there are way fewer options for petites than there used to be. What about dresses? I need one for a wedding next month and am having a very hard time finding one that is cut for my frame AND that doesn’t have tons of ruffles, tiers, smocking and puff sleeves.
try Amazon if you can’t find anything else. I sent this back because it was too dressy for me. I am almost 5’2″ and weigh around 130 and got the medium. It would look dressy in a dark color either navy or black. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW88FMMX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details. Pretty inexpensive in the great scheme of things.
Good suggestions. I’m a v-shaped petite (5’1”) and recently discovered that the box cut t-shirts from Everlane are a good fit for my body type. You might think they would make me look wider, but those cuts are surprisingly flattering. I think it’s because they fit at the shoulders and have a shorter length that floats slightly away from the body.
I always read your blog and love it…. I also am just about 5ft… I find that if regular size comes in a cropped version, it fits me like a normal jean or pant… I do wish these companies would make mid rise and not high rise… I find that on a petite person, especially me, I have a very short rise and I do not like high rise pants on me…..
Just venting…. enjoy your day… xo
Such great information! I have the same proportions as you. Shopping can be a real challenge. Thank you.
I am 5’2″ and similarly proportioned. I also have small hands. One of my best discoveries is that my handspan, from tip of my thumb to tip of my little finger is exactly the length that the zipper should be on my pants. Anything longer will roll over at the waistband; anything shorter will be a low rider on me and not what i want at my age. Knowing thios has saved me a lot of waisted time in the dressing room. In generally I have noticed that many stores are offering fewer petites, but expanding their selection of tall sizes. To add to the list JJill offers their entire selection of petites online, and has enough in the store that you can try them on to get an idea of size.
What an excellent tip! Thanks, I’m going to find my own and master this!!
With the push towards size inclusivity and some websites offering the option of seeing an item on different size models, there is a staggering blindness on the part of the fashion industry to inclusion and representation of women who are not taller than average. I have read that the average height for a woman in the US is 5’4”, yet the clothing standard is for those 5’6 or above. This needs to change!
I carry a small cloth measuring tape in my bag. I know my measurements and can quickly and unobtrusively do a quick measure of waist, inseam, sleeve length, etc. to decide if something’s worth trying on. Also, this is why I like buying clothing on eBay — measurements are usually provided for the exact item you’re purchasing, and if they’re not, most sellers will measure for you. I should add, I’m 5’9″ and measuring to see if anything is long enough — but I do feel your pain, petite women!
Thank you for this post. I am 5’2″ with a short torso and relatively long legs. I am also small busted. Tops and sweaters are the hardest items for me to find.
I am 5′ 2″ tall, apple shaped, and busty, with narrow shoulders and short arms. Tops and dresses in regular misses sizes are often too wide in the shoulder on me and look sloppy. I have to expand my horizons because petite sizing is getting harder to come by! (Thank goodness for Talbots.)
Thanks for this post! I’ve been wondering how the Kettlewell items work on petites. I love their selections by season. I’m a winter.
I feel the pain of all of you who are petite. I am not petite and I have long legs. The issue I face is that most pants are too short! I love the knit pants from Eileen Fisher, but their ankle length pants are super short on me! Almost unwearable! So, be sure to check them out if you are looking for shorter pants.
I would like to recommend Kettlewell as a company. A quick disclaimer here. I have nothing to do with the company itself, I just love their clothing lines. Don’t be discouraged if you look and they seem to be low on stock. As a small company they replace/restock about every three months. At the moment they are discounting a lot of things to make way for the new stock that I would expect to be advertised in a month or so. Do try them, they have free shipping when you spend over a certain amount and free returns.
I’m 5’2″, short waisted, and busty– no wonder I love your looks! I want to give a shout out to Jungmaven’s Tucson camp shirt, which has a top button that sits just below my collar bone instead of half way down my front. They’re not cheap, but they’re extremely well made from sustainably grown hemp and very flattering.
Totally agree about the fashion industry’s blindness to women of average height. I wish we could all get the sizes we need, both height and body shape.
A post for petites…count me out.
But I do like your sandals.
Greetje
I suspect these companies are making fewer items in Petite because they are trying to make their standard Misses size work for everyone. I am 5’6″ but it is rare that I find a full length pair of pants that are long enough for me. I will wear cropped lengths in the summer but don’t like them for winter. Most dresses are cut too short waisted for me. And most brands have eliminated Long or Tall sizing altogether.
I am 5’1 also so I really appreciate this info. I’ve always had problems finding clothes that fit. This is really helpful!
I’ve officially now a petite too. Anthropologie has a decent petite section too. The popular Collette cropped pants fit perfectly and are actually cropped! For reference I’m now 5’3″ (was 5’4″ 1/2).
BTW, I live in west L.A. Perhaps we can meet up for coffee!
Cindy
Hi Susan…I am also loving raw hem jeans this summer…can you share your tips for maintaining them (cutting the threads) and how cut them gems? Have some old jeans that could use an update…thanks. Jean