Any other petite women here? - Rant

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
How do you buy coats? I was so frustrated yesterday. Lord & Taylor was having one of the most amazing coat sales. I tried on a coat so soft it must have been made of cashmere or an angora blend. I wanted it so badly, but even the smallest size they had - a 4 - was too big. The saleslady checked and there there wasn't an L&T store in the country that carried a 2. It probably didn't even come in a 2. The only coats that really fit were in the petite section, and there were no super-soft coats in that section. :(
 
I feel your pain!! My DH got me a really nice North Face coat for Xmas. He even bought it in two different sizes "just in case" so he could return the one that didnt fit. Neither fit! I felt so bad b/c he put alot of effort into the gift. Now dont even get me started on shopping for jeans.....
 
Not a 'petite' here, but I feel your frustration about sizing.

I'm now down to a size 4 pants (in the brands I wear), and it's SOOO frustrating finding pants that size that AREN"T "petite" or "short". I am an "average" or "regular" size 4, but you'd think that's a rare anomaly.

I even went to a lee/levi and some other brand outlet store where they had quite a large selection....of, it seems, everything BUT size 4 average. Lots of really huge sizes, though (that could be a factor of living in the Midwest!).
 
I also feel your pain. I'm not petite by height (5'6") but I wear a 4 in all but big designer brands (2 in those--gotta make those rich women happy with vanity sizing!) and I can only find clothing in stores if I'm lucky enough to go in before the one item they carry in that size is not sold out. I can't wear a traditional petite size 4 since they are usually too short, and even if I could they don't have 4 petite either! The last time I tried on a coat in the store the only one that I didn't swim in had sleeves that were too short and pinched my arms.

I've even gone into the junior department but I can't find anything "age appropriate"---not that I'm looking for old lady clothes, but I'm not wearing the same styles as a teenager would either (particularly since the current style is a rehash of the 70s and I have been there done that not doing it again).

Kathryn, it's not just the midwest that appear to carry a huge selection of the larger sizes--I live on the east coast and find the same thing.

I shop almost exclusively online. I buy a particular brand of clothing for work since I know how their sizes run. I would never find the size in the store itself.
 
Cataddict,
We obviously are suffering from the same rare anomaly: being 5' 6" (yep, me too!) and wearing a size 4. :p

I also find that even supposedly 'regular' pants (not 'short' or 'petite' sizings) are often too short (they need about an extra inch to be long enough. Since when is 5' 6" 'tall"? (but buying a 'tall' size instead of the 'average/regular' is usually not a good solution, as the crotch is too long!)
 
Here I am, ready to rant with you!

Clothing size is a terrible problem for me. I just can't shop in the women's clothing departments anymore. The smallest size is usually a 2 (which is incredibly hard to find), and even the 2 is too big.

I am 5'7" tall and weigh about 115lbs. I am slender, but I am not short.

IF I do find something in the women's department to fit me, it's usually a petite size. Since I am not short in stature, it has to be a skirt or top... no pants ever because they are always too short. I bought a skirt by the Macy's brand INC the other day. It was a petite zero. It fit, and was supposed to be a bit longer on most people, but it hit me above the knee, which was fine. A petite zero? Please.... I know there are women smaller than me, what do they wear? As mentioned above, I can't go into the junior department because the styles are just not age appropriate. I don't do "old lady" fashions either, but I also don't want to look like a 50 something year old wearing teenage clothing.

The best place I've found for age appropriate clothing in very small sizes is White House Black Market. That place is my salvation. I would say 90% of my wardrobe comes from there. I wear a size 00 (sometimes a zero -- depending on the item) at WHBM. Again, what do women smaller than me do?

Also, a good brand (carried by most department stores) for small sizes is BCBGMaxAzria. They also have their own stores (and an outlet near me!). Their clothing can be a bit on the trendy side, but also pretty classic for the most part. I have found some cute special occasion dresses in this brand, as well as a few skirts.

It really is a consistent, ongoing problem for me. I love clothes, and spend a good bit of my expendable income on clothing... so the fact that I simply cannot shop at regular department stores is a real sore spot for me. :(

Kathryn, I am always thrilled when I find a pair of jeans/pants in a size zero that don't hit me about ankle high!

Nancy, sorry about the beautiful coat. I know exactly how you feel... I can't tell you how many times I've found something I really love only to figure out that they don't even make it in a size to fit me.
 
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kathryn said:
Not a 'petite' here, but I feel your frustration about sizing.

I'm now down to a size 4 pants (in the brands I wear), and it's SOOO frustrating finding pants that size that AREN"T "petite" or "short". I am an "average" or "regular" size 4, but you'd think that's a rare anomaly.

I even went to a lee/levi and some other brand outlet store where they had quite a large selection....of, it seems, everything BUT size 4 average. Lots of really huge sizes, though (that could be a factor of living in the Midwest!).
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That's surprising to me, Kathryn. I seem to see a lot of long and regular length size 4 pants in the stores here. It probably is a function of being in the midwest. I bet even the chain stores, like the Gap and such, order differently depending upon where they're located. I think in Manhattan, where models and wannabe models abound, size 4 long is probably even the most popular size. NOT the same in Brooklyn though! ;)
 
Other than being taller, I'd kill to be a size 4!! Being a pear shaped, short-waisted petite girl with a bubble butt makes shopping quite interesting. Sweat pants are my friend :(
 
Also size 4 here - I find I can't find anything anymore at department stores. Down here in FL where I am we have Dillards and Macys primarily. It seems the only sizes they carry lately are big and bigger. Whenever I need a coat or pants or anything else I have pretty good luck at Banana Republic, Gap, and Ann Taylor. Even Talbots sometimes; they seem to be modernizing some of their styles lately. But Banana is my #1 choice of where to look for clothes that fit and look stylish.
 
I guess I'm realizing my situation could be a lot worse. A 2P or a PS or sometimes a 4P generally fit me just fine. Work pants are never a problem because I can always have them tailored. I'm sure it's a lot harder being taller. So sorry to hear what you average-to-tall folks go through! :(
 
My thing is that I am 5'2" with short legs/long torso and not a size 4. My ring and my foot size are a narrow 5. If the item is not "petite" it does not fit right. JC Penney and Macy's are good for sweaters, Macy's and sometimes Old Navy for jeans. Aerobic shoes are difficult because of the width without spending a fortune. Have done well at Younkers but never at Kohls. Plus, I have had issues with shopping for bikes. My mountain bike and my road trip had to be fitted for me either the smallest adult or largest children size which costs more. Totally understand the frustration.
 
I bought a nice double breasted jacket by CalvinKlein at Macys that was petite and it actually fit very nicely. There was only ONE 14p on the rack so I bought it even though it was not on sale. It's hard to get petite stuff for short and tubby people.
 
I'm 4'9" and long ago gave up on buying pants, shorts and skirts in junior sizes because everything is too long. I buy girls stuff now, which isn't easy because the vast majority of it is too cutsie for a 49 year old. I struggle the most with pants because if I can find them the right length, and they fit in the hips/thighs they are likely to big in the waist. If they fit in the waist they are too small in the hips/thighs. Result of which is I own very little in the way of clothing and thankfully since I'm a SAHM that works ok. I currently have 3 pairs of sweats and 2 pairs of jeans to alternate through.
 
It ain't easy. Being 48 y.o., 5'3", size zero and employed in the legal biz, I'm a little long in the tooth to go to the juniors department. I've found Talbots to have - SOMETIMES - good quality clothing in the ultra-petite sizes, but in all candor I've never tried to find a coat there. I did find a good long A-skirt-style black coat a few years ago that fits me very well up and down, so I'll have to wear that until it's threadbare.

A-Jock
 
kathryn said:
Cataddict,
We obviously are suffering from the same rare anomaly: being 5' 6" (yep, me too!) and wearing a size 4. :p

I also find that even supposedly 'regular' pants (not 'short' or 'petite' sizings) are often too short (they need about an extra inch to be long enough. Since when is 5' 6" 'tall"? (but buying a 'tall' size instead of the 'average/regular' is usually not a good solution, as the crotch is too long!)
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Thats so funny because a petite or short in pants is someone who is 5'4" or less. I am 5'2" and must have all my clothing altered because two inches of extra fabric is both dangerous and makes me look like I'm in high school.:D
 
Too funny here ladies as I am right there with ya and wonder what has happened to the clothing industry?

5'5" and average length of 31" is an inch or 2 to short for me. Wear a size 4 but it is rare to find tall in a 4? Tall seems to start at a size 6 which I swim in. (At least in the standard dept store sizes).

Funny when I was the same weight and height 20 years ago I wore a size 5/6 or 7/8 depending on the brand. Now even the standard 4's are a little large but I don't have any stores where I am that carry a size 2. Need to drive for that ! :confused:

Ridiculous is all I have to say about the situation !
 
I now officially feel guilty for being upset over one lousy coat. Compared to many of you, I have no trouble buying clothes. Petites fit me perfectly, PS on top and PP on bottom, or where sizes are involved, a 4P on top and a 2P on bottom is just fine for me. Sorry to hear about all your shopping woes! Ajock and Jeanne Marie, I know 0s are not easy to find. I don't see them often in the stores.
 
lkl said:
i find the clothing in the petite section to be less fashionable than the regular section. :(
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I read that stores stopped carrying petite lines for awhile because of that perception, but the truth is that the exact same clothes are carried in regular sizes, so they can't be that unfashionable. In any event, you can't look fashionable if your clothes don't fit you properly, so there's no choice for many of us. And I think I look pretty sharp, if I do say so myself. ;)
 
nancy324 said:
I read that stores stopped carrying petite lines for awhile because of that perception, but the truth is that the exact same clothes are carried in regular sizes, so they can't be that unfashionable. In any event, you can't look fashionable if your clothes don't fit you properly, so there's no choice for many of us. And I think I look pretty sharp, if I do say so myself. ;)
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And I think you look pretty sharp too, Nancy! :D

I agree. From what I've seen, the petite sizes are the same clothing as the regular sizes... at least in the nicer brands they are.
 
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