Petite Pants

pooh8

Active Member
To all those petites out there, where do you get your pants ? Pants like chinos or twill cotton. I work in a semi-casual environment where I can wear chinos or casual cotton pants to work (not denims). I used to get all my work chinos from JCrew and their Petite 0 used to fit me perfectly. But for the past 2 years or so, their size Petite 0 has gotten so huge and they don't fit me anymore. It's too big and long overall.

I am wondering where you guys get your petite pants from. I am not skinny at all. But somehow even all the Petite 0 (and even the Petite 00) from Banana Republic, Gap, Ann Taylor Loft no longer fits me.

I seriously need some new pants but I am having no luck getting any that fits me. Please help me out here !!!


Thanks.
 
You are definitely tiny! I wear a zero in BR, Gap, etc., & I'm pretty small.

Well, if I can't convince you to gain weight, maybe you should try Gap Kids or something like that.........
 
I think Ann Taylor must be doing something with their sizes. I'm usually a size 6. I went in on my lunch hour and tried on a denim skirt. I took a 6 and a 4 in with me. They were both too big. I then tried on a size 2 and that was too big as well. I started to look for a size 0 which they didn't have. I know I'm not a size 0! I did lose weight but I'm around 125 pounds and there's no way I'm a 0. I used to always buy at Ann Taylor but lately nothing there fits me right anymore.

Marcy
 
I agree about Ann Taylor. I bought some things there the other day in a size 2 petite. I am always a 4 petite, and i did not lose weight. I think they make their sizes bigger so women in larger sizes can buy clothes with a smaller number. :)
Deanie:)
 
It's called vanity sizing and that's the intention exactly. I wear size 0 and sometimes 2 but still can't squeeze into the size 4's I wore 10 years ago. Go figure. x(
 
I should be able to answer this, as I wear nothing but petite. But I can't remember the last time I bought "casual" pants. Have you tried JJill? They have a pretty substantial selection of petites. The PS fits me pretty well, and the PP might fit you.
-Nancy
 
Have you tried buying clothes in the junior department? I'm almost 44 yo and still wear juniors. And at only 5' tall, I cannot wear petite pants at all. They fit me really weird. If you can find Tommy Hilfiger or Ralph Lauren brands, they normally come in different lengths. I love those 2 brands. And I actually understand about wearing a small size and not being tiny. I wear a 2 in Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren and I'm not tiny. I'm only 5' and weigh almost 125 lbs. That is definitely not tiny. There is one store here in town and I can't wear anything in their store, including a size 0.

As far as vanity sizing, I must not shop like a lot of people because I just don't see vanity sizing in the clothes I wear. Maybe it is because I mainly wear juniors? I have worn the same size clothes for probably the last 7 years, including old jeans I still have and new jeans. They are all the same size. With the exception of Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, I have never really even been able to wear misses clothing at all. They have always been too big for me and not just recently.
 
I sometimes wonder if vanity sizing is also included in the "petite" section. What I mean is that I am almost 5'3" and yet many petite pants are too long. I thought that petite was suppose to be for women 5'4 and under? I think some manufacturers make them longer so women can say that they wear a petite 4 as if that would be tinier than a regular 4. Not sure , but I am really tired of having everything shortened! x( Marnie
 
I don't think so, Marnie. You probably have a shorter inseam than other petites. I have the same problem with sleeve length. My arms are so short, I often have to have sleeves shortened on petite garments.
-Nancy
 
I have a terrible time shopping for clothes, especially pants. I have had luck in Mandee's buying size 1 Short. They fit with no alterations. Every store I've tried, Macy's, Penney's, Ann Taylor, and numerous other stores are making their sizes larger and larger. I am very small, under 5' 2" and weigh 92 lbs. so you can see what a problem this has become. I also have had some luck buying pant suits like "My Michelle" brand in junior size 3 (which is like an older size 5 from years ago) and have them altered. It is worth it to me just to have a decent wardrobe. Again, Mandee's now sells smaller pants by short, average long and small sizes. maryann
 
I wonder how many sizes larger items are now. I was cleaning out some junk and found a size 4 pants from about 15 - 20 yr. ago and they were so tiny. I don't think I see anything that small in any store (no I don't fit in them anymore!) It must be a size 6 is like an old 10. What do you think?

p.s. you are probably right Nancy - I knew I had stubs!
 
I think clothes are at least 2 sizes larger now.

Remember the 5-7-9 shop? Totally crappy quality but I shopped there all the time when I was in my late teens/early 20s. I'm pretty sure I couldn't fit into those clothes now, they were so teeny.

A little OT, when I was switching my winter/summer wardrobe last week I came across two pairs of those little spandex mini skirts we used to wear to night clubs in the early '90s. They are hilarious! I think I kept them to remind myself how small I used to be--now I think I could maybe fit them over one of my thighs. :7
 
>I have a terrible time shopping for clothes, especially
>pants. I have had luck in Mandee's buying size 1 Short. They
>fit with no alterations.

Maryann,

How is the quality of Mandee's pants ? I checked them out online after reading your post, and they seem really cheap. Is the quality OK ?
 
Back to the vanity sizing. I said that I don't see it. Maybe Bealls pantsuits are not vanity sized, I don't know. I have pantsuits that are a size 5 juniors from at least 7 years ago, maybe longer. Totally out of style because the waists are too high. I went shopping just last weekend and I still wear a size 5 juniors in pantsuits at Bealls and YES I also can still wear the size 5s in my closet. I also used to shop at 5-7-9. Go to the junior department in the stores and you will find tiny clothes just like those.
 
That may be the case in the juniors section. I believe clothes in general are cut tighter in that section also since it is aimed at teens. I know my daughter will wear an 8 or 10 in reg. clothes and can't fit into any of the junior pants.
 
My dd likes to shop at Aeropostale. She's teeny, tiny and the size "0" short fit her well. It's not high end clothing, but the quality's not bad for casual type clothes. It's definitely geared for teens, but you can find basic cotton chino type clothing.
 
I think we may be on to something with regard to "vanity sizing". I kept an Angel Flight suit size 5 and mind you I was 105 lbs with a size 25 1/2 in. waist and 35 in. hips. Now I am 2" bigger everywhere amd weigh 10 lbs. more and wear a size 2/4 in most stores. Go figure!
 

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top