As a personal stylist for women everywhere, I’ve spent over a decade working with hundreds of women to harness their style. At a Poplin client event a few years ago, we took a group photo. It wasn’t until looking at the photo that I realized how many of my clients are petite. Of course, it makes sense. Finding pieces that fit your body is an essential component to feeling amazing in your clothing. And whenever retailers and brands make that process difficult, the result is often negative self talk and always frustration. This can happen thanks to the limited number of pieces available in certain size ranges- petite, tall, plus and especially petite plus.

Whether or not you are petite, defined in the US as 5’4” or below, you’ll find some real gems in this blog post. (As an added bonus, this post also features petite Poplin clients so you can dive into each woman’s style and see the magic of great fitting clothing and hear her perspective on working with Poplin.)

Before we begin, it’s helpful to truly understand the impact that having limited options has on a woman’s approach to personal style. Over the years, I’ve discovered that when a woman is limited to a small selection of pieces because of her size, she has often closed herself off to the idea of truly wearing what she wants. (This can also happen for women who don’t have access to desired retailers or brands because of their location or Trans women who are new to women’s clothing altogether.) Regardless of the reason, when a woman can’t even SEE the clothes she is interested in available to her, she an easily internalize that those styles aren’t for her. So, when I ask her to think aspirationally, if she could have any style without concerns about budget or lifestyle, she has no idea how to answer.

This is only one of the many reasons that fashion’s more inclusive approach to showing models of all body types and sizes is extraordinarily beneficial. Of course, there’s a long road ahead. But, we’re absolutely seeing progress.

Now, back to our original question: Should I buy petite clothing or buy standard sizes and have things tailored? The answer is: it depends or both, depending on who you are. Let’s dive in!

How do I Decide When to Buy Clothing in Petite Sizes and When to Buy Clothing in Standard Sizes?

Let’s start with style. Before you begin your style evolution, you need a goal. This way, every time you purchase items, you ensure they meet your criteria. Otherwise, you won’t wear them and they just add to noise in your wardrobe. Remember, we’re here for intentional shopping. You want every piece to flatter your frame, work for your lifestyle, fit in your budget, align with your values when possible and communicate your authentic personal style.

Focus on your style and search for retailers who sell products that communicate that style. (If you haven’t already picked up Poplin’s Top 100 Retailers Organized by Personal Style, sign up for the newsletter and it’s all yours!).

Now that you have that list, dive into to discover which brands and retailers offer petite sizes. If you find some, hooray! You can buy petite pieces directly. Yes! You may still need to tailor them, but hopefully this will decrease the number of items you need to tailor and save you some cash.

If not, consider buying standard sizes and having them tailored.

Why?

Petite, tall and sometimes plus options are designed to apply to the masses to ensure inventory is sold. This often means that styles are watered down to feel less unique than choices you might find at other niche labels, boutiques or from individual designers. Sometimes, these less expressive options are great! Need a pair of petite black cigarette pants? The Macy’s option could be just the thing. But, if you are ready to have a piece that sparks conversation, gets compliments or just feels like YOU above all else, you may need to go with standard sizes.

What if I’m Short Waisted or Long Waisted, but Not Petite? Should I Consider Buying Petite Clothing?

Yes! I love this hack. Sure, you may be 5’5” but your torso is proprotionally longer than your legs, also known as long waisted. In this case, petite pants may fit you much better than standard pants.

Perhaps you are short waisted, meaning that your torso is proportionally shorter than your legs. Even if you are taller than 5’4”, you may find that petite tops fit you better than standard sizes. Feel free to experiment.

So, it Looks Like I Need Tailoring. What Do I Need to Know?

Remember that tailoring is much, much more than hemming the length and moving on. Every piece in your closet should feel like it is there just for YOU. Each piece should be in a color you love (or at least in your color palette), a style that flatters your frame and communicates your authentic personal style, functional for your lifestyle and aligns with your values, when possible.

Make sure that your tailor is paying attention to your proportions, as everything should be proportional to your frame. For pants, as an example, you may be adjusting the rise and the length or finding that when the rise is adjusted, the length is spot on. And while you are there, feel free to alter those pants to make your body look incredible! Can the seat be adjusted, the waistline, the leg shape. You have options! If you love the idea of tailoring but either can’t find a great tailor or aren’t sure how to approach the process, we’ve got you covered.

Most importantly, just remember that YOU control your style. Yes! You can pull that off. After all, we only live once. If you could use some guidance, that’s what I’m here for. If you are shopping on your own, stay focused and commit to your style words. The clothes are out there. It’s all about finding them and making sure they make you look your very best. Enjoy!

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