Justified rage from a reader about the paucity of clothes in petite sizes:
Hi Esther, I am writing this SO ENRAGED at the high street for changing their fucking standard sizes; I am right now sending back £2ks worth of credit-carded loot because I can’t find a coat that fits and it’s sending me spiralling into despair and wonder if you can help.
It appears that short people aren’t allowed to be warm this winter and I don’t know who to have a go at about this. Yes I will just have to bite the bullet and get something tailored but why should I have to pay double for every outfit just because I am 5 foot (when really I should be paying less because hello less material) and also THIS HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN THE WAY.
Have any of your readers found this to be an issue? It seems size 10 is now size 8, size 8 is now called size 6 and size 6, well they’ve just gone and done away with it because I suppose small people aren’t just worth bothering with now regular size people are able to tell people they are an imagined size smaller.
Anyway what I’m trying to say is I would LOVE any help possible in finding good petite clothing brands if you or your readers know any? It seems that only Topshop or Miss Selfridge are leading the way with petite styles but you know, would rather wear a size 20 Hogwarts cloak than a coat from Miss Selfridge.
And if anyone is pondering the same thing – the only advice I have is that Massimo Dutti do great knitwear that still comes up on the smaller side. So maybe layer those this winter.
I LOVE HOW FUCKING PISSED OFF SHE IS!
Any insider tips on chic clothes for true size 6-8, please leave a comment in the handy box below.
Also please Jane who I met at the Hallowe’en thing at La Fromagerie on Saturday can you comment with details of your red nail varnish because it was great. Thanks in advance.
In terms of length – I think Boden do a pretty decent petite range, although the sizing (e.g. waist etc) is probably on the generous side. & Other Stories do pretty small sizing in my opinion, although the length is of course ridiculously long. Banana Republic also do decent petite stuff (good for office wear), and if you do a personal shopper thingy then they will alter things for you free of charge – it’s amazing. To be honest, I just assume I’ll have to get everything altered, and I’m 5’4″ so must be a lot worse being 5 foot.
I have the same problem – in my experience Comptoir des Cotonnier’s size 6 isn’t too bad when it comes to coats – for me it’s slightly on the big side but not totally ridiculous – worth checking out their sale as they are often well discounted at the end of the season.
Hello! I am 5ft too (isn’t it awful?!) and a size 6,
and I too have the same issues re coats.
Aside from Topshop, which make some quite nice coats but not very durable or particularly warm,
I’ve had success with Hobbs and Barbour. They don’t have petite ranges per se, but their clothes seem to be slim-fitting enough that they still fit nicely (except the sleeves are a bit long, but I have not yet been able to crack that problem)
I think boden do petite sizes? Not seen their winter collection so may need further investigation !
It’s the pits and such a wasted opportunity as I think the average height of a woman in the UK is about 5’3” or 5’4” – so not far off petite! Boden, ASOS and GAP all do petite ranges, albeit limited ones. I got a nice coat from Banana Republic petites (GAP’s pricey sister). M&S petite range is so poor it makes me sad just looking. Lost track of the amount of stuff I’ve ordered and then sent back, husband thinks I must have the hots for the DPD delivery guy!
I got a bit excited last year when M&S petites suddenly got bigger and had one or two ok basics, but it’s back to a few rails in the back section of the shop again. Coats are really difficult though, you’ve just got to try loads on in as many places as possible and pray one of them is ok. (The sleeves never are).
As a fellow petite Spiker – I am with you on this. Précis Petite or Miss Selfridge; no thanks. The high street is awful. Gap petite is my saviour these days, but it’s online only and the website is infuriating, as lots of styles available in petite don’t appear on the petite pages. I also get a few pieces from Topshop and ASOS, but it takes time to sift through the cropped tops to get to the good stuff. Hoping Hush and others might be persuaded to release a few petite styles. Please.
While I think of it, also J Crew – though I think it’s vastly overpriced in general, if you check out their sales website for the UK it’s reasonably priced and they do super small sizes. Great colours too when it comes to some of their knitwear
I think some brands have some pretty chic options for girls that might be worth checking out? Zara has some masculine slimline coats for girls right now that look like my coat basically. Total sympathy – I’m from a family of short women (I’m 5’3, my sis is 5’2 and my mum is 4’10) but we’re all on the more rounded side so petite often out because we’re not in proportion! M&S short trousers have been a good option but most high street coats drown me. Agree it would just be better if there was more options to have things altered at half the expense. Or if women’s clothing stopped using 6,8,10 etc and just did what the men’s clothes do and indicate waist sizes etc, and acknowledged that we’re all different heights and sizes….
This has been pissing me off for as long as I can remember – I am 5′ 1″, so I do feel your pain. (I am not a slim size 6 though, more of a 12 these days)
Boden petite range is pretty good at the moment I think, I’ve just bought a couple of things I love from there.
I managed to eventually find a really lovely wool coat at Agnes B last year, not a petite range, but their sizes do seem to be cut with smaller people in mind. obvs pricey, but worth if for the length and fit, although sleeves still too long so had those taken up.
I’ve found a couple of nice things in Topshop petite in recent months – but I always find myself wishing they would do the one jacket or whatever I really like in a petite size.
I just can’t wear things like Hush, COS, &otherstories etc because the lengths and sizings seem to be made for another breed of person entirely.
I’m 5”2 and a small 8. I find that French brands fit better than the Brit ones – Comptoir and Sandro are particularly good. Definitely expensive but bargains can be found in the sales / Bicester / eBay.
Oh yes, and Uniqlo for jeans because they take them up for you then and there for a couple of quid. Uniqlo proportions generally seem to be quite good for short people…
Sandro (French) good for petite, a bit pricey but v good quality
I always find Zara clothes to be teeny tiny – much smaller than you’d expect so maybe worth a try? Asos petite is also a good bet. Good luck!
I’m 5’2″, my favourite ever coat is from Gérard Darel which can veer a bit drab but for long lasting basics (i.e. wool/cashmere blend coats!) is very good. Generally look at French brands as French women tend to be small and slim and the clothes are cut accordingly, although saying that I ordered a Rouje coat from the new collection in a size 36 and it was absolutely MASSIVE, shoulders halfway down my arms, very bizarre.
Rouje coast and jackets are supposed to be oversized on normal people, they are going for an oversized look …. the dresses and skirts however are perfect xx
Hi, totally agree – I’m 5’4 but like a child on top (awful picture !) – in October I buy 8 Zara polo necks in XS and then in March put a shirt back on. They’re great and they change a bit each season. Hated the pearls version but luckily still had 60 other ones in the cupboard.
Coats are impossible. I usually end up ordering every pea coat up to £300 from net a porter and keeping my fingers crossed.
I know it’s not for everyone, but smaller people are ideal to wear the beautiful vintage clothes I can’t fit in to – (as a tall size 16). In particular vintage coats are beautifully made from lovely materials, seem to be warmer and no one else will have the same coat as you, and they tend to be cheaper too, so you can get the relined if you are squeamish.
I am 5’1 and got a Zara biker jacket last year (yes, one of the 5 million that did, shoot me) and the arms were short enough for me (and that was in a M). So I would recommend going there for coats/jackets. J Crew petite range (mostly online) do very nice tailored jackets and size down massively for the petite range (I am a 12 normally but wear their size 16 jacket). H&M do their super skinny jeans in a petite length and Gap’s girlfriend jeans are meant to be rolled up, so if you roll them down the 28″ inseam is perfect for full length.
Sharis this is a PARTICULARLY detailed and helpful answer, thanks
Here is a link to an article on the excellent The Pool about clothes for short arses (I can say it, I am one). More focus on formal work outfits and lots of it out of my price range but I aspire to it one day!
https://www.the-pool.com/fashion/fashion-honestly/2018/42/petite-shopping-tips-uk?utm_source=today&utm_campaign=c4c2b38b70-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_10_16_01_09&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0522b4f78a-c4c2b38b70-69314861&mc_cid=c4c2b38b70&mc_eid=8f907db1bc
Fellow little person. Tried on a bunch of Zara XS dresses that looked like sacks /,nuns’ habits. Soul-destroying. Am small all over (arse aside) so would recommend H&M (or Hennes if you prefer) kids and Zara kids – yup, you will need to remove the odd butterfly motif.
Agnès B, Benetton both do slim fit, bear and pull have the right length jeans and I even found a pair that were too short.
Pretty small shoes are fab if you are size 32-35. Only place I escape the kids’ range.
If all else fails, move to china. I’m a medium there!
new look petite are pretty good
Tall person here and feel your rage about the lack of decent tall ranges ANYWHERE. Don’t even mention long tall sally, it makes me stabby.
Ugh not much of use to add but a whole lot of resentful solidarity at 5’2 with, as it seems, NO SHOULDERS bc all coats make me look like I am dressing up in my mother’s jacket. And size 2 feet which is a killer. The only helpful thing I have to add is that River Island jeans (I Know) are amazing for the short legged petites out there, last for ages, no saggy bum or baggy knees. Will scour these comments for advice.Xx
Johnny B girls range age 14 is a good petite bet from Bode. Lots of their jeans/trousers fit like a dream
Do my fellow 5’3/5’4 -ers not feel like they’re stuck in no mans land? Petite sizes just that bit too short in the arms/legs but regular length too long? I’m really struggling with a winter coat for this reason and can never get trousers the right length!
I am 5 2″, I find Maje, Sandro , Sezane, basically French brands fit pretty well. As for jeans I love the brand RE/DONE . Perfect high waisted, button fly, ridged { stretch , skinny jeans look very dated } denim. They come with an unfinished hem and you just chop them off in the kitchen. I have a Woolwich parka in XS thats the dream. Finally a hood that stays up and a parka that doesn’t drown me. Now I am looking for some long boots that don’t gape on the calf like a welly boot, tube style boots. Not stretch LKB/K Middy type … loads in the shops, none fit. Surly if you have size 3 feet you are likely to be smaller all over. The hunt continues. Grateful for all/any suggestions. XX
I’m mildly embarrassed about my anger but still 100% stand by it – forever fed up of being cold all winter, baggy knees and wearing things purely because they fit rather than I like them. Some great advice here; I hadn’t thought of J Crew – and upon doing further research it looks like Madewell go down to a UK size 2 – and I’m going to give children’s ranges another go again (although they never seem to leave enough room for ye old tits).
Thanks Esther and small Spikers!
NEVER be embarrassed by correct anger! It was righteous! Everyone else feels the same!
I’ve also just found out that you can search Other Stories by the atelier it was designed in – Paris apparently the smallest by far, LA next and Stockholm generous. Haven’t tried this yet so can’t confirm but this could be a game changer!
Becky this is DEEP research. Respect.
I’m 5ft 3 and share the frustration! I used to purchase work suits from Hobbs (historically they were a reliable source for classic dark/navy suits which I have to wear as I’m in court a lot) and their fit was pretty good. And then a year or so ago, everything seemed to have grown several inches longer and knee-length skirts and dresses were suddenly around my calves and ankles. According to one of the shop assistants, they had taken the decision to alter their standard length on the basis that it was easier to shorten clothes than to lengthen them. Why they couldn’t just introduce a “tall” and/or a “petite” range, I don’t know. Their colours and styles seem to have gone properly frumpy in recent years so I don’t think I’m probably their target customer anymore anyway!
LK Bennett, on the other hand, is pretty good for petite sizes for jackets and dresses (not sure about trousers) – I think they go down to a size 4 in some of their clothes and definitely a size 6. They have also recently introduced a petite option for a handful of their co-ords so they’re still a reliable source for classic workwear. I also love that they still cater for women with hourglass figures. Nothing quite so tedious as finding that everything needs taking up at the hem *and* taking in at the waist…
To add to the petite brands Anthropologie, Mint Velvet, and Coast all do petite clothes online. I’ve not tried the other two but Mint Velvet jeans are ‘traditionally’ sized, i.e. I wear the same size in their jeans that I did in the 80s whereas everywhere else I’m a size or two smaller.
To be a bit cheeky (sorry Esther!) there are some British petite bloggers that can be helpful, particularly Small Town Threads who is 5′ and a size 6.
A quick comment from a petite (5’2”) who’s not particularly slim (size 12 – which looks much bigger on a 5’2” frame than it does on normal people- Petite doesn’t just mean size 6!!!), I recommend Fenn Wright Manson Petite, their cut is good on the shoulder, sleeve length and the distance between shoulder and waist (which is the bit I struggle most with on standard clothes). Gap also do a lot of their trousers in an Ankle length which are normal length on me, and I’ve had the odd thing from Next Petite. Love everyone’s suggestions, thank you
I find Uniqlo ankle jeans the perfect length for me. Also got all my work clothes from there. For causal clothes, I actually like shopping kids range e.g. Johnny B from Boden – cheaper and when chosen carefully no one knows!
Just remembered ASOS has an enormous petite range and go down to a size 2 as well (they have 23″ waist 26″ length in their own brand jeans) so worth a look although it does take a lot of scrolling through the dross, I have been known to search by price high to low to get to the stuff I like quicker.
Asolutely – on net a porter always low to high – on ASOS always high-to-low! xx