There are few things that we love more than a good jacket. Throw one on with jeans, khakis, a floral skirt, and poof—instant style upgrade. Slip on a pair of kitten heels, and suddenly even running errands feels chic, and there’s nothing that makes standing in the grocery line more tolerable than knowing that at least you look great.
For petite women on a budget, however, finding a jacket that fits is a challenge. Sure, some petite shops carry great selections, but the price tags tend to induce more sticker shock than buyer satisfaction. And tailors are an option, but if it’s more than taking up a sleeve (petite cuts are about shoulder width and hem length, too), it’s probably going to make even a bargain jacket more trouble (and cost) than it’s worth to begin with.
So, in our quest to keep all the short girls looking fabulous, Angela’s compiled a list of places to find jackets that will make you feel six feet tall. The list is, unfortunately, um, short. P.S. to retailers: We’d like more choices, please.
JCPenney. I’ve found really tremendous jacket deals in JCPenney’s petite section. Some styles are a bit outdated, but if you look you’ll find some really classic cuts with great fit and great prices. As always, check out the clearance, especially if you’re not the most common size - my favorite black pinstripe jacket (that fits like a glove) was $19.99 on clearance.
Petite Sophisticate: Though their success (and store availability) has had it’s ups and downs, I’m hanging in with ‘em. A year or so ago, I picked up a beautiful pale green jacket from Petite Sophisticate that fits great - the key here is to hit the sales. My find was on clearance, and though the precise figures escape me now, I think I paid about $30 for a $75 jacket. That’s a deal. And, even better, Petite Sophisticate is getting on the budget bandwagon with a string of outlet stores (click here to see if there’s one near you), and online shopping will be available starting in November, as well.
Macy’s INC line. INC petites are cute, trendy, and, when they’re on sale, priced just right. Look to INC if you want something current and maybe even a little bit edgy. Everybody’s wardrobe needs some of that.
Ann Taylor LOFT. Okay, I haven’t actually purchased a jacket from here, but I have comlete faith in Ann Taylor quality, the cuts are modern, and the prices aren’t completely ridiculous - in fact, go to Ann Taylor to check out some decent sales, going on now.
Amazon.com. Technically not a retailer, of course, but a great place to search for petite jackets for reasonable prices. Today, for example, a quick search turned up this 3/4 sleeve Liz Claiborne jacket half-off, and there’s more where that came from.
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Comments
Don’t forget Gap and Banana Republic! And you know the Gap has awesome sales:)
If you ever find yourself in Canada, they have super deals on Petite clothing and most major department stores have significant petite departments
In Canada, a great place for budget petite clothes is Reitmans (http://www.reitmans.com), if you aren’t super tiny-framed. Their smallest size is a 2, and it’s about the same size as a 2P at Banana Republic or Ann Taylor (maybe slightly smaller.) It’s unlikely you’d find anything over $45 or $50 there.
As a 5’2 gal who wears a size 0 or 2, I have had good luck at The Limited. I have narrow shoulders and jacket sleeves and pant legs are always too long. The Limited carries pants in a shorter inseam and will even shorten further for you for free. Jacket sleeves I still have to get taken in, but the shoulders finally fit.
