Petite
Get 20% Off $100 or More at Banana Republic
The Deal: Get 20% off any purchase of $100 or more through Feb 25th at Banana Republic.
The Lowdown: February is almost history, and that means our long wait for Spring fashion is nearly over. It also means it’s time to take a long hard look in our closets to figure out just what we’re going to wear between now and May—the dreaded “transitional” dressing. Once we’ve taken stock, we’ll head for a sale like this one at Banana Republic (particularly because we love a “20 percent off” sale way more than the “$20 off” variety) and then hit the already-discounted sale items to get the best price.
Our top strategy (for maximum value) is to pick up pieces that you can layer under things you already have, and then wear alone later. And a pop of color is seriously in order. For petite girls, this silk cap-sleeve trapeze dress in rich green does the trick for $74.99. And tall girls, BR has your back too, with picks like this silk twill pleated blouse
, on sale for $39.99. Oh, and these both come in average sizes too, so everybody’s happy.
Shop: Banana Republic
Petite Fashion Tips
Many of the rules and myths governing petite dressing are as outdated as a pair of spandex stirrup pants.
Don’t believe me?
Just take a look at petite celebrities like Carrie Underwood, Eva Longoria,and Reese Witherspoon, petite fashionistas who demonstrate that rules are made to broken. Using these fabulous stylistas are inspiration, we put together a short list on how to break these rules.
Old School Rule: Short women shouldn’t wear color
New Rule:
- Wearing the same color on both top and bottom elongates your body. Choose a color that’s flattering to your natural tones, and add accessories, like jewelry and a purse, with splashes of color to spice it up.
- Match your shoe color to your outfit as well. If you wear black pants or tights, wearing black shoes can create the illusion of more length to your body.
Old School Rule: Heels are the best way to appear taller
New Rule:
- While heels do add height to your legs, choose a shorter height (1”-2”) that will make you appear taller, but not off balance. Too-tall heels can make you look like you’re walking on stilts!
- You can wear straight leg or wide leg pants, just keep them long enough to cover most of your shoes, to keep up the visual of longer legs.
Old School Rule: Don’t wear long skirts
New Rule:
- Avoid skirts that fall at mid-calve, as they will make your legs appear short and possibly stocky. However, ankle-length skirts can be flattering for petites. Pair it with a shorter jacket to create the illusion of length.
- Dresses can be a petite girl’s best friend! If you pick the right length and style, the focus will be on the overall look and not your height. A wrap dress is a sure bet, because it highlights your figure and keeps the focus away from your height.
(Thanks to our friends at PetiteSophisticate.com for their tips)
Perfect Ten on Sale: Trench Coat at Gap.com
Everyone should have a classic trench coat in their closet and I recently found this great coat at the Gap on sale for $58.00. The big brown buttons and stitching around the wrists, updates this classic piece without making it too trendy. Now here’s the kicker—it comes in sizes xS to xxL and petite and tall sizes.
Fashion Advice: What to Do When You’re Short—But Not "Petite"?
Dear Budget Fashionista:
What fashion advice do you have for someone who is short, but not “petite”?
A: It can be difficult to find clothes when you’re a shorter person who isn’t necessarily “petite”. The first thing to remember is that the taller you appear, the slimmer you look. You’re goal should be to try and add a bit of height (via heels or hair) to your outfit every day. Also follow these basic style rules:
Avoid:
Cropped anything—Pants, tops, jackets.
Flats—They will not give you the additional height you need.
Long, unstructured skirts—They will drown your shape and make you look shorter.
Embrace:
Heels—A heel of at least one inch will help elongate your body (both torso AND legs).
Tailor—A great one will make all the difference.
Low-rise boot-cut pants—These pants will help balance out your thighs and give your torso a longer look. Make sure the hem of the pants hits about an inch above the bottom of your shoe. This will give the illusion that your leg continues until the bottom of your shoe.
Slightly above-the-knee A-line skirts—Make sure to wear them with the heels.
Petite No More: As Americans Get Bigger, Clothing Sizes Get Smaller
Lately, I’ve received tons of questions from petite shoppers who find that the current American clothing size system is skewed larger. And, as much as it hurts to admit it, they’re right. The Boston Globe recently featured an article on this very topic and found that as Americans have increased in size (along with our crazy obsession with being thin) clothing sizes have decreased. So what was once a size 14 now is a size 8, a size 8 is a size, etc.
From Boston.com
... While Americans have statistically gotten larger, women’s clothing has gotten smaller—that is, if the numbers on the size labels are to be believed. It’s no secret that retailers have been playing to women’s vanity for years by downsizing the sizes on garment labels, but the practice has reached an extreme in recent months with the introduction of the sizes ‘‘double zero” and ‘‘extra, extra small.” If vanity sizing continues on this path, analysts say, it is only a matter of time before clothing sizes are available in negative integers.
In this age of internet shopping, I say they should bring back the standardized sizing system they chucked in 1983. If that means we’re all a size bigger—so be it. One of the reasons why we tend to look like a hot mess is because we focus way too much on size and not on what fits our body (low rise jeans anyone?) I have celebrity stylist friends who cut out the size tags of garments (especially ones from French and Japanese designers) before giving them to clients because ther clients would freak out if they knew they really wore a size 44 (US 8/10). We’ve got to let this size thing go.
Gap.com Announces the Addition of Tall and Petite Sizes
Gap.com recently announced the addition of Tall and Petite sizes to its online store. These garments, available only on the web, are designed to maintain their true silhouettes, while being scaled for the taller or shorter fashionista. Although the collection focuses on top sellers like the original long and lean jeans shown above ($58.00), it sure beats having to shop at corny sounding stores like Tall Girl (who came up with that one?) and Petite Sophisticate.
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