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Clothes
for petite women
Petite
and chubby; how do I dress?
By Lisa Kramer
| Nancy
in Wallingford, Connecticut asks, "I am a petite women
and slightly chubby; you know the ones that seem to have
some flesh on the bones. But when I go shopping, I
just can't find anything to wear. Not even in the
so-called petites department. What is going on?
Please advise me how to dress." (Related
article: Styles
for spring) |
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Most
women in the world are petite by industry standards. And many
petite women have curves too, and some women, particularly Latinas,
African-Americans, (South)
Indian and other South Asian women,
have big curves. In many cultures, curves are desired. Men like women with curves
and to tell you the truth, most men admire women with curves. The latest trend of ultra-thin women
in the media and movies is not that appreciated it in real life.
So how do you dress?
If your height is
5' 4'' or less, you are considered petite by fashion standards. However, a lot of smart merchants in cities such as New York, Miami and Los Angeles have standard sizes for women
5' 5'' or so, instead of the longer pants in department stores.
(Related:
Fayreform lingerie collection)
 Petite fashion is a problem, because there are many types of
petites. There are women with long torsos and shorter legs, and most
women fall into this category. There is also the opposite: long legs and short torso. In a petite body, everything is proportionately petite. A petite also has shorter arms and different proportions on the torso. All these consideration and others make it very difficult for manufactures to have the perfect petite size. So you have to shop around to discover the best brands for you; it is not only a matter of sizes in the petite department.
(Related:
Wardrobe for work at home moms)
Skinny or chubby
In my experience as a petite, both sometimes chubby and sometimes thin, to find
petite size clothing that really fit is not easy. The problem is easy to understand: petite is a size for women from
5' 4'' and under, therefore, one size does not fit all. What fits a
4' 5'' woman does not fit a 5’ 4’’ woman. My first piece of advice: Be ready to make adjustments.
Petite fashion or regular sizes
According to
Bobbi
Brown, the creator of the cosmetic line that bears her name and a person used to smooching with celebrities as a
makeup artist, it is better on many occasions to buy clothes in the regular sizes and make adjustments than buying the petite styles. Here is when the shape of your body matters:
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Long torso, regular sizes 
If your torso is long, chances are the regular sizes are the best choice for you although the clothes will be too long. The length of an item of clothing is always the easier part to fix. Length of sleeves or others are more complex. Some brands, such as
Ralph
Lauren, are designed for tall people. The same applies to
Banana
Republic, among others. Avoid these brands if you are a petite. Ironically, the latest petite collection of Banana Republic is great for most petites, but they are designed for people about 5’
1’’ and
below; so if you are any taller than this, the pants will be short, but in general the cut is great.
The regular sizes of
BCBG are, generally speaking, great for this type of bodies. The petite department at
Anne Klein is also good for petites with long torsos.
Long legged petite sizes
If your legs are longer than your torso, in most cases, the petite sizes are better for you, because the regular sizes will not fit your body well. If you tend to put the weight in the lower part of your body, the regular sizes may fit you better if you adjust the length.
If you are a
curvaceous petite,
like,
Vida Guerra, as a general rule, you want to elongate your body with the clothes style and minimize volume. In order to do this, there are many tricks and the following is a short and effective list:
- Elongate by not cutting your body using pieces of clothes such as jackets and belts in the wrong proportions. Large belts, if used on top of pants or
skirts with
blouses of a very different color, are not your best choice because it cuts your body into two parts.
- Avoid extra fabric around your waist; you do not need to add volume in this area.
- Very long skirts make your legs look short and therefore you look shorter.
- The pants, as Trinny and Susannah from “What not wear” BBC edition keep repeating, should cover your shoes; this adds extra inches to your legs.
- You can mix colors, but remember monochromatic looks make you look taller.
- Thick fabric usually adds extra weight.
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- Vertical lines elongate your body. You do not have to look like a zebra, for example. The jeans that have a vertical line in the seams create the illusion of a taller person. Just one or two lines create this illusion; you do not need to use a textile with multiple vertical lines.
- To hide pounds, remember your clothes have to fit properly. Oversize T-shirts do not hide pounds; on the other hand, they make people look like a
tamale, without any shape.
- Too tight, too bad. Too tight clothes are risky. If the clothes are properly fitted, you will be able to show the
best of your
body. If you want to show some extra skin go for the
décolleté and
accessorize to call attention. Avoid using clothes that make your
tummy come out as a love handle; it just will call attention to the wrong parts.
- Many of the “fashion experts” think that high heels on petite women do not look good. Our recommendation is: this is true only if someone is really short and uses
stilettos. The taller petites have no problem with this. To say the truth, this is a new media creation in the
US. Petite women in most countries, including those in Latin America, Italy and Spain are the ones that people expect to use heels. Tall people do not need heels, especially the extraordinarily tall (6’ or near)
models. So if you like heels, go ahead.
The best advice to add inches and lose pounds is to
stand up tall and straight and
walk with confidence and
grace. It is a matter of
attitude, baby. Related
articles: Fashion
tips for petite women Evening
wear for petite women Dress
to look slim |
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