Petite Does Not Mean Skinny

I was working with one of my Wardrobe Wisdom clients the other day who was complaining about the sleeve length on her new blouse. I asked if the blouse was a petite and she looked at me with a shocked expression: "Petite! I am a size 14!" This is a common misunderstanding of the term petite.

In the clothing world, petite does not mean the tiny, emaciated bodies of the Olsen twins. Instead petite means a woman is 5' 4" or less; clothing for petite women is proportioned for those shorter bodies. The sleeves are shorter as are the torsos. In pants, the rise is shorter as is the inseam.

One of the most helpful resources I have found for petite women is the site for the book, The Petite Handbook.

I am right on the border of petite at exactly 5' 4" so sometimes petite clothing is too short for me when I want to wear heels. Like regular clothing, sizing is not consistent in the petite world so always try things on, even if they should fit your shorter body perfectly.