Are You A Petite Professional?
Hi PF’s,
I have recently been interviewed by a university student who is putting together a paper about petite fashion. She wants to hear from you too!
If you’re a petite professional woman who is finding it difficult to find proper professional attire please leave comments for her at this post.
Wear do you shop?
How much do you spend?
Are your suits custom made?
…..and whatever other info you can think of.
Please share your experiences with this hard working petite student.
Also, if any readers would be willing to be interviewed for her research please
email me.
I shop at Banana Republic online. The selection in the store is so limited. I just purchased a blazer from Petite Sophisticate and I’m waiting to see if it will work for me.
I have to bite the bullet and shop at Ann Taylor factory stores. I spend a fortune but at least I get good stuff.
I am a teacher, so I don’t have but one suit. However, I do have tons of pants and tops, though. My favorites are:
Banana Republic Petite.
Ann Taylor and also LOFT.
I wear size 00 and XXS, so forget about Banana Republic. Mexx sometimes would have my size. I recently stopped by Suzy Shier, Smart Set and Dynamite. Got some business blazers and pants in 00 with 30″ inseam. Quality isn’t the best but pricing is. $10 to $30 a piece and save the money on hemming too. We have business casual as dress code so I don’t have to look very professional. That’s why my budget assigned to this category is low.
I live in Ireland at the moment and I like H and M and Wallis here for suits for work. At home, I liked Target and Anne Taylor. Everything is usually a one-off though- it seems like you have to go to a lot of stores and hopefully one has something that looks good. Whenever cropped jackets come into style I stock up (I don’t think longer suit jackets looks good on me, even if they are sized down to a petite range).
I’ve bought suits that needed altering if the shoulders fit well and had the sides and bottom of the jacket taken in (I just hem the pants myself).
I try really hard to bargain shop, so I try to watch for end of season sales and the like. The last two suits I bought were about 70-80 Euros each. I seem to have really good luck with H and M (Zara, on the other hand, seems to be designed for the freakishly tall and skinny).
I have hardly any money to speak of so currently I shop at 2nd hand/resale shops for my attire. I look through the juniors section only if I can’t find anything close to my size in the women’s section. If I find anything close to my size I bring it home and hem it up to fit me. I also buy patterns and customize the measurements to get my size.
I usually don’t spend anymore than $5-$10(american dollars)on any one item.
I find it impossible to find professional attire in small sizes.
I am 5’2 and 90 lbs.
No, I don’t have an eating disorder. I’m just small, my whole family is. For the last three years, I’ve worn nothing but skirts from Forever 21. The quality isn’t great, but the skirts fit.
I am still searching for a store that carries small suit pants. I’ve tried Banana Republic, Macys, Nordsrom, Express, Forever 21, and H&M.; Need other options! I’m so desperate I’m currently researching tailors who will make me custom pants…at around $440 per pair
I’m barely 5’1″ and weigh about 105 lbs. I get most of my office clothes at The Limited and the Ann Taylor Factory Store. Usually I have to have the pants altered anyway. Brittany, why don’t you just get your pants altered at the dry cleaner’s? They’ll usually hem a pair of pants for $10 to $15.
I am a Human Resources professional working in financial servcies. I am 5’00″ and I weigh 98 lbs. I buy clothes any where I can but I prefer Ann Taylor Petites, especially 00 pants because they fit so well. I am 43 yrs. old and I want to dress more mature but it so hard to find nice tailored items that fit my extra small frame.
Hi Im 22 years old 5.2 and 94lbs and have just recently gotten a job but cant seem to find professional wear that will fit me anywhere! Currently I look at random stores such as Wetseal or Forever 21 but its pretty hopeless