Ever find yourself traveling from store to store searching for something that will fit or spending even more time at your tailor? I think we’ve all been there but thanks to the new online boutique, Gambita, shopping for a petite body just became so much easier and much more fashionable.

Gambita founder, Caroline Misan Alvo knows what it’s like first hand. Being petite herself and standing at just 4’9″, Caroline set out to find a better way for petites to shop by researching and working with designers that tend to cut their clothes on the smaller side.

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Caroline to discuss Gambita, dressing a petite body, and what we can look forward to from Gambita in the future. Check out our conversation below:

Petite Fashionista: What is Gambita exactly? 

Caroline for Gambita: Gambita is an online store that sells clothes exclusively for petite women. We do this by aggregating clothes from different designers that are “petite-friendly” and, when possible, we ask that designers re-design items in petite proportions.  Our hope is to not only make shopping an enjoyable and easy experience for petite women, but to inspire petite women to own and love their smallness.

Gambita literally means “little shrimp” in Spanish. My husband gave me this nickname and I loved it; once it came time to name the company I didn’t have to look too far for the perfect name.

What inspired you to start Gambita?

I’m 4’9” and shopping has always been a nightmare for me. I always assumed that my shopping “issues” were due to the fact that I was exceptionally short, but after countless conversations with other petites, I found that virtually all petite women face similar challenges. It dawned on me that there must be a better way for Gambitas to shop, and thus Gambita as born.

What types of clothes can petites find on Gambita and what are the designers you’re currently carrying?

Petites can find a range of contemporary pieces on Gambita, from fun tops, to dresses, to jeans to skirts. We carry the following designers: Alice & Trixie, Yumi Kim, Keepsake, DL 191, Skinny Jeans, LAmade, bySmith and Viereck. Much more to come in the future!

Being petite myself, I know that finding the right fit can be a struggle sometimes. If I order something from Gambita and it doesn’t work for me can I easily return? 

Of course, we offer free shipping and free returns. In addition, if you have any questions about how a certain item will fit, just write to us and we’ll schedule a call to give you all the fashion tips you need.

How often does Gambita receive new styles?

We’re constantly looking for new styles and we’ll release new styles as often as possible.

Being petite yourself, what advice would you give to other petite women when it comes to fit and style?

1. For tops, make sure the top the sleeve actually lines up with your shoulder (like this one). If the sleeve inseam is dropping down your arm that just won’t look right.

2. Stay away from items that have a lot of excess fabric and lack shape. Your petite frame will get lost! If you’re going with an item that has a loose fit, make sure you keep your shape with a belt, like this dress.

3. I’m a big believer in fun prints but just make sure that the prints are not too big, otherwise it will throw off your petite proportions. I love this dress because it incorporates so many fun prints and colors but the details itself are small so it won’t overwhelm us petite gals.

Ultimately, it helps to know some general guiding principles to follow for your body type, but you should wear what makes you feel beautiful and confident!

What can petites expect to see from Gambita in the future?

More fabulous styles from petite friendly designers! We’re hard at work to find designers that make amazing pieces for all parts of your life. We’ll tailor our offering based on what our customers want most, but we strive to be a one-stop shop for all your wardrobe needs, from work to play

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Thanks to Caroline, she’s giving all Petite Fashionista’s a 10% discount with the following coupon code: Gambita4PetiteFashionista so head over to www.vivagambita.com today and enter the code at checkout!

Here are just a few pieces you can find on Gambita now:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Shopping!!

 

 

 

ideeli is having another fantastic ‘Petite Power’ sale starting today. Designers include: Audrey & Grace, Adrianna Papell, Jessica Howard, Kenneth Cole, and more.

Here are a couple of my favorites pieces from the sale.

Head over now to see what they have! If you haven’t signed up with ideeli yet, you should! It’s fast and easy and the sales are always packed with great buys. Trust me.

Has anyone tried ideeli yet? If so, let me know what you’ve found.

RED PETITE Button Front Cardigan – $78.00 now just $34.99!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PREMISE Petite Pant with Slant Faux Pocket – $68.00 now just $24.99!

Hi Petites!

Being that I live in the U.S., I had never heard of Precis Petite, until now. I stumbled across their online store for petite fashion just last week and found a couple great pieces.

Precis designs petite clothing exclusively for women 5’ 3” and under in petite size 6 to size 18. They carry everything from petite jeans, suits, dresses, jackets, and accessories. Their petite clothing is made on their own petite blocks and to their own petite patterns that are guaranteed to fit and flatter petite women specifically.

Precis is currently having a ‘Mid Season Sale’ with up to 40% off so head over and see what you can find!

Do you own anything from Precis? If so, let me know what you think!

The 16th Bar, a petite womenswear brand which focuses strictly on petite women, is all about providing bold, exciting, quality clothing to petite women. The ready to wear collection, designed by petite designer Frankie Ortiz (4’11), will launch its debut Fall 2012 collection later this month. The collection will consist of petite dresses, skirts, blouses, pants, jackets, and trench coats all proportionately graded to best fit the petite woman’s shorter frame – YAY!

The never before seen Fall/Winter 2012/2013 Collection was inspired by power. A feeling designer Frankie Ortiz says, ”Every woman should feel, every day of her life.”  She also adds, “This is the brand’s first impression. We want our clothing to shift the minds of our petite consumers to feel they are just as beautiful and powerful if not more than their amazon counterparts, and when they try on and feel our garments, they will know we are here to stay.”

Even though I have yet to see the collection, I find myself especially excited for the debut because I have a feeling it will be luxurious and fresh with a little bit of edge — three things the petite clothing industry desperately needs.

The launch of The 16th Bar’s debut Fall 2012 Collection runway event will be held in Los Angeles on September 27, 2012. The great part is, ALL of the models for this event will range between 5′ to 5’5” to show exactly how each garment looks on a real petite women! Please visit www.the16thbar.com/events for more information and stay tuned for photos once the collection has officially launched!

Photos: The 16th Bar Facebook and 2010-2011 Concept Designs- no photos of the actual collection have been released.