Sweet Petites Apparel, a line of athetic clothing for petite women was founded by Elizabeth Dutra in 2006. Elizabeth does not come from a fashion background. Prior to starting Sweet Petites, Elizabeth taught foreign business professionals about the U.S. market economy and small business development. Elizabeth also worked as a holistic health professional, where she learned a great deal about different body shapes. As a petite woman herself (Elizabeth is around 5'1"), she knew that other petite women shared the same issue such as inseam and rise lengths. She also consulted with other petite women by hosting a Pattern Party and spent time measuring, tabulating and comparing statistics to make the perfect, ideal fit.On why she decided to start a line of petite athletic wear:
I felt the current marketplace for petite active wear was severely lacking in fashionable and well-fitting styles. So I decided to give petite women what they have been looking for, stylish and functional active wear combined with a figure-flattering fit.
On whether there's a specific height her clothes are designed for:
My clothes are designed for women 5’4” and under. Our inseams vary from 27” to 29.5” so there is something perfect for just about every petite.
On the height of her models:
My models Gaby, Maria, and Lacy are between 5’2” and 5’4”. My niece Mallory is 4”11”.
On whether she feels that some women don't realize that they're petite:
Absolutely!! I speak with women everyday who think they are not petite because they are a size 10. I then ask how tall they are, they say 5’3” and I tell them they are certainly petite! I designed my clothing with a generational fit in mind. I wanted to create styles that flattered younger body types to older. Petites simply grow out, not up. I know this from not only my body as I’ve aged, but comparing my niece Mallory’s figure to mine and my mothers. We all started with a common physique and it changes as we get older. Sweet Petites Apparel is dedicated to bringing petites of all ages smart, well-fitting and stylish apparel.
On why she feels plus sizes get more attention than petites:
There may be more plus size stores out in the marketplace currently, but I truly feel the petite fashion world is getting ready to explode and I’m very excited to help bring petites to the fashion forefront.
On whether she has a designer she admires:
Diane von Furstenberg, She makes “dressing” a women an art form.
On the thing she can say to the fashion industry about petites:WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!!!
On where she sees Sweet Petites five years from now:
As with many other petite designers, my goal is to continually bring beautiful and figure-flattering clothing to petites around the world.
Sweet Petites Apparel sells tops (both bra tops and tanks). bottoms and wraps. Sizes range from XS to L and are available for purchase online from the website.
This article is cross-posted at Prospere Magazine
