Different Body Types Look Good in Different Things

Snippet of some of the tweets referred to below

Can't people just accept that?  Over on Twitter, I am having a debate w/ someone about clothing sizes.  There was a tweet about Marc Jacobs not making larger sizes because people don't want to buy them (apparently they want to make plus sizes).  I said that it might be because Marc Jacobs clothing just isn't made to look good on most people who are of a larger size.  The reply I got was more or less a WTF (actually, he said "Fashion is a celebration of yourself, no matter what size you are." and referred to body image activist Ben Barry and owner of an "all sizes" modelling agency (well, sort of all sizes, since he doesn't really have petites on his roster - nor does he really mention them).  I replied saying that as a petite woman, I don't wear calf-length skirts because they don't look good on me.  Makes sense, right?  There's a reason why most petite lines don't make skirts meant to be mid-calf.  Anyway, this is a guy who seems to think that everyone can pull of everything if it's the right size.  Nuh-uh.  Not true.

Are you a plus petite? Shorty Stories wants you!!

Shorty Stories is currently looking for guest bloggers who would like to write about being plus petite. Plus petites are a very ignored market, even though statistically, the average woman fits into this group. Maybe you'd like to talk about shopping issues (don't we all have those?) or how society views you. Maybe you don't consider yourself petite, even though you're 5'4" or shorter and would like to tell us why. Anyway, if you're interested in writing, are 5'4" or shorter and larger than a US size 12, please forward your post to me via e-mail!


I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Alternative Modelling and Petites

Petites, of course, are supposed to fall into this category, but for some reason, we aren't included in the Facebook Event celebrating alternative models (Alternative Model Week is in August. More information will be posted here and in Prospere Magazine closer to the date). I've even posted a note on the wall, but the admins have not changed anything as of Wednesday afternoon. Perhaps we need to have a bigger voice. You see tattooed people, people with multiple piercings, goth and even the more mainstream plus being celebrated, but us shorties? Nope. Nada.

Maybe there just aren't enough designers interested in risking it, especially in Canada. Maybe we need to encourage fashion students to go an alternate route. Isn't it interesting that people are more willing to be "weird" alternative than mainstream-alternative (i.e. plus and petite)? I would think that there are more people who'd be interested in mainstream-alternative, especially in a country like Canada. We're, after all, generally less risk-taking. Even Ben Barry, the Canadian modelling agent who encourages all shapes and sizes seems to ignore the shorties.

So what can we do? Well, starting a website to talk about these issues is one. This seems to be the most common, though most petite websites don't seem to update very regularly (Serafina, Petite Fashionista and this site are the most regular). Encouraging designers to think outside of the box is another. Of course, the latter can be hard. The fashion industry, as creative as they are, seem to be very narrow-minded when it comes to what looks good. Last year, I was at an event where one of the guests was a Canadian designer who has had shows in L'Oreal Fashion Week (won't name this person, as I am afraid of getting into trouble). I told this designer about this blog, and though this person was very friendly prior to my mentioning Shorty Stories, stopped talking to me all together afterwards. And trust me, it was NOT the alcohol. Petite fashion shouldn't only be shows like Petite Fashionista Presents. Petite fashion should be everywhere.

Of course, even if we are successful in encouraging designers to go petite, there's no guarantee that the Canadian Fashion Design Council will respond well to them. I've heard that some people there have a reputation to be pretty much the Anna Wintour of the North. And we all know what that means.

When will people TRULY understand petites?

I was at a meeting for an organization I belong to a few days ago. They're about to put together a major fundraising event (actually, it's not going to happen for about a year, but it's something so big that it has to be planned way in advance) and the topic of event planning (in general) came up. I brought up Christa Jean's Petite Fashionista Presents, and how the event is going to be GREAT for petite women. The person I was speaking with then brought up Hong Kong. Sure, Hong Kong is pretty much Heaven on Earth for us petite ladies, but not everything there, especially the really good stuff, is truly petite cut. They are just cut smaller and slightly shorter. It isn't truly petite length, unless you're on the taller side of petite or wear 2 or 3" heels. In any case, if you're over say, size 8, yet, say, 5'2", you're pretty much banished to the plus section. Yeah. Plus. At size 10.

But back to the meeting. The woman I spoke with kept on going on and on about how difficult it was to shop because the clothes were so small. She meant size, not length, as she wasn't super tall. I tried to nicely inform her that being petite has nothing to do with width and everything to do with height, but it didn't really work. Of course, this isn't the first time this has ever happened.

If I had the money, I'd put start a billboard and Internet campaign on petiteness, but sadly, I lack the funds. Maybe some day.

Banana Republic's Monogram Line Debuts Without Petite Sizes in Sight

Banana's more "upscale" limited edition line (think Ann Taylor Collection or J.Crew Collection), Monogram, launched yesterday online and in their Bleeker Street shop in New York City (which means that Canadians our out of luck unless they make it south of the border...Banana doesn't deliver up here nor do they take non-US credit cards...not that we don't already have issues with not being able to find size 00/00P already...and most of the petite collection too) Like Ann Taylor Collection and J.Crew Collection, none of its pieces are available in petite sizes. I understand that it takes money to make clothes and that petites don't sell well (I still don't understand why...after all, 40% of all women are petite! And even if many of the women are older, we do know that people of a certain age are more fashionable today than they were even 20-something years ago.), but do they not realize that petite women are as equally "fashion-obsessed" as non-petite women? I think petite women will buy petite sizes if there was more choice for them. Many don't buy petites because of the limited and boring selection (Banana Republic is actually pretty good about NOT being boring when it comes to their petites. However, the choice is still more limited than "regular").

Oh well, at least they have an on-site tailor who'll alter for free. Still, as they are "regular" sizes, the pieces won't fit as well on most petites as actual petite sizes. Maybe they'll launch a petite collection in the near future, but I really doubt it, as according to the fashion industry, we aren't really supposed to be all that "fashionable" (hey, if we were, there'd be more petite designers that are actually RECOGNIZABLE out there, right?)

I'd love to hear from the source, so if Banana Republic higher-ups are reading this, feel free to comment.



WWD article on Monogram

A Story from Patience

I recently received this e-mail from Patience, describing her experience as a petite woman:


I'm a 28 year old black female; 5ft, 106. I mentioned my ethnicity because it has played a role in my life as relates to petiteness. As a youth, it was first believed I would be tall! Then one day I recall my mother (5'7"ish) mentioning that she thought I might be "petite." I had no idea what that meant and it was tough for her to explain. By the time I was 16, and hadn't grown for four years, I became very clear on what petite meant.

At that age, I really suffered alot. I felt like I wasn't "growing up"; there were other girls who were, remarkably, smaller than I, but that wasn't the majority. I did the cutting, the journaling, all of that. My issue was exacerbated by the fact that in the black community, it's all about being "thick" - big butt, big legs, etc. Well, my legs actually are slightly larger than average, and longer, but I was not "thick; this mentality is so entrenched that anyone who isn't that size is seen as an anomaly. Ever listened to that comedian Mo'Nique? The attitude she has toward thin women pretty much encapsulates this mentality. So I got to feel like I wasn't "a real black girl."

Anywho, by about college I'd had a few dawnings. For one, I don't mind saying I came out as a lesbian, and began realizing that if I could see a variety of women as attractive, others could too, and that meant I could be within the real of cuteness. I also realized at that point that there was a group of people who considered petites a commodityfetish. Go figure.

Fastforward to now. Being an Aquarian, I'm known for my forward style and for treating my outfits like art. I'm able to find casual street clothes easily at places like Urban Outfitters; vintage stores also are awesome because people were smaller then. Guess is fab, their smalls are CRAZY small lol. For work: I enjoy Tahari suits (their petites are sooooo nice) used to like Petite Sophisticate and have some luck with the Macy's petites in general.

All in all, I love being petite. I feel extra dainty and girlie and special. I love that I can ball up and get into small spaces. One thing that I HATE HATE HATE though: There remains this attitude that it's ok to hate on small people.

I am SO annoyed with this anti-skinny-model thing - yeah, some of those girls need help, but don't assume every woman who's small is "troubled." I hate the presumption that everyone in America is fat - as reflected in the decrease of XS sizes and the increase in XXXLs. I also get annoyed with vanity sizing, don't they ever realize that there are people who really DO need a size 1? What are we going to do in 10 years? Perhaps one of my most annoying moments came a few months ago when I tried to get some El Cheapo shoes from Payless (trust me, that is NOT a place I frequent).

Well, I wear a 6 on average, far from an excessively small shoe. So I'm searching and searching and I finally see the size I need -- in the girls section!!!! I can't believe that's what the world has come to.

Mine is not a sad short story (not anymore) but more one of annoyance. I really wish people would stop assuming that everyone is big. Not average sized - BIG. It's just not the case.

What do you think of Patience's story? Can you relate to her? Does your culture's beauty myth lean more towards petiteness or non-petiteness?

Petite Sophisticate's Closing: A Blow to the Petite Movement?

So Petite Sophisticate is closing its full line retail stores (but keeping its outlets and online store) due to the lack of sales over the past few months. But why are they closing all four of them? Charming Shoppes has 52 Petite Sophisticate Outlet stores, and could have closed, say, 10 of those instead. The full line retail stores have only been around a year and this to me is giving up too soon. I completely understand that it's a money issue, but couldn't they have at least hung around a little longer? If Charming Shoppes was an elementary school student, surely the teacher wouldn't be too happy about giving up so quickly. Even Gap Inc.'s Forth & Towne lasted more than a year.

Is this a form of petite discrimination? As noted, all four non-outlet Petite Sophisticate stores are shutting down, while only a handful Fashion Bug (100 out of 1,000) stores are being shut. Technically, the closing of all four Petite Sophisticate stores is proportionately smaller than the 100 out of 1,000 Fashion Bug stores, but the Fashion Bug remaining aren't necessarily outlets). Of course, none of the Lane Bryant or Catherines stores are closing. What also upset me is how the Charming Shoppes company was described in the press release:

a leading multi-brand, multi-channel specialty apparel retailer specializing in women's plus-size apparel

Specializing in women's PLUS-SIZE APPAREL? Petite Sophisticate doesn't even carry anything larger than a 14P. I realize that they have more plus sized brands than the one petite brand, but it's almost as if they're purposely ignoring the fact that Petite Sophisticate even exists. Maybe I'm going too far by saying this, but it seems like Petite Sophisticate is a poor family member taken in by wealthier relatives. It feels like a "we're here to help, but you aren't my kid, so you aren't going to get as much help as my kid" sort of situation.

What do you think? I'd love to have your reaction!

BREAKING NEWS: Charming Shoppes closing Petite Sophisticate Retail Concept

I found this when I was checking out The Chic Petite...

BENSALEM, Pa., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Charming Shoppes, Inc., (Nasdaq: CHRS - News), a leading multi-brand, multi-channel specialty apparel retailer specializing in women's plus-size apparel, today announced further initiatives and actions being taken as a result of the Company's ongoing business review and in response to the continuing weak retail and economic environment in which the Company is currently operating. These actions are being taken in order to streamline business operations, reduce SG&A and capital expenditures, improve cash flow, and enhance shareholder value, and include:


-- The closing of the Petite Sophisticate full-line retail concept.

Click Here for the Rest

I'll have a reaction to this later this week.

A Petite Fashion Magazine used to exist....SERIOUSLY!

According to an article from JS Online (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), a magazine for petite women launched back in 2001. It was a quarterly that was distributed across the United States focusing on, what else, fashion and lifestyle for petite women. But it died a very quick death. Its domain is apparently an adult site now. But why did this happen? I realize that print magazines don't do as well anymore, but this was supposed to be different. It was a specialty sized publication. Even the plus-sized magazines seem to last at least a few years. Petite Magazine barely lasted one or two issues. Funding was probably the biggest issue. I think many companies avoid highly specialized magazines because they don't feel that it's marketable. This is partly the advertisers' fault for not understanding us. It's also our fault for not demanding that they understand us. Many jurisdictions offer services such as driving tests in other languages such as Chinese (both Cantonese and Mandarin) and Spanish, even if people who live in the area who speak those languages are less than 30%. These communities also have their own publications, and people know about these publications. Ask anyone in the Chinese communities in North America and they can tell you that they've heard of newspapers like Ming Pao (to the Toronto site, in Chinese) and Sing Tao (NY site, in English) Petite women? We make up 43% of the population, yet outside of blog and webzines, we have nothing. I'm not saying blogs, webzines and blogzines are bad. They're the way to go these days. In fact, I'm going to launch one soon, as a side project (don't worry, I'll still be updating this site) But not everyone is tech savvy, and since many petite women are not of the tech generation, they are the ones being left out.

Petite Plus.....more ignored than "standard petite"

We are seeing more and more publicity about petites and also about pluses, but what about the petite-plus? If the average woman in North America is 5'4" and a size 14, then she is a borderline petite-plus. But does the media acknowledge that? They seem to spend more time emphasizing her dress size (14) than height. Also, most women who are that size do not realize they are petite or do not consider themselves so (very bad for the petite market, IMHO.) As a result, little has been written about the petite plus. Few stores carry petite plus. Talbots and some Addition-Elle stores are the only places I can think of who carry this category. Online, you have to look very hard to find info on petite-plus. Here are a few select sites:

Petite Plus Patterns

Generous Fashions (they are a regular plus sized company with a petite division)

Big On Batik (same idea as Generous Fashions - "regular" height plus clothing with a petite division)

Petite Plus info from Petite Clothing Online

Cotton Inc article on petite-plus being an untapped market


So far, I have found NO blogs for or about petite-plus women.

Petites lack of respect....even on message boards

Last year, I posted this thread at Style.com's fashion forum. While most people seemed to be okay with what I wrote, there were a few sour apples who thought that petite women should just invest in a good tailor, especially Caramel, who seemed to be tired of my petite ranting...

Here's part of her post:

...and most people do have to have their clothes altered not always necessarily because of height but because we come in different body structures, for example, one of my closest friend is 5"8(and would not be considered short by most), she has legs that go on for miles but has a really short torso. I just think that its not the fashion industry that doesn't get it, but it's you, these people are in the market to make money, so they have to cater to people all around the world, so maybe the average height or size of a woman in the US may be 5"4 and 160 lbs but that may not be the average in italy, france, japan, sweden etc which they also have to distribute to. And lenght wise its easier to work yourself down (meaning a longer lenght to shorter) than work yourself up. you can have pants hemmed, the waist lowered, a blouse shorten etc, but you can't really elongate a blouse or pants

But that's tame (and what most petites regular get and seem to accept...NO WONDER THERE'S A LACK OF STYLISH PETITE SIZES!) compared to what some other people have written on that same forum. On the thread about short models, you'll find that it's worse, especially the posts from Valerio and some others, which start on this page.

Here's a sample:

It was a pleasure to read all your comments in this topic. Okay now about the height of a model in general, you have to be at least 5'8" but not taller then 6'1" Especially runway models are (most of the time) between these heights, and that's because of a designer makes designs only for 1 size and height. It will be a little difficult and expensive to produce for several heights and sizes, simply said......

I responded to Valerio by talking about celebs who've been spokesmodels......

Here was Valerio's response:

Okay that's your opinion and I appreciate it. But please don't mention Avril Lavigne, our rockgirl who wears sometimes a dress of Gucci or Dior. She isn't even an runwaymodel. In my previous post I was talking about REAL models not about celebs, actresses and so on. I thought you were a fashion lover, but I think it's just the opposite. Just one question do you really think that a model of (lets say) 5"1" can show the collection of whoever designer with the grace and the expression taller models do ? I would say to you buy or lent a few books of the fashion industry and about designers. Oh and please in the future read my postings carefully, because I have the feeling that you didn't understand what I was saying. Ciao

By the way, Valerio goes on to call me a fanatic....HA! I actually think I like that :)

here's a post from another poster, BarbaraStachicin:

777_LDY I agree 100%- No petite models on the runways of high fashion pleeeeeeaaaaaseeeee!!! That would just ruin the fantasy. And I'm also petite...5'4" 105 lbs....

I really don't understand people in the industry...have they really been THAT BRAINWASHED? And what happens if a specialty sized designer came along? I remember posts from Fashion Incubator last year when one of the girls from Tamiece asked about petite models. Some of the responses weren't all that positive either.

Lots of petite people, yet little choice...is it our fault?

Toronto is a diverse city. The Asian population (including all ethnic groups) is probably close to 20%. Since many Asians tend to be on the smaller, it's a whole lot of petite women when you include the rest of the population. Yet, other than granny clothes and classic numbers at Banana Republic (or catalog ordered from J.Crew), there's little out there in petite ranges (Americans are luckier, you guys also have Ann Taylor! And some of your Banana stores sell 00/00P....we still don't have that up here, and I *KNOW* that there are plenty of people in Toronto and Vancouver who could wear 00 or 00P!). I often wonder why that is. Is it because the stylish Hong Kong tai-tais (ladies who lunch) and their daughters aren't interested in exploring other brands (HK-Canadian women, for some reason have a preference for big/familiar names....my own mother included), brands that may have petites? Or, is it because they, like many others in the population, immigrant or not, don't quite understand "petite" (my aunt from Hong Kong once walked into Laura Petites with her slim, but non-petite daughter)? It's definitely not a price thing because Asians, especially those from Hong Kong, tend to be middle class and suburban. The reason why I address this is because I was at Muskat Brown not too long ago. Robbie had said that he's tried to advertise in the various Asian newspapers in town, but he wasn't seeing the Asian clientele that a petite shop *should* attract. I have also heard from petite designers who say that they have trouble getting their line into stores because the stores feel that it wouldn't sell well (are we back to the part where people are ignorant of what "petite" is again? Because from what I've heard petite lines at many mainstream stores like Banana and Ann Taylor do well). So what should be done? After all, with the exception of FASHION's annual size issue, mainstream magazines aren't really going to want to discuss petite lines (which IMHO is really ignorant of them...they wouldn't do the same for a plus size...think about it Lou Lou's forums has a 14+ board, but NO PETITE!!), no matter how hard we try (is there anyone in the media/fashion industry who reads this board and is willing to comment? Because I would *LOVE* to hear from you).

Models Threat To Sue Blocked Size Zero Ban

From a February 11 Observer article

Alexandra Shulman, an editor of (British?) Vogue and member of the London Fashion Council, said this: "We would not be allowed to discriminate in that way. It would be like saying you can't have black or white models. By imposing new rules on models' size, you would be trying to prove whether someone was ill or well."

Melissa Richardson of Take Two model agency said:

"It was one of the points we made. You can't say to models, "you can't work because you are black or because you are blind", so why should you be able to say 'you are too thin to work?'."

Ummm, Ms. Shulman and Ms. Richardson, your industry ALREADY discriminates! Why do you think I have this blog? Why do you think I have my Shorty Stories site? If you didn't discriminate, Ms. Shulman and Ms. Richardson, the runways would have models of all sizes and HEIGHTS. Yes, Ms. Shulman and Ms. Richardson, that's right. In the perfect world, someone Eva Longoria's height and size would be walking down the runway (so yes, in the perfect world, it would be realistic to believe that Gabrielle Solis is a former model.)