Happy New Year! Looking Forward to a Great 2011!

We definitely saw the petite community grow this year.  When I launched Shorty Stories back in 2006 (yes, we have been around that long.  However, the Shorty Stories blog did not launch until 2007), I was one of perhaps three petite blogs (Petite Fashionista and Some Small Sense.  The latter stopped posting a few years ago).  Today, we have a growing community, of which I think Extra Petite and Alterations Needed are the biggest (at least in terms of comments).  I am hoping that in 2011, we will see an even bigger increase in petite bloggers and perhaps some press from mainstream media and body image activists.  And what about Shorty Stories itself?  Besides our upcoming Petite Fashion Challenge (have you signed up yet?), we are looking at:

• Increase the number of followers
• Guest blogging (let me know if you're interested!  I'll write for you and you can write for me!) - especially from people interested in writing about their own petite experiences (after all, that was the whole purpose of Shorty Stories when it launched in 2006)
• More giveaways (look for one in the coming weeks.  We are actually hoping to do at least four or five in 2011!)
• Petite blogger profiles (again, let me know if you're interested!)
• More petite designer profiles (I know you're out there!!)
• Start posting videos again, both style-related as well as rants

Let me know if you're interested in seeing anything else or if you want to write!

Going to London!

My husband and I will be heading to London for our honeymoon (we're going to Paris, too).  London has a few petite-friendly stores (at least petite in height - many places start at a UK size 6P, which is more or less a really big 0P/small 2P) other than Top Shop (which I will definitely check out, of course) and will post about them on this blog.  Also, look for restaurant write ups and other things over at DelectablyChic!

Anthropologie and its petite issues

So it looks like petites are disappearing and reappearing on the Canadian Anthro site.  Though the petite link is still there, several petite items no longer list that petite sizes are available once you click on the petite tab!  I have sent Anthropologie an email about this and will update you once I hear back.

UPDATE:  Here's the note from Anthroplogie/fiftyone.com (their international delivery service):

Please be advised that not all items that we may offer in a petite size are going to available for international shipment. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Then why bother listing an item as being available in petites???  Totally WTF to me. 

Petites back at Anthropologie's Canadian Site

Remember the post about petites having disappeared on the Canadian Anthropologie site?  Well, guess what?  It's back! And in other petite news, I spoke with a sales person at Banana Republic today about the new e-commerce site.  The guy told me that the site is brand new and therefore they're still testing things out.  That's why they don't have full inventory (in addition, they built a distribution centre in Canada so that we won't have to pay duty.  If we purchased from the international site using the third party delivery service, we'd be paying much more for our clothes.  However, the international site (used by countries like China, Australia, Switzerland and most of Latin America) would allow us to buy the full inventory and more (i.e. stuff from Piperlime and Athleta)

LOFT and "Real People" on Facebook

Recently, LOFT posted pictures of staff wearing the same style of cargo pants on Facebook.  The "models" varied in size, ranging from 5'3" to 5'10" and sizes 2 to 12.  This caused a burst of comments on their Facebook page and in the general blogsphere, and were both positive and negative.  There were those who congratulated them for using "real" women, yet others who said that it made them NOT want to purchase the item.  Question to those people: So you're saying that you would purchase the item if it were on a tall, slim woman, even if you looked more like the employees in the photos?  Does.  Not.  Compute. 

One issue I *DID* have was photo quality - some of the images looked like they were either taken with bad lighting (and/or an older cell phone camera).  I am not looking for perfect pictures - I realize that the photos are snapshots, not professional images which have been edited - but it could be a bit better.  However, I am very happy that a store has answered to its followers' requests for using "real people" rather than professional models.  We get to see what things look like on us!!

(the picture here is of LOFT's digital manager, who is 5'3")

Petite Ultimate Dark Wash Skinny Jeans from Banana Republic

This skinny jean an amazing fit on people with smaller frames.  The denim is very light weight, which means that it can be wear it in the summer.  It's also a smaller fit than other Banana Republic jeans I've tried- a 24P actually fits like 24Ps in other brands - I have another pair of Banana skinnies which seem to slip down a lot - it was slightly big.  Another good thing about these pants is that it's ankle length - great for those of us who are super-dooper petite or want to wear flats.  It is $89.50 US or $110 in Canada.

Banana Republic Size 00P Solid V-Neck Tie Dress

Recently bought from the store...I read in various reviews that the dress fit small, and was prepared to go up to 0P.  However, the 00P fit quite nicely!

I am wearing a Smartset camisole underneath and the shoes are from Aerosoles.

Petites now available in 14 Canadian Stores!

According to an email I received from Banana Republic, petites are now available in the following stores:

Sherway Gardens, Toronto *
Bayshore Centre, Ottawa
Fairview Pointe-Claire, Montreal
Promenade St Bruno, St. Bruno
Carrefour Laval, Laval

You can still shop for petite sizes at:

Bloor Street, Toronto
Toronto Eaton Centre, Toronto
Toronto Dominion Square, Calgary
Metropolis @ Metrotown, Vancouver
Rideau Centre, Ottawa
Richmond Centre, Richmond
Sainte-Catherine Street, Montreal
Robson Centrepoint, Vancouver
Park Royal Shopping Centre, West Vancouver

*- It looks like Shoppes at Don Mills will no longer be carrying petites and has moved them over to Sherway.

Online Shopping Poll Results

Last month, Shorty Stories asked its readers whether they liked shopping online (for clothes). The results are in and...

Just over half of the readers (at 51%) shop online because it's the only way to get clothes which fit petite figures (did you hear that, stores? It's hard to go to B&M locations to buy clothes for us!!! Get with it!)

11% would LIKE to shop online, but are unable to, because the stores do not deliver outside of the US (again, did you hear that??? We're looking at you, Ann Taylor/LOFT and Gap/Banana/Old Navy!)

29% do not shop online, because they like trying things on

7% chose other.

What do you think of these results?

New Petite Store

Over at Alterations Needed, there's a post about Kim Dahlman's new online-only petite store, For Petite Sake. Kim is the writer of a book called The Petite Handbook, a guide helping petites look their best. Kim's store is rather simple when it comes to choices, mostly classics - not too different from what most petite lines offer. But what do you think? Are the clothes plain? What would you want Kim to add?

C

Sad News for Petites

Nashville's Petite Boutique has closed.

February Poll Results!

Last month, we asked you what type of petite clothes you buy most often:

37% said that you mostly buy pants/bottoms

7% buy tops

10% buy dresses

33% buy EVERYTHING in petites!

13% of you don't purchase petites (I'm assuming you're of average height or taller??)

0% chose other

January Poll Results

January's question: Have you ever refused to go back to a store because they don't carry petites?

17.2% of you said: Yes! It's the only way they'd "get it."

34.5% of you said: A few times

31.0% of you said: Why? You can always have things altered

10.3% of you said: I'm not petite, so this doesn't apply

6.9% of you said: Other (please explain what you mean)

Just pondering.....

I don't know if it's because I'm not looking hard enough, but I've realized (especially after Friday's jean situation) that it's harder to find decent petite jeans in downtown Toronto than it is in Kingston, Ontario! About 18 months ago, I was able to find a cute pair of Mavi jeans which had an inseam of 30" without much hunting. Actually, the store where I bought them from had a board outside saying that they carried jeans which fit most short, average and tall people! We really shouldn't have to rely on the Internet (whether it be blogs, Facebook or store websites) and people we know to find out where to buy things.

Just a thought!

November Survey Results

Last month's question: Banana Republic has just added XXSP to their petite line-up. What do you think about this?

The results:

29.1% said: "It's about time!"

45.8% said: "Ehh....another case of vanity sizing. XXS was an XS about three or four years ago."

6.3% said: "XXS for petites only? What about taller skinny people?"

16.7% said: "It'll only make people want to be thinner. Bad idea."

2.1% said: "Other"

Readers, what do you think of the results?

This month's question is found on the right sidebar.

00P vs 0P at Banana Republic

One of the skirts in the above photograph is a 0P and the other is 00P. Can you guess which one is which?

Poll Results for September: Boycotting Fashion

Last month's question: Would you consider boycotting fashion brands that do not make petites?

31% said: Yes, it's the only way to get fashion and media attention!

16% said: Maybe, I'll have to think about this.

25% said: No, it's not going to work, because the industry doesn't care!

18% said: Wait, if I boycott shopping, would I still have anything to wear?

9% said: Other

Do you agree with the results? Why or why not?

Personally, I'd love to start a boycott, but I can't do it alone. Would anyone be interested in joining me?

This month's question: Have you been sized out?

Pretty Pieces from Anthropologie

Fall has arrived at Anthropologie, with beautiful coats, tops and skirts. As usual, Anthropologie does not have a big selection, but the following are pieces that I liked and are available in petites:

Street Poet Trench

Sunless Skies Shift

Sufi Skirt

There are a few pants in the selection too, but Anthropologie pants, with the exception of Joe's Jeans, are NOT truly petite. They are merely regular pants cut shorter. In some cases, the "short" lengths aren't all that short at all, at 32"!

Pieces I like that are NOT available in petite sizes:

Hullabaloo Sweater Dress

Hanging Garden Dress

Tammany Tweed Jacket

County Kerry Trench

Fair Weather Pullover


The good news about Anthropologie is that they deliver internationally. However, we must pay an arm and a leg for tarrifs. :(

Latest Petite Styles from Banana Republic

In Toronto, one of the only stores that carry non-granny petite sizes is Banana Republic. While I'm not too pleased that Banana's Canadian stores do not carry 00/00P, I do manage to find things in XS/XSP that fit me reasonably well. Also, the good thing about Banana Republic's petite sizes is that there is some diversity, unlike J.Crew. You could actually find fun pieces at Banana. It isn't the best, and the range isn't, of course, as big as the so-called "regular" sizes, but they are more accomodating and seem to understand the need of petite women.

Banana has a very nice collection of dresses this season and I like the following:

Petite silk floral print dress (this looks really different from dresses that Banana generally offers)

Petite twist front dress (a little plain, yes, but I think it could work well for work)

Petite textured belted dress (again, a great piece for work)


The following piece is not available in petite sizes, but I absolutely love:

BR Monogram jeweled shift dress (BR Monogram is not available in petites at the moment)

Teen Petite Advice for Anita?

Anita left me a message on a post from October 19, 2007 called "Where are the petite clothes for high school kids?"

Here's what she said:

I need help in finding places in St. Louis area that I can take my 12 year old, 4'10" well developed daughter to try on petite sizes in order to determine which size will fit her. Children's half sizes fit her in the hips, but she swims in the waist. She also has a long torso for her size also. I don't mind buying on-line, but we need to find apporpriate size first. We are also looking for clothes that don't reveal too much cleavage as she is only 12. jr. sizes we need a 7 or larger and then for pans and skirts have to take off 8 or more inches. You talk about apprpriate clotes for petite teenagers and adults, well help is also needed for tweens/preteens also.

Does anyone have advice for Anita?

p.s. Don't forget to enter the Petite Fashionista Presents ticket giveaway! Just e-mail Prospere Magazine with the right answer to the following question by June 10, 2008. On June 12, one random name will be picked on June 12, 2008!