Michelle

Petite shoppers reveal their plus-size gripes

A good friend of mine was the same height and build as me. We were both short and a little on the chubby side. We would go to Casual Corner's petite section together and search through all the "Petite Large" clothes. Her daughter said we were shopping at the "Jumbo Shrimp" store.

Sally Ozinga, Palos Heights, 5 foot 2

Not only can I not find fashionable clothing, but 99 percent of the time I can't reach the clothing even if I find it. One day I was shopping at Old Navy for jeans and found out that they put the smallest sizes up on the very top shelf. Now why would they do that? Ever since I realized that Old Navy does this I've been noticing it at every store I go to.

Tricia Dilger, Downers Grove, 4 foot 11

I took your article as a personal affront. I have been shopping in petite departments as long as I have been shopping for clothes. Obviously you have not explored the clothing. Their clothes are NOT more dowdy than regular clothes. I am 72 years old and do not have a great figure. However, petites are definitely for me.

Pearl Saleh, Olympia Fields, formerly 5 foot 1

I like petite sections when I can find grown-up clothes that don't make me look like a) a Junior League matron, b) Laura Bush or c) Tricia Nixon back in the day. Try Ann Taylor.

Rusty Foley, Scottsdale, Ariz., 5 foot 2ish

I bought a wristwatch. The sales associate had to take out several links to make it fit. She said if I returned it to be sure to bring back the extra links because "nobody would want to buy a little midget watch." And don't even get me started about the non-existence of petite maternity clothes.

Anne O'Brien, Naperville, between 5 foot 1 and 5 foot 2

I am still in mourning over the closing of Petite Sophisticate. I never found their styles dowdy; I have a daughter in her 20s who would be the first to critique if that had been the case. I can't even walk by my store in the Orland Park shopping center--I think of the great gals that helped me there--it just pains me so. I feel a bit better after putting these pent-up feelings in writing.

Diane Habas, Flossmoor, 5 foot 1 1/4

I have a dad who would be considered petite if he were female; he's only about 5 foot 5. I found this store for him ([Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]), and no one could be happier than my mother (4 foot 11) who, for the first time in 57 years, does not have to remove the cuffs from his shirts, cut off a couple of inches, and sew them back on. While short women have a hard time finding clothes, for men it is even worse.

Ellen Waterman, Forest Park, 5 foot 1

As chairman of The Township Sub-Committee on Appraisal of Women's Shapes, I must report that all three of us committee members think a petite, properly proportioned woman is sexier than a woman more statuesque, like Elke Sommer. The average guy wants a woman who doesn't cast a shadow over him and the dog he is walking. This critique should not be construed as a slam at tall women, we wish to add. We all know of beautiful, desirable, very bright tall women.

Bruce Muench, Roscoe, Ill., 5 foot 6

Bruce, you dawg. You men will say anything to get your names in print. Incidentally, my short brothers married up--to beautiful women who tower over everyone in our gene pool.

And tall women have clothes woes too. I'll print a few of their e-mails next week. Thanks to all of you who contributed your sad tales, including Toni V., who summed up the petite problem this way: "I don't want bows and ruffles and pockets in strange places!"