Michelle

Pretty in
Sunday, September 02, 2007
By SHARON M. PENNELL

At just over 5 feet tall, Pat Bradbury, 61, has a hard time finding clothes that fit.

If a pair of pants fit her in the waist, they are many times way too long in the length. A shirt long enough in the arms may be too short in the torso.

Bradbury is among the 60 percent of American women who are under 5 feet 5 inches tall, placing them in the petite category, according to [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register]. And for Bradbury and other petite women, clothes shopping can be an exercise in futility and frustration.

''I have the worst time finding things that fit me right ... not everybody carries petites and when you go into the stores that specialize in petites, you can't always afford them,'' Bradbury said.

And although many department stores such as Sears, J.C. Penney and Younkers have begun expanding their petite sections, some shoppers still find that the clothes aren't shaped right, the selection isn't modern or contemporary enough and the clothes aren't affordable.

Adding to the frustration is the common misconception that petite women are small in size and wear a size 2 or 4. In fact, being designated as a ''petite'' is less about clothing size and body shape or weight than it is about fit and proportion. The term ''petite'' simply refers to a person's height.

In reality, there are short, full-figure petites; short, slender petites; tall, full-figure petites and tall, slender petites.

Petite women, like all other women, want to find clothes that accentuate their positives and celebrate their own unique fashion sense. The trick is to find clothing that achieves the proper fit and proportion and to maximize appearance by paying attention to the elements of line and balance in all outfits, according to [Only Registered Users Can See Links. Click Here To Register].

Generally, petite clothing is tailored smaller and cut differently than regular clothing. Pant legs, sleeves and skirts are shorter; shirts are narrower in the shoulder and shorter in length; zippers are shortened and hoods proportioned; lapels are slimmer and scaled-down; and pants have narrower hips, shorter rise (distance from waist to crotch) and a shorter distance between the knee and the ankle.

Until recently, Bradbury was so frustrated with her clothing options that she simply made clothes to fit her and her two daughters - both petite-sized women as well. But with a busy work schedule and caring for her grandchildren, sewing her own clothing is no longer an option. Instead, she said she usually just buys regular-size clothes and ''suffers.''

''My pants are usually bunched up around my ankles, but what are you going to do? ... I don't have a lot of options,'' she said.

One option is to purchase clothes in regular sizes and take them to a seamstress or a dry cleaners to have them altered to fit, explained Sears Assistant Store Manager Laneda Walters. Walters knows the frustration that comes with being a petite size - she's 5 feet 2 inches tall herself.
She routinely purchases clothing in regular sizes and takes them to a local dry cleaner to have them altered, which usually costs her about $8 per item.

''If I really want those pants, I am going to get them ... even if it means having to take them somewhere to get altered,'' she added. But lately she's been able to find a lot more options in Sears' petite section.

''The selection is more up-to-date than when I started working here 12 years ago ... and it is now geared more towards a younger woman,'' Walters said.

Sears offers petite clothing in sizes 4P to 18P, including business and casual separates.

When it comes to denim, don't shy away from the cropped styles, said Beckie Buss, assistant store manager of the Petite Sophisticate Outlet in Birch Run. The Petite Sophisticate Outlet offers clothing for women 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 4 inches, in sizes range from 0P to 14P. The store offers everything from casual tank tops to business suits.

''The belief that short women can't or shouldn't wear cropped styles isn't necessarily true ... it varies with the individual and the look that she is trying to present,'' Buss said. ''We see a ton of cropped pants and I don't necessarily see that it's a no-no.''

The thing to remember when selecting cropped styles is that there are many different types of crops - from Bermudas to capris. ''It's all very confusing,'' she added.

The most flattering crop for a petite woman falls slightly above the ankle. A too-short capri can make your legs appear choppy and can visually shorten your torso.

For women with smaller torsos, Buss suggests layering tops.

''We get some customers for who the size 0 is even too big. ... I suggest layering the tops to build up their small frame such as a twin set (tank top and sweater combo) or a nice cami under a blouse or top,'' she said.

Petite woman also are encouraged to cross-shop in the regular, petite and junior departments to take advantage of trends in contemporary styles that usually come in smaller sizes. These can include shorter or cropped shirts, tops with three-quarter-length sleeves, and low-rise jeans, which can make your torso appear longer.

Karen Mika, manager of the petite department at Younkers in the Bay City Mall, strongly urges customers to try on jeans before they purchase them.

''Sometimes the rise and hips might be smaller in a petite than you need and you may just need a pair in a regular size and have to take them in somewhere to get them hemmed,'' suggested Mika.

Younkers offers everything from workout clothes to career wear to dresses for formal events in sizes 4P to 16P.

''My biggest piece of advice to anyone would be just to try the clothing on so that you know you got the appropriate fit,'' Mika said.