Department Stores Shutting Petite Section

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by Taualumna
True, when you compare it to the mall, since department stores are really just minature versions of the mall as a whole. But in terms of larger sizes, you can say the same thing about many other mall stores too. Banana Republic, for example, only makes petite sizes up to a 12P, but the average woman is a 14P or 16P.

To ADqtPiMel: Do you have long legs? Many stores (at least the ones I go to), sell pants with a 32 or even 33" inseam, which usually fit people your height.

Those aren't long. I'm 5'6" on a good day and I wear a 31" or 32", depending on where the pants sit.

[kddani]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
Those aren't long. I'm 5'6" on a good day and I wear a 31" or 32", depending on where the pants sit.

Me too.

Ann Taylor Loft has a big petite section. They only sell tall sizes online, however. I HAVE to try any pants that I want to buy on.

I'm also in the lovely group of women of whom regular sizes are a smidge too short but long sizes in some stores drag on the ground. I'm 5'7, fairly long legs, but not THAT long.

All of us have issues finding clothing that fits, no matter what our body type or size.

Also ditto in not having any Bloomies or Neimanns around here.

Macys has a very large petite section.

ETA: do ANY department stores have tall sections?

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
Those aren't long. I'm 5'6" on a good day and I wear a 31" or 32", depending on where the pants sit.

Long to me is long for one's height. For someone my height (5'2), 30", even 29 1/2" is "long." At stores that sell short, regular and long lengths, 31" is often the "short" length! While 32" seems to be standard at most stores, there are stores that only sell pants at 33"!!! This is my observation, though.

There aren't that many stores that sell "tall" sizes because most people are not tall enough to have the need to buy tall sizes. I have heard that many average-heighted women up to 5'6 can wear petite sizes because they either have short torsos or legs.

There are probably just as many plus-sized women as there are petites (with many being plus-petites), yet it is short women that get the short end of the stick (no pun intended).

[valkyrie]

Originally posted by Taualumna
There are probably just as many plus-sized women as there are petites (with many being plus-petites), yet it is short women that get the short end of the stick (no pun intended).

As a few other people have said, almost ALL of us get the "short end of the stick" in one way or another. Try having large breasts and no hips -- entire categories of clothing are pretty much a no-go -- sheath dresses (in fact, MANY dresses don't work -- nothing's better than hanging out in the Anthropologie dressing room where you try on a cute little dress only to find that the bottom is too big and the top can't even zip), empire waists, any top or jacket that isn't fitted, strappy things that don't hide bra straps unless you enjoy the torture of strapless bras, Ann Taylor pants, etc. etc. etc.

I guess rather than being bitter about it, I find designers/stores/items that work and go with them. Nobody can wear everything out there. Oh well. Find what works and buy it. If you're teeny tiny, try vintage, which was designed for smaller bodies.

[ADPiShannan]

I have one. You go to buy a cute pair of capris and every one you try on looks like jeans but 2 inches too short. I cant find capris anywhere that look nice. I am losing weight but I am in the 12 butt and hips and I am 5'0 so its horrible. I too cant find much I like. I look at petite places, but so many clothes I see are so ugly in style. The stuff I like is in juniors but those dont fit good at all...

I actually gave up shoppign for a while. One I want to be a 7/8 if that is even possible lol for me and two I cant find anything anymore. It gets so frustrating that I almost cry whenver I shop and my hubby ends up having to listen to me.

I bought a cute pair of shorts not too long ago and they looked like capris instead lol. I cant win. Id wear skirts if my legs werent so white, the dogs white on his fur looks darker than my legs ha ha...

Its a mess clothes shopping anymore. If I had to buy mens sizes Id be doomed because those dont fit anywhere at all.

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by valkyrie
As a few other people have said, almost ALL of us get the "short end of the stick" in one way or another. Try having large breasts and no hips -- entire categories of clothing are pretty much a no-go -- sheath dresses (in fact, MANY dresses don't work -- nothing's better than hanging out in the Anthropologie dressing room where you try on a cute little dress only to find that the bottom is too big and the top can't even zip), empire waists, any top or jacket that isn't fitted, strappy things that don't hide bra straps unless you enjoy the torture of strapless bras, Ann Taylor pants, etc. etc. etc.

I guess rather than being bitter about it, I find designers/stores/items that work and go with them. Nobody can wear everything out there. Oh well. Find what works and buy it. If you're teeny tiny, try vintage, which was designed for smaller bodies.

Average heighted people who are a little bigger on top and/or bottom have it MUCH EASIER than us shorties. All you have to do is look. For us shorties, pants still don't fit properly if we buy the best brands and hem them up (which often cost $$$) because the rise is too long and they look baggy on us. People have suggested that shorties buy capris, but if you're 5'2, regular capris would look half way between capris and regular pants. And the rise will still be too long. Suit jackets are a problem too...

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by Taualumna
Average heighted people who are a little bigger on top and/or bottom have it MUCH EASIER than us shorties. All you have to do is look. For us shorties, pants still don't fit properly if we buy the best brands and hem them up (which often cost $$$) because the rise is too long and they look baggy on us. People have suggested that shorties buy capris, but if you're 5'2, regular capris would look half way between capris and regular pants. And the rise will still be too long. Suit jackets are a problem too...

Everyone has problems with clothes. And if you want to be so traditional and return to traditional, old-fashioned values, why are you wearing pants?

[kddani]

Originally posted by Taualumna
Average heighted people who are a little bigger on top and/or bottom have it MUCH EASIER than us shorties. All you have to do is look. For us shorties, pants still don't fit properly if we buy the best brands and hem them up (which often cost $$$) because the rise is too long and they look baggy on us. People have suggested that shorties buy capris, but if you're 5'2, regular capris would look half way between capris and regular pants. And the rise will still be too long. Suit jackets are a problem too...

Bullshit. "Much easier"? All we have to do is look?

I can't get a dress shirt long enough to tuck in under my suit and stay in. I'm only 5'7. The rise on pants is way too low on me in nearly every single pair of pants and particularly jeans, so much so that if I wore them i'd hear the phrase "just say no to crack". And I don't shop in juniors anymore, so it's not like i'm trying to dress too young.

I don't think petite people have the corner on the difficult-to-find-clothes-that-fit-market and you really have no basis to say that.

So many stores have petite sections. Very few have tall sections or even tall sizes that you can order.

But don't say average height people have is MUCH EASIER.

[kddani]

Wait, I just thought of a solution... let's all go find rich hubbies to pay to have all of our clothes custom made!!! THat's the solution for everyone!

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by GeekyPenguin
Everyone has problems with clothes. And if you want to be so traditional and return to traditional, old-fashioned values, why are you wearing pants?

Because sometimes, my mother makes me.

ETA:

As for average heighted people of all sizes, yes, you do have it easier, because you don't have to worry about length as short people do.

I like my skirts and dresses below the knee. At certain lengths, petite sizes fit better because they are cut for shorter women. I'd like to see clothes that are cut at lengths meant for people my size. I'd rather do that than pay money to get things hemmed and sometimes, even made narrower (more difficult)

[kddani]

Originally posted by Taualumna
Because sometimes, my mother makes me.

ETA:

As for average heighted people of all sizes, yes, you do have it easier, because you don't have to worry about length as short people do.

I won't touch that first comment except to say that you are a grown woman.

As for the second part I quoted, did you not read the posts of many of us who are "average" sized who have difficulty with length????

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by kddani
I won't touch that first comment except to say that you are a grown woman.

As for the second part I quoted, did you not read the posts of many of us who are "average" sized who have difficulty with length????

1. I won't be considered "grown" until I am married and out of the house.

2. I am surprised that people aren't taking this seriuosly/supporting it.

[Lady Pi Phi]

Originally posted by ADqtPiMel
Dude, people of all sizes have trouble finding clothes. Pants are always too short on me (and at 5'8 I'm not exactly a towering giant). Shirts are either too small in the chest or too large around the midsection.

I think it's about time that stores realize that short/tall/heavy/skinny/flat/busty women have money too, and we'd like to buy some damn pants that fit without alterations, for the love of Pete.

Amen! I have the same problem. I am also 5'8 and I find that regular length pants are too short but the longs are too long. I need pants that are somewhere in the middle. But I think men have the same problem, even they have an odd lenght inseam, they won't be able to find pants that are the right length.

[Lady Pi Phi]

Originally posted by Taualumna
...2. I am surprised that people aren't taking this seriuosly/supporting it.

People are taking this seriously, it's just that petite people don't have it the hardest.

I'm tall and I'm plus sized. I have it just as bad as a petite person does when trying to find clothes. Have you ever gone into a plus sized section at a department store? 99% of the styles they have are frumpy and out of date. It's not my idea of fashion to walk around in a mumu.

I have the hardest time buying pants. I'm extremly high waisted with long legs. I can't wear at waist plus size pants because they look horrible and I can't wear regular lenght pants because they're too short. But I can't wear long pants either because they're too long.

Most button -up shirts/blouses I can't wear because they don't go around my bust and if I go up to the next size, it's too big.

Shopping, for me is such a chore and often very depressing, that I hate doing it and rarely ever go.

Every woman on this board can tell you about horrible shopping experiences and how hard it is to buy clothes.

That's why this isn't just a problem for petite women.

[SOPi_Jawbreaker]

Originally posted by valkyrie
If you're teeny tiny, try vintage, which was designed for smaller bodies.

That's also true of clothing in other countries. I'm normal sized here (5'3" with shoes on, size 8 or 10), but when I was in Taiwan, it was so hard to find a shirt. We had to go to a couple different shops until we finally found one that had an extra large shirt. When my mom went to China, she said the sizes in China run even smaller than in Taiwan. She couldn't find anything that fit her. She's about 5'1" and a size 2 or 4.