During my career as a Petite Fashion Specialist, I have been approached by literally thousands of short women who wear a size 12 or size 14 insisiting that they are not petite.  As I tower above them at my lofty height of 5′4″, my answer is always the same.  Yes, you are.  Petite sizing is based on height, not weight.  If you stand 5′4″ or under, you are considered a petite customer by fashion industry standards.  There still exists a huge misconception that petite means tiny.  The fact that there is yet so much education to be done inspired me to write my book of petite fashion advice, The Petite Handbook (www.thepetitehandbook.com). Petite refers to an all-over proportioning of the body from head-to-toe, not left-to-right.  A petite customer can have the same bust and hip measurements as her taller counterpart.  However, regular sized clothing doesn’t fit properly because a petite woman has a shorter body frame.  Petite garments are cut smaller in key areas and the rest of the garment is proportioned to match.  The obvious differences include shorter sleeves and hemlines.  You might not realize that the distance from neck-to-waist and waist-to-hip is shorter on petite clothing.  Other more subtle details include higher armholes, narrower shoulders, raised pockets, and scaled down details.  The bottom line is…. If you are 5′4″ or shorter and wear size 0 to size 16, you will get a better fit in petite sized clothing.

Welcome to “Small Talk,” my new blog and forum for sharing petite tips and thoughts about the unique fashion challenges that face those of us who stand 5’4” and under. My mission is simple – to ensure that petite women are never short on style. I have the best job in the whole world because my career path allows me so many opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of petite women. I get to host petite fashion events across the country and share the insider knowledge that comes with over 20 years of experience in the petite fashion industry. Like many of you, I was always the shortest kid in the class and have dealt with the challenges of being a short person my entire life. We all know firsthand what it is like to try on pants that are 6 inches too long or a jacket with sleeves that come down to your fingertips. We know the frustration of finding the perfect outfit only to find out it is not available in Petite sizes. My fashion philosophy is that there is very little a petite woman cannot wear as long as she knows how to put it together.
Petite women just need to follow a few simple fashion rules. People often tell me that I look taller than 5’4”. I tell them it is because I follow my own fashion advice. Check out the Top 10 Petite Tips in my book, The Petite Handbook (www.thepetitehandbook.com) and join me on my blog for “Small Talk” and get a more personal perspective on dressing with confidence and style.