I’ve been in the petite business for over 20 years and a petite customer my entire adult life. I can honestly say that I have never been more concerned about the shrinking state of shopping options for petite women. It is true that the current economy is adversely affecting retail at every level, but the toll seems especially high for those of us who stand 5′4″ or under. We have officially taken the place of our “big beautiful” counterparts as the forgotten woman.
Petite specialty stores are closing on a daily basis and the selection of petite merchandise in department stores and national chains has been drastically reduced. The latest casualties: the closing of Giordano’s – a New York City shoe store that catered to women wearing small hard-to-find sizes and Saks Fifth Avenue’s decision to once again eliminate their Petite department.
Here is what I really don’t get. How can you ignore a segment of the consumer market that is 20 million strong and reported to spend billions on clothing annually? The retailer rationale seems to be that petite women can just alter regular sized clothing or go shop in the Junior department. Anyone who has been to the tailor recently knows how expensive alterations have become. Not the best option in today’s economy. I refer to Junior departments and Junior specialty stores as “outlets for disposable clothing.” The quality is generally pretty poor and the styles purchased are good for a maximum of 3-5 wears with normal laundering. Also not a good option when clothing budgets are limited.
So what is a petite shopper to do? I am sending out a call to action to anyone reading this post who feels the same frustration over the sad state of shopping for petite women. Pick up the phone. Write a letter. Complain to the Store Manager or President of your favorite store about the shrinking state of the Petite department. Be proactive before petite sizes become as extinct as the dinosaur. We simply cannot afford to see our shopping options get any smaller.
