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.
Kim, I just found your website and I am so excited!!! Not only are the petite clothes disappearing but all of us petite models are out of business. I worked for Dillard’s two weeks ago in San Antonio and realized how much I missed modeling. I had so much fun working with you in Dallas and Austin a couple of years ago. You are great! I have stopped shopping at Saks for shoes, cosmetics, etc. since they no longer have petite clothes. Keep up the good work and I can’t wait to start receiving your newsletter. Barbara Potyka
Im 5′ tall, 110 pounds, and 50 years old. I have a terrible time finding age-appropriate, high quality trendy clothing. I used to shop the petite departments at Saks and Neimans, but since they dropped petites I don’t shop there for anything. The petite department at Nordstrom is so boring I feel like crying when I’m there. I end up shelling out hundreds of dollars to a tailor. Do manufacturers and retailers think we’ve disappeared?
Ditto to existing comments – I find best selection (quality, price, style, fit) at Talbots online – our local Talbots store carries less petite inventory than previously, and it’s mostly sports clothes – Eddie Bauer has our sizes but, again, must find online -Barrie Pace used to have imaginative designs but, alas, no longer – we need a new wave of attentive designers, esp. some who will come up w/ youthful (not young), “cool” fashions – please see Sherrie Mathieson’s “Steal that Style” and “Forever Cool” for thoughtful comments and pictures
Ah!Ha! I’m not getting paranoid, Petite sizes ARE dwindiling…I’m 4′11″, and I used to wear size 5 1/2 shoes, they don’t fit along with the clothing I am forced to buy now days. How am I to buy ‘quaility’ clothes when I’m no longer working at a higher hourly pay? I am sooo frustrated, and don’t know where to buy cloths now other than, Ross, Marshalls, Goodwill, and Salvation Army (nasty there) here in Yuma, AZ. I haven’t been to Ross for 3 months and haven’t bought any cloths there for about a year now. I just ‘pretend’ shop that is, I take time picking out cloths and walk around the store with them, but I end up putting them back on the racks..and leave.
Hi,
I must say that I truly like this blog. Just barely a year ago I learned about me being petite (with my 4′9″) and when I read this blog post about it becoming fewer stores with petite I still find you way more lucky abroad because in Sweden it doesn’t exist, the only store that have it is Top Shop and they got critiqued for it because apparently it fits kids(!). The only magazine we have with the name petite is about kids.
I have bought stuff over the internet but I always prefer to try things on so I would say; few is better than practically none. Think about that next time when you feel frustrated
Powerful post.