If you have been in a department store lately, I am sure that you will agree with me that the Petite Department has become increasingly hard to find.  Finding petite clothing in major discount chains like Ross or T. J. Maxx is now like finding a needle in a haystack.  Like many of you, I have never been more frustrated with shopping.  Petite women have always been the misunderstood customer, now they are also the forgotten customer. 

So why is a consumer base estimated to spend $10 billion annually on clothing being ignored?  Having spent over 20 years in the petite fashion industry, I have my theories.  When I started my career as a Petite Buyer, the petite business was booming.  Every manufacturer wanted to produce their line in petite sizes.  Every trendy item, every hot look was offered in petite sizes.  Department stores jumped on the petite bandwagon and profits surged.

But as the years passed, these same stores started to take the petite customer for granted and eventually got lazy.  Management always loved the sales that the Petite Department produced, but never really saw the petite customer as having different needs from other customers.  They failed to understand that not only a large selection of merchandise, but special attention kept this customer loyal to their store.  When upper management got bored with the petite niche market, they moved on and sought new areas of business to develop.  The centralized check-out counter dealt another blow to the petite customer accustomed to high levels of customer service. 

As the economy started to stagger, department stores having already lost their zeal for the petite business, started to let manufacturers dictate what is cut in petite sizes.  Inventory became more about basics, less about fashion and newness.  The bottom line is that Petite Buyers, store management, and manufacturers quit fighting for us.  Thus, the dramatically altered or non-existent state of the Petite Department.

So what is a petite girl to do?  Unite as a group and vent your frustration loud and clear.  Power comes in numbers.  Join a grass roots movement like www.bellapetite.com and advocate for change in the petite industry.  Please send me your thoughts and suggestions on how we can collectively stand tall and be heard.