A well-chosen jacket could be the cornerstone of your fall petite wardrobe.  Stretch your clothing budget this fall by investing in a versatile jacket that looks just as good with jeans or dressy wool gabardine trousers.  Draw attention upward for added height in a classic camel peacoat, a timeless trench, or a ruffled leather jacket.  This season, go for a jacket that showcases your fashion personality.  Try something wild in an animal print, a sophisticated tuxedo style, a casual boyfriend jacket in sweatshirt fabric, or a “borrowed from the boys” tailored menswear pattern.  

INC Ruffled Jacket $59 on sale at http://www,macys.com

2010 is the year of the cardigan!  This is great news for all petite women because a cardigan sweater is one of the best fashion investments you can make.  Cardigans are everywhere right now – in store windows, in store catalogs, and online.  Maybe it is the influence of First Lady Michelle Obama, the popular televisions shows “Mad Men” and “Gossip Girl,” or a combination of all three, but cardigans have never been hotter. 

A cardigan is both timeless and seasonless.  The same cardigan you have been throwing over sundresses all summer can be layered over a turtleneck sweater this winter.  Petite women should emphasize the flattering vertical lines of a cardigan with long pendant necklaces.  Some of my favorite cardigans can be found at J. Crew (www.jcrew.com) in soft classic colors with updated details. 

Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl 

Take advantage of the current cardigan frenzy because… You can never own too many cardigans!

The vest is one of the “must have” fashion items for Fall 2010.  This is great news for all petite women because a vest is one of the most petite-friendly garments you can own.  A sweater vest that features a flattering V-neckline will automatically make a short body frame look longer.  A button-front or zip-front vest paints lengthening vertical lines on the petite figure. 

Fashion designers make a big statement with vests in their Fall collections, often presenting the vest as a jacket alternative.  Look for knit vests, velvet vests, fur vests, even fun and fuzzy shearling vests.  For a perfect petite choice, pair a button-front vest in a menswear pattern with a feminine ruffled blouse.  The V-lines of the vest partner with the vertical ruffles to visually elongate while showcasing one of the season’s hottest looks. 

INC Shearling Vest  $89 at www.macys.com

A basic black pant is one of the best wardrobe investments a petite woman can make.  It flatters all petite shapes and works with bright, neutral, or pastel tops.  Gap’s new premium pant line brings good news to all petite women.  Gap’s “Black Magic”  pant collection was just launched for Fall with a national ad campaign and the slogan “fits like a dream, works like a charm.”  There are seven different fits offered by Gap priced from $49.50 to $59.50.  Unbelievably, ALL of the seven fits come in petite sizes 00 – 16!

THE BOY FIT ($59.50) – Inspired by vintage menswear styling with a tapered leg and slouchy fit. 

THE PERFECT TROUSER ($59.50) - Tailored with slightly flared leg.                                           

THE TRUE STRAIGHT ($49.50) - Cut straight through the hip and leg.

THE REALLY SKINNY ($59.50) – Sleek, sexy, and ultra-trendy

THE CURVY ($59.50) – Slim in hips and rear, compliments curves. 

THE MODERN BOOT ($59.50) – Flattering silhouette that contours to your body.

THE SLIM CROP ($49.50) - Structured crop pant.