Petite Nation

Little frames with one big demand
Thursday, August 9, 2007
By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER
Staff photo, left, by Peter Monsees

Shopping for clothes is a cherished North Jersey pastime. But for more than half of all women, it may be a frustrating experience involving ankle pants that graze the heel, inseams that hang between the legs and armholes that need to be pinched an inch.

A full 56 percent of American women are 5-foot-4 or under -- the industry height indicator for petite sizes, said Banana Republic spokeswoman Janelle Wiggins. And the petite market in women's clothing is a huge, untapped market.

"Petites currently has the highest growth rate of all women's clothing categories, including juniors, women's and plus sizes," she said.

What's more, she added, "Banana Republic Petites customers spend twice as much as the average customer, shop more frequently and are extremely loyal."

Maybe they're shelling it out because it's such a relief to find clothes that actually fit -- and are in style at the same time. Season's fashions are a gamble for the petite shopper: The short jacket this fall might prove to be a lucky fashion coincidence that looks great. But are the wide-leg trousers, popular this season at many stores for career women, too much cloth to carry on a small frame?

The answer is no, said Talbots spokeswoman Betsy Thompson. Petite women can pull off a lot of fashions -- even a horizontal line design -- if the clothing manufacturer does its homework.
"[Over the years], petite women got to know the brands that catered to them," said Thompson. Talbots has carried a petite line since 1985 and was one of the earliest brands to do so. It also created a plus-size petite line in 2001.

Talbots makes most of its regular misses styles available in petites and women's petites, and this requires a special balance of art and science.

"You can't just shorten something," said Thompson. "It's not going to fit the body right. The really important word is proportion."

With a jacket, for example, precise measurements must be made not only to shorten sleeves and body length, but to make sure the waist hits at the right spot. Armholes are smaller, as are design details such as lapels and pockets, said Thompson.

If they are not modified, the same pockets can look like "oven mitts on a petite jacket and postage stamps on a women's [plus size] jacket."

Even the print must be taken into consideration. Thompson's rule of thumb: If the repeat of the pattern is larger than the palm of your hand, there's a good chance the dress will be wearing you instead of you wearing the dress.

Banana Republic Petites launched online in 2001 and has an in-store presence at the Westfield Garden State Plaza branch (sister brand Gap introduced petites in 2006 online only). These lines pay attention to details like cuffs, hems, collars, ruffles and bows -- anything that might drown a petite customer in cloth.

"A little goes a long way when you're small," advised Sharon Haver, editor of clothing-advice Web site FocusOnStyle.com. Too much fabric can drag down a tiny frame.

Perhaps the trick to dressing is the same, no matter what size you are.

"Understand your body," said Haver. "Even if you are petite, you still have a generic shape -- hourglass, athletic or long torso, for example ... you have figure assets and figure flaws. Play to your strengths."

Haver suggests finding a tailor to make modifications. As long as jackets fit in the shoulder, they can be changed to fit in other places. A trend of shorter jackets this fall may help many petite women find a fit in regular sizes, she added.

In keeping with the current fashion of women wearing styles close to men's suits, women can shop at boys' suit stores. There, they can take advantage of the tailoring service, which is more common to men's retail than women's.

Pants are particularly difficult to shop for because of differences in the inseam length, the curve of the pant leg and features like flares that need to be proportionate. Juniors or girls' departments might be a good hunting ground for petite women, said Haver.

Petite shoppers are getting more attention from smart clothing brands, yet the wheels are only beginning to turn. Haver encourages petite women to write to their favorite department stores or designers and make noise if they feel the petite selection is insufficient or limited to a small group of unattractive designs.

"There's no reason to fall into a fashion wasteland," she said.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.Copyright




Where to find petite styles Some other North Jersey stores that carry petites:


• Ann Taylor or Ann Taylor Loft: various stores, including Westfield Garden State Plaza.


• Macy's: various stores, including Garden State Plaza and Paramus Mall.


• Lord & Taylor: various stores, including Ridgewood store.


• Coldwater Creek: Garden State Plaza store. Petites mixed in with other sizes.


• JC Penney: various stores, including Palisades Center store.


• Petite Sophisticate: pure petites store at Jersey Gardens, Elizabeth.