I'm not petite, or am I

[muffinmonster]

Sorry, this has probably been done to death, but I don't spend much time on the style and beauty threads.

I'm 5'4" and a size 12. I think of myself as being of average height. I"m as tall as most of my friends and taller than some.

Have just been looking for a winter skirt online and I am fed up looking at pictures of models who are 5'10" (never mind their dress size). I don't wanat a skirt that comes down to my calves. I am fed up turning up the hems on new clothes. I should not have to buy petite, but that seems to be the only way to get something that fits. Possibly fits.

What height are you?
Do you think you're petite?
Where is a good place to get petite clothes? (I'm over 50, btw.)
Does anyone else feel my pain?

[Pinkkahori]

Petite ranges are usually for 5'3 and under. I am 5'2 so in the petite range for height but as a 16/18 I am anything but 'petite'.
Now if someone designed a 'wide as you are high' range I'd be sorted.

[NantucketNightbird]

I'm 5ft 2, size 8-10 and size 3 feet. So I definitely feel petite. I don't usually buy petite unless next as I don't wear jeans/trousers.

[Cellardoor23]

I'm 5'4 and I wouldn't class myself as petite. I would say maybe just below average height.

I have this problem with trousers. Dorothy Perkins is quite good.

I agree with pp. My hips are quite big, so i struggle with trousers to fit over them and my big bum

[GruochMacAlpin]

It's to do with leg length in my case.

I'm 5ft 4 but have a long body and short legs so I have to wear trousers from the petite section.

My friend is the same height has me but wears standard length trousers as her legs are longer.

[GinAndOnIt]

I'm 5ft4 but always buy petite now. I measured myself, and compared myself against size charts for clothes websites.

I have a short body and long legs, so my body is that of a 5ft2 person, for example. So most tops and dresses I buy are petite. (I can get away with tshirts, but anything structured or low front needs to be petite to sit in the right place IYSWIM)

Also trousers, despite having long legs, I buy petite so they sit at the right place on my waist (which again, is shorter). The only thing I can't buy petite is mini skirts/dresses, as my thighs seem to be the longest part, and my bum would flash! Not that I wear anything 'mini' anymore though.

[FrickOnAStick]

I think people are generally getting taller, generation by generation. I am 5'7" and am above average height amongst my friends.

However, DD, her friends and other younger people I encounter day to day (in my job) tend to be around my height, give or take an inch, on average.

My mother is 5'4" and isn't 'short' amongst her peers, either.

[LucyLot]

I'm 5'5" which I think of as a bit short and sometimes buy from the petite range.

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

Biden do three lengths of skirt - when they have free returns on get a couple of lengths?

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

Boden

[Darkswan]

I'm 5'5.5" which is about the uk average for a woman I think. I do find clothes are too long though, particularly trousers. I think i have a long body and shorter legs, but still, i often pick up trousers and hold them against me and they are 4/5 inches too long, that can't be right!
I can't buy petite in trousers though, they are a tiny bit too short.

[fairyqueen]

I'm 5' nothing. Petites often need turning up.

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

Now if someone designed a 'wide as you are high' range I'd be sorted

Oh that did make me laugh! I'm 5ft 5 but I often find trousers are too long. Petite sections are too short though

[Judydreamsofhorses]

I'm 5ft 6 and often buy things from "tall" ranges because skirts/dresses come up so short. I must have long legs and a stumpy body.

[OlennasWimple]

I'm 5'6" and often buy skirts and trousers from the Petites range, as my legs aren't very long...

[Libby34]

I'm 5"3, and a size 8. Tops are fine, I can buy whatever but trousers definitely need to be petite! I once bought standard length cropped jeans in primark and they were too long for me even as normal jeans! I can sometimes get away with buying age 11-12 or 13-14 jeans (in some places I can just about squeeze my hips in) but often the 13-14 are too long. buying trousers is the bane of my life! I've actually found that the women's short length jeans at Tesco fit well, are only about £20 and don't go all saggy in the leg

[hiccupgirl]

I'm 5'3' but have long legs so most petite length legs are too short for me. M&S regular length are perfect for me.

I'm a 16-18 with size 6.5 feet. I would never consider myself to be petite in height or size but have recently become aware that I am actually quite a bit shorter than many of my friends.

[Housewife2010]

I'm 5 ft 4 and don't consider myself petite. The average height of British women is 5 ft 4.

[Schmoochypoos]

I'm 5ft 1 and I only really buy petite trousers. Everything else seems to be fine in a regular size, although what I would wear with leggings as a tunic type top my 5ft 6 sister would wear with jeans and definitely class it as a top!

[Losgunna]

I'm 4ft10 and a size ten with size 2/3 feet so definitely petite! Even petite stuff, especially trousers are often too long. 'Cropped' jeans and leggings hit my ankles perfectly and those short skater dresses are the perfect knee length on me though so it's not all bad :) I'm also quite handy with a sewing machine now, I get plenty of practice

[MyBreadIsEggy]

I'm just scraping 5'4", size 8 (when I'm not a pregnant whale) and on the rare occasion I wear skirts or dresses (usually for occasions like weddings/funerals/parties etc) I buy from the petite section because "regular" lengths are a bit too long - a skirt that should sit just below the knee usually ends up halfway down my calf I have short, stumpy legs and quite a long torso, which is a bit weird

[NeonPinkNails]

I'm 5'2 with short stubby legs so buy most of my jeans/trousers in Petite ranges even though at a size 16 14 I feel anything but. 'Dumpy' range doesn't have such a nice ring to it though .

[nottallatall]

I'm 4'10" too and size 8/10 and nearly always have to shorten petite stuff, especially trousers! Like you Losgunna, I find cropped jeans make perfect 'normal' length jeans on me. I am pretty useless at sewing but am now getting familiar with a sewing machine out of necessity. I get fed up with people saying "you're so lucky you can buy from children's departments" ... erm, no, it really doesn't work like that! I would love to be 5'4", for all sorts of reasons, not just clothes buying!

[PikachuBoo]

I'm in search of a wide as you are high range too Pinkkahori.
5'2" and a size 18.
Petite sizes mostly go up to a size 16. And rightly so as I am far too fat for my height!

[WellTidy]

I'm 5 foot 1, and size 10-12. I pretty much only buy in petite ranges. Everything just needs to be in proprtion. I need narrower shoulders, now as low as standard range stopped and v necks, narrower neck holes, smaller arm holes (in a sleeveless top or dress), shorter lengths, shorter distances from nape to waist (on a dress), scaled down collars etc.

[wowfudge]

I'm 5'4" and short waisted and consider myself petite - tailored dresses and skirts never fit me because the hips are too low on me. I have to shorten regular length jacket sleeves and most trousers too. That said, M&S short trousers are too short.