'Grown-up' petite tops in natural fabrics..? Help!

[HBGKC]

Hi all, I can't be the only person finding these things impossible to find! I'm 5'1, size 8 on top, 8-10 on the bottom (depending on the shop 🙄), and am very short-waisted too, just to make it extra tricky - there's literally only about 5 inches between my natural waist and my bra band.

I'm an hourglass at least until I stop breastfeeding, so feel like I need my waist to be visible/accentuated, otherwise I just turn into a small ball-shaped thing. But I'm so short, I seem to end up needing tops that are described as 'cropped' for them to be short enough I.e. to end before my hips flare out

I won't buy polyester, preferring cotton (thick), linen (heavy), viscose/modal etc.

Necklines - anything not high, basically: v, scoop, ballerina... Happy to look at short or long sleeves, but short I'd need to be able to wear a cardigan over them.

I've got about £100 birthday money, and would be happy to invest that in 3 good-quality tops that actually fit and flatter me, but I just can't find what I want anywhere! I don't want to just settle for whatever I can find in Primark any more... If anyone can recommend shops/websites to look, or actual specific tops, I will be forever grateful

I'm 41, by the way, hence why needing 'grown-up' tops rather than a cheapo polyester jobbie from ASOS...

Have you looked at Boden petite ? I have some tees that fit well length wise
I also look at larger children's sizes at JL or M&S

I will check Boden, thank you.

Yes, I second Boden petite. Not cheap but they have so many sales I just wait!

I'm a similar size and shape to you. Hobbs also do petite clothes. Personally, I love Whistles and the French brand Sezane (being a French brand their sizes are smaller but they're not cheap). They both do XS sizes but not specifically petite.

You could take them to a tailor to shorten at the waist and hem

Yes, I have had a charity-shop linen top shortened and re-hemmed by someone local, but they didn't do a good enough job for me to want to risk a brand new item.

I'll check out those two, thanks @MayDayFightsBack

I have spent the last couple of day taking up shirts! Everything is so long this year.
Next has a really good selection of petite tops. Disappointingly M&S only have one plain white shirt in petite at the moment, I am sure they used to do a lot more.
Lands end do petite fit as do gap.

Do you mean casual t-shirt-like tops? Or blouse-esque for work?

I am a similar shape and do an awful lot of tucking in. T-shirts are tucked into jeans and most of my blouses are tucked into pencil skirts. Paired with a cropped jumper/ cardigan it works well enough

Kind of in-between, annoyingly! I'm not at work, I'm at home with a toddler, but I would like to wear something slightly smarter everyday than my trusty Primark stretch-cotton tops, useful as they are. Smart-casual..? Awful phrase Not work-smart; meeting a friend for lunch-smart, maybe..?

I don't feel my stomach is in good enough shape currently to want to tuck anything in beyond a half-tuck. Gone are my washboard days, sadly.

@schroeder I do have 3 Petite Next tops currently sitting in a basket... white linen/broderie anglaise summer blouse type things. Not v expensive, actually, so possibly worth a punt.