What would you want from a petite brand?

[Caramelatt]

I usually find selection limited and it is assumed that all petites are skinny and have child like bodies.

I want to see some nice feminine dresses, tops, blazers etc. Basically whole range.

What would you like to see a petite brand offering?

I am thinking of starting one, in case you are wondering why this question 😊

I'd agree with the comments about remembering what suits a petite frame, not just following fashion. Oversized, loose-cut, floaty, and otherwise shapeless styles just drown me. Only very, very seldom does a large print work. Either figure out how to adapt or scale those trends to petite, or keep a decent amount of your offering more classic (or ideally both).

Short but a classic pear struggle to find trousers, tbh though I think all pears face that problem. I’m 5ft 2 and no my inside leg is not 29 inches, I need 27-28 so all my trousers have to be adjusted.

Also just simple block colours would be nice, uniqlo esque. Lots of pattern just doesn’t work for me and clothes that are too loose can look wrong.

Like a few others I really struggle with being short but having a large chest and being on the heavier side. I'm 5ft but a 14/16 and 36G boobs. If I find something the correct length it often is too tight on the chest or if it's short sleeved they dig in. I usually only bother with petite ranges on ASOS as I find most in store only offer boring work wear and a pair of jeans. I also find a lot of petite ranges only offer up to size 14 or 16 but there must be a market for larger sizes. It would also be great to see petite maternity wear and petite pjs that don't cost the earth.

While all the ratios are being discussed, can I add as a petite woman, the top of shoulder to nipple distance is less on me - so what is an acceptable depth of v top on most woman can look a bit “here are my tits” on me.

also yes, what suits short woman.

decent fabrics, I don’t want black polyester trousers with a jolly printed blouse, I’m prepared to pay more for decent fabrics but the higher end of high street doesn’t cater well for short woman.

Petite + plus size
I'm 5ft size 18/20 and trousers especially are impossible
I'd love tailored cigarette and wide leg trousers that fit and are the right length.

Models who are actually petite and an assortment of weights.

I was looking at Boden petite the other day and it said all the models’ sizes - none were petite! They were between 5’4”-5’10”!!!

Tbh I don't find petit clothing fits any better than normal sizes. I'm 5ft and a size 14.

Reduce shoulder widths ie make the top of the arm hole closer to the neck hole.

Make the waist higher so it actually sits on my waist rather than just making the length shorts.

I would like a petite brand that doesn't think because I'm short I want to wear child like clothing or just generally ugly stuff! I want to look like a grown up!

Agree with PP that I am less bothered about tops - trousers, skirts, dresses, coats and jackets please!

Definitely coats, especially tailored styles. Tops that aren’t floral or made of sweaty polyester. Bit more stylish! Extra short trousers. Workwear dresses (if they are still a thing, maybe they’ve disappeared but I could still do with some in my job and can’t seem to find them anymore). Full range of colour and/or pattern options in petite.

While you are at it (setting up clothes ranges that is) the other big hole in the market imo is nice teen clothes in decent fabrics! DD loves soft jersey t shirts, leggings, maxi dresses, shorts but after age 13 it all seems to be very synthetic and too short or poorly made. Or the brands that do better fabrics it’s all a bit childish. I would like H&M style x Frugi fabrics! But I digress, as you were 😁

Trousers and shorts that are actually cropped/ankle grazers/knee length or whatever they are meant to be.

Agree with pp about coat - and jacket - sleeve lengths.

@NothingTraLaLa the jeans are actually lovely. I've worn mine to death .

Overall I think it's just the idea that not all petite women are the same shape. Some big, some small, long legs/short body, short legs/long body, different ages, classic pieces as well as on-trend... we also get pregnant and need maternity wear.

Proportions, variety, quality.

As a petite and an experienced dressmaker, I find common mistakes are

1. Big patterns, stripes and checks.
2. Oversized pockets, flaps, buttons and other details . They need to be scaled down to pattern size
3. Nape of neck to waist is usually too long on regular clothes hence 'lump' hanging out of upper back. Average back length 15". Petite 14/14.6"
4. Buttons, zips etc details on sleeves make adjusting sleeve length difficult / impossible and make arms look shorter

Scale everything in portion to size.

Really hope you succeed, there is a need for well cut clothes that fit.
Quality is important. It's worth spending more on quality investment basics, other bits can be purchased in regular sizes.

Coats and tops where the sleeves aren't halfway down my hands.

Dresses that stop at my feet rather than draping all over the floor.

Decent materials.

Arm holes that aren't so low all my bra sides show.

I would love a decent petite range.

Also the idea that petite clothes aren't just office style black trousers and blouse.

Different length petite as most petite ranges are 5ft 4 and under. At 5ft 1 these still drown me

To give an example in contrast to this, I'm 5'5" and have a 27" inside leg. Nothing fits. Except for a brief period when 7/8s were perfect as 8/8s, albeit not exactly flattering - but the leg lengths in standard have gone right up so the extra short is nearer.

Oh, and the sizes never go up large enough. We can be dumpy AND stumpy as well as tiny but with legs that go on forever.

Can you do tall too please? Catering to both ends of the height scale will double your market! So hard to find nice clothes in tall sizes.

5’2 and reasonably in proportion but muscular at shoulder and arms, so petite being designed for slim arms is no use to me. Adding a P seems to exacerbate the annoying habit of going up in waist and hip measurement but leaving the arms a size 6. Agree with @Floisme on petite not being a personality trait either - it’s always bland or twee or microscopically short. I might have short legs but my boss isn’t going to be fooled as to which part of my leg she can see if I turn up in a skirt an inch below my crotch.

Sounds great. There’s lots of petite brands that are trend led & styled for the upto 40 market but the selection of good quality stylish basics/classics is non existent. Like a previous post I’d love a quality wool coat that fits. Silk blouses, lovely linen dresses and trousers/jeans that fit. Petite jeans and trouser lengths seem to have increased in recent years and I now have to alter even petite length clothes. I’m 5’1”.

Boden petite is good for silk blouses.

Oh and no puff sleeves - they make me look as wide as I am tall!

Wide leg trousers that are the right length
V neck tops with the appropriate ratio as po said above (tho had a nice one from mango on today)
Dresses that accommodate a shorter back and trousers with a shorter rise.
I have a petite dress from nobody's child but it looks awful in me as the back is too long and it is slightly fitted in the waist doesn't fit but in a weird off kilter way.
Trousers from ASOS which are a perfect length in the leg but the rise is insane!

Plus sizes. I'm short and fat. Most petite stops at size 18.

This is common problem with standard length, too and all to do with bad size grading where they just make everything bigger, not account ting for much smaller average variations in bone structure between sizes.

Definite gap in the market. I would love a proper petite brand.

5ft, size 6/8 with small boobs, narrow shoulders, short torso. Quality fitting and proportions are a nightmare.

higher waist positioning on dresses is a must
shorter sleeve lengths

edgy styles not in gopping colours
a brand that knows I don’t want to look like a child!

as an aside, I had a stitch fix recently, and they sent a wide leg cropped jump suit from their own brand petite range. It was superb material, quality and fit - perfect. But absolutely disgusting print. If it was different I’d have bought 5!!! But they absolutely nailed the proportions.