My Favorite Petite Brands
Hello, it’s great to see you today! As a petite, I mostly shop online. Very few brands carry a wide range of petite styles in their brick and mortar stores. Large retailers like Nordstrom and Macy’s are a little more generous in their petite offerings in store, but the options are still pretty limited. So, I decided to talk today about my favorite petite brands.
Like many of you, fellow petites, I have come to rely on certain brands for their consistency in petite sizing. This is helpful on one hand because there’s not a lot of guesswork or returns involved; but on the other hand it can limit our wardrobes to those few brands.
My Favorite Petite Brands
1. Spanx Wide-Leg Pant
(Spanx)
Every so often I like to branch out and try a new brand. Aside from Spanx leggings (which I love), this is the first pair of pants I have purchased from Spanx. And I am happy to share that the Spanx Stretch Twill Cropped Wide Leg Pants are a safe bet.
Personally, I think they fit true to size, I am wearing petite xs. The website suggests sizing up one size if you’re between sizes. The color I am wearing (Parchment) is out of stock in petite, but there are other colors available and I would say go ahead and join the waitlist if this is the color you want – they are worth the wait!
Shop the outfit
2. Spanx
Wide leg cropped styles for petites are often hit or miss. Many petites feel this style will not work for a shorter frame. And I totally understand that – I used to feel the same way. In fact, I am pretty particular in the way this style fits: I look for a crop that is not too short, with a high rise and a leg opening that is not too wide. A tall order indeed!
The high rise helps to elongate the leg, which for a shorter person, helps to make this style feel a lot more wearable.
While Spanx may not have the plethora of pants to choose from that say, J.Crew or Banana Republic might have, their popularity and product offering is growing. Having one more go-to petite brand for pants is a great thing for mixing up your wardrobe.
So add Spanx to your list of go-to online brands when you’re looking for petite pants in a wide range of sizes. I also want to share the brands I shop online and what I usually go to those brands for; the petite items that I have found to be consistent in their sizing and fit.
Shop the outfit
3. My Go-To Brands for Online Petite Shopping
J.Crew is probably my top shop for petite wardrobe staples like button ups, blazers, chinos and skirts.
Ann Taylor is great for petite skirts and blouses. I have found their petite pants to be kind of hit or miss, but often worth a try.
Banana Republic is a reliable option; especially for petite dresses and pants.
Thank you for stopping by today! I am sure most of you are aware of my go-to brands for petites; and I hope that I have given you some inspiration to branch out beyond your go-to brands to add some fresh, fun, reliable petite styles to add to your wardrobe.
In Case You Missed It
Yesterday, Beth showed you how to dress the Spring-to-Summer transition. Click the title or image below to read the article.
This is a good post. I do want to bring up one thing . I am five two but my body is not petite. I weight 125 and I am very curvy. I do like talbots for petite pants. They fit very nicely. They use to have the curvy fit but not so much anymore. Talbots size 6 curvy petite use to fit me perfect. I also like talbots styles modern but not trendy.
Hello Mary, I think petite refers more to height than anything else these days. I am sorry it’s hard to find the curvy petite fit at Talbots; it’s tough when a trusted brand stops carrying things we grow accustomed to. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving note! xo Kelly
Hi Kelly, I’m also a Petite and I really enjoy your posts. Thanks so much for sharing ideas and brands to shop. I do all of my shopping online with J.Jill, Chico’s and Talbots.
Hi Debra, I am so happy you stopped by to check out the post. I am glad you have your go-to online brands too! Thank you for sharing them with us! xo Kelly
While I enjoyed this post, I wish you had included some maxi dresses. I love them for summer, but hate to have half of the skirt cut off so I don’t trip or look like I’m playing dress ups.
Hi Claudia, Stay tuned – I love maxi dresses and I plan to feature them here this summer! xo Kelly
Kelly, I love your style and suggestions, even though I’m not a petite and am older. As a regular size who can hardly find any inventory in stores, I can only imagine how much harder it is for petites. These are great options for my business casual office and weekends.
Thanks so much Laura! Thank goodness for online shopping – if left only to brick and mortar shops, it would be a lot tougher for petites. xo Kelly
Hi Kelly,
I appreciate your suggested resources for petites. I love the pants you feature from Spanx. They’re really cute.
I don’t know if you ever shop or feature QVC or HSN, but I have found some very nice, reasonably priced petites on both of those sites.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend! I’m making your Butter Burgers on Monday!
Hello Nancy, I haven’t shopped on QVC or HSN, but I will have to check them out! Thanks for the tip and do enjoy those butter burgers !! xo Kelly
Thank you Kelly
I am Petite and go thru a lot finding close.
Thank y for sharing
Thank you, Gloria! I hope I have given you some helpful information! Stay tuned! xo Kelly
I just got measured at the doctor’s office and am now under 5 feet. I wish I could shrink the other way. The only retailer that I have found that carries plus petite is Talbots. Very few stores have them to try on however. It’s good to see outfits on a shorter person. You look great!
Hi MaryLynne, Thank you so much! I know it is hard to find petite plus sizes with most brands. I am happy you have found that Talbots is reliable and offers a wider range of sizes. I might suggest perusing Madewell. A lot of their styles are made for a looser fit, which makes their sizing a little different, and often skewing toward larger sizes. I think one of the things petite people get good at is style-hacking regular sizes. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a note! xo Kelly
Kelly, Thank you so much for your recommendations for petite women. This was very helpful. Please consider sharing on-line shopping tips. It was so much easier to just try the item on in the store! Thanks again for sharing and for modeling items on a petite frame!
Hey Thanks Linda! Have a great weekend! xo Kelly