Petite Shopping Guide: Wrap-up

Image found via Pinterest, altered by me

Thanks for joining me for the petite shopping guide. I hope you enjoyed it! If you didn't catch it, here are parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Do you have other favorite petite resources that I missed? Or do you make your own clothes? I'm always on the lookout for new ideas, so I'd love to hear yours.

P.S. Have you ever checked out Extra Petite? I just discovered it a few weeks ago, and it's absolutely lovely. Go take a look if you're in the mood for more petite fashion.

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Petite Shopping Guide: Crewcuts

1// Chambray Blazer 2// Dot Oxfords 3// Colorblock Dress 4// Waxed Popover 5// Gingham Shirt 6// Moon-Dot Tunic

Crewcuts is a goldmine for petite J.Crew lovers. Truth be told, I haven't explored the J.Crew petites line very much because they frequently make miniature versions of their adult clothes in the Crewcuts line (as well as lots of great Crewcuts exclusives), and they're so much cheaper! Every time I hear someone exclaim over how cute this stuff is and lament that they don't make it in adult sizes, I do a little self-high-five and feel slightly mollified about how hard it is to find clothes that fit.

Best for:

• Blazers and jackets (don't forget to raid the boys section for a cute tomboy look)
• Unique and classic shoes (I have two pairs of Bensimons from here that I've worn to death)
• Pants- think miniatures of the women's, like these pixie pants. 
• Skirts- I'm in love with this Moon-Dot one. I promise I won't wear it with the Moon-Dot Tunic.
• Button-downs and blouses.
• Sweaters- especially classic fisherman and other knit styles that start appearing in the boys section in the Fall.

Bonus: Shipping is always free on Crewcuts orders. Hooray for being small!


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Petite Shopping Guide: Delia's

1// Red Skinny Jeans 2// Black Floral Skinny Jeans 3// Mint Skinny Jeans 4// Stripe Chambray Dress 5// Retro Dot Swimsuit 6// Stripe Skater Dress

Delia's is an easy resource to overlook, inundated as it is with clothing clearly aimed at teenagers, but if you know what to look for, you'll see that it's also a petite haven. Which is why I'm here to share my secrets! :-)

Best for:

• Jeans! Delia's is a veritable treasure trove of colored skinnies. With sizes ranging from 00 to 19/20 (and inseams from 28" to 36"), and a slew of style and fit options, there's something for everyone, including non-petites (is it okay if I just call you daikinis?). Also, jeans are always buy one get one 50% off- great for stocking up on colors.
• Swimwear. Lots of cute retro-inspired styles and prints, as well as solid color and one piece options.
• Dresses- I'm tempted to grab both of the striped versions above for some last-minute summer beach frolicking.

Bonus: Frequent sales and deals, including site-wide discounts, and free shipping on orders over a certain amount (often as low as $25). You can always see current coupon codes here. 

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Petite Shopping Guide: Nordstrom

1// Green Skinny Jeans 2// Stripe Maxi Dress 3// Dot Shorts 4// Chambray Boyfriend Shirt 5// Colorblock Blazer

The Nordstrom Juniors department is my go-to for just about everything.* The prices are excellent, the styles are adorable, and the vast majority are perfectly appropriate for 20/30-somethings. I'd love to pair this gorgeous colorblock blouse with some pixie pants, cap toe flats (or maybe some black brogues to give it a tomboy twist), and a cute topknot for work.

Best for:

• Pants/Jeans/Shorts- I tend not to buy a lot of kids pants because they never quite fit right (we may be little kid sized, but we're not little kid shaped!). Juniors pants are the perfect compromise- small in all the right ways, but with enough room for some curves.
• Dresses/Skirts- Wouldn't this LBD be perfect for a night out? I love this peach one too...a little more demure, and just the right amount of flirty. And this colorblock shift- how would I ever choose between peach and mint? Perfection.
• Button-downs/Blouses- I have the chambray one pictured above, and I plan to live in it this Fall. 

Bonus: Free shipping and free returns on everything. Also, they seem to be perfectly happy to take things back in any condition (I once took back a pair of youth Toms that I had worn for weeks, that hadn't stretched out the way I expected and were too small. They happily let me exchange them for a brand new pair- I even chose a different color!). Oh, and don't forget to check the kids department for shoes- they've got some winners.

*Except shoes- weirdly the juniors shoes only go to a size 5 or 6, while the women's shoes frequently go down to a 4. Say what?

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Petite Shopping Guide: Loft

1// Skinny Floral Corduroys 2// Cocoon Blouse 3// Striped Trench 4// Dot Print Tee 5// Sweater Jacket

When I was younger, I thought of Loft/Ann Taylor as a total "mom" store, but their style has changed so much in the last few years, and they've become a fantastic petite resource! They even carry petite sizes in stores (which is pretty uncommon in my experience), though the collection is much more extensive online. For many items, sizing extends all the way down to XXSp/00p- which, for me, means I can buy blazers and more "grown up" pieces without having to alter them.

Best for:

• Blazers and other work-appropriate jackets
• Dressier pants and slacks (including fun prints)
• Cute blouses that can be dressed up with a skirt and heels for date night, or dressed down with jeans and flats for a weekend brunch.

Bonus: Loft has frequent and fantastic sales, both in stores and online. They will often do 30% (or more!) site/store wide sales, or an additional 40 or 50% off of sale items.

P.S. If your feet are a size 5 or above, don't forget to check out the shoes. I love these wedge booties.

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Petite Shopping Guide: Zara Kids

1// Trench Coat 2// Polka Dot Shirt 3// Pleated Skirt 4// Cap-Toe Ballerina 5// Studded Slip On 6// Punched Ankle Boot

The Zara kids line is one of the newest additions to my shopping arsenal, and one of my favorites! I'd love to pair those studded flats with some Audrey-esque black pants, a comfy chambray top, and a leather messenger bag this Fall. 

Best for:

• Shoes- lots of adorable flats, boots, and sandals that are on-trend and grown-up looking. Bonus: they're virtually all under $50 and many are under $30!
• Coats- classic trenches, blazers, and waxed cotton jackets are a few of my favorites.
• Dresses and skirts- these can be a bit hit-and-miss, but frequently there are some real gems mixed in with the more juvenile looking items.

Bonus: Free shipping and free returns on everything, so have no fear in ordering just to try on. Also, the majority of the kids shoes go up to a 5, which is the equivalent of a woman's 6 or 7, so even the less tiny-footed among us can benefit!

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Coming soon...

Photo found via Habitually Chic, altered by me

I'm so excited to share this series with you!

As I have alluded in the past, I'm extremely small. I stand just under five feet tall (4 feet, 11 and a half inches, if we're being exact), weigh in at 90 pounds, and wear a women's size 4.5 shoe- or, more often, a kid's 2.5 or 3. As you might imagine, finding clothing that fits me, much less fashionable and adult-looking clothing, presents a pretty serious challenge.

Fortunately, it's a challenge I enjoy! Figuring out how to build a grown-up wardrobe from a mish-mash of kids and juniors clothes, petite pieces, and homemade items has become something of a science and a hobby for me, and this week I'll be sharing a guide to all my favorite petite shopping resources.

Check back later today for the first post. Happy hunting, all you tiny ladies!

In the interest of full disclosure, please note that I am not being compensated in any way by the stores I'm featuring. These posts are based purely on my own opinion and personal experiences.

Update: You can see the whole petite shopping guide here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and the wrap-up. Hope you enjoyed it!

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