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www.Scootles.co.uk
Scootles.co.uk
Fashion Accessories by High Street Designer names. This seasons' must have looks in handbags, luggage and jewellery at unbeatable
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Reviewed by Dolores in 2002 - her thoughts have subsequently changed (All reviews gratefully received.)
Talbots is an American store that gives equal priority to their petite range as it does to their regular length clothes. For the past seven years it has been my first stop for clothes that fit and suit my style, and they offer a balanced combination of smart and casual wear. They carry a large stock of petite items with trousers and skirts that, unlike many that I find elsewhere, actually fit on the waist and the hips.
The clothes are good quality basics with a wide range of sizes from US 4-16 and, whilst I accept that their lack of adventure in design and colour may not appeal to all, it suits my style perfectly. The main UK outlets are in the South East and if you know what you want the Regent Street store offers a very efficient mail order service. There are also several concessions dotted around the country however the range stocked in these is very limited and a long journey can often end in disappointment. Personally, if I am unable to travel to London, a combination of sourcing on their website (www.talbots.com) and the mail order service via the store is more successful. Lastly, there is the added bonus of all these lovely clothes that fit, at reduced prices, if you are able to visit US cities such as New York and Boston – store details and locations can be found on the website (that includes the locations of UK stores). [Since writing this Dolores has found herself less pleased with Talbots, but has commended Minosa]
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Next must be the biggest supplier of petite size clothes in the UK. Although it does not carry petite sizes in all stores, the range available is representative of the full range of standard size designs, from casual to work and evening wear. Moreover, the Next website carries the full range and is updated regularly. Next clothes begin at size 6, although this is often a generous 6. (Indeed, they have now started doing size 6 trousers in a standard length, which suggests to me that they need to introduce a size 4 petite.) Next would also benefit from doing trousers in two petite lengths, as they are often cut rather long. This is great for those of us with long legs (I personally find other petite trousers much too short), but feedback to this site suggests that there are many women with different proportions who have real difficulty with trouser lengths at Next. At the core of Next's collection is a wide range of suits and tailored clothes for the work place, with a particular strength in trouser suits. Next suits pay some attention to fashion trends, with a choice of cut, cloth and detail to ensure that there's usually something for you whether you are 20-something creative type, or a sober lady lawyer. Quality does vary a lot, however, with too few suits in good fabrics. Coats and jackets offer less choice to petites, though there's usually something on offer, often including leather. They also have a small range of petite sports clothing and swimwear. |
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Top Shop is the No.1 choice for young petites. The larger flagship branches, such as the big branch at Oxford Circus, have jeans, combats, trousers, jackets, etc. from size 6 all year round, with seasonal specials, such as a good range of party wear for Christmas and New Year. Smaller branches carry a more limited range of petite sizes, with (to my eye) rather a lot of black/white/navy items that look rather as if they are aimed at the schoolgirl market.
Top Shop sizes as a whole are cut quite small, with coats, for example, being a reasonable fit on a petite frame even when not expressly intended for that segment of the market. This may be because Top Shop cut for a 5'5" height, which is only one inch taller than Minosa Petite. |
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