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Introducing the Petite Style Guide



Gloves are hot this season!  These buttersoft buttoned gloves are from CC.

How to use the Style Guides


We've refreshed and expanded our Style Guide for the new season.  Instead of just one guide for everyone, Petite Personal Shopper's unique Petite Style Guide offers a four part approach to styling your image for who you are and the life you live.  This section introduces the basics which apply to all women.  Everyone's shape is individual, but most of us fall into one of the main body types, and dressing well means understanding your shape and dressing to enhance your best features and finessing those you don't like so much. 
 
You should then move on to Style Guides 1,2 or 3.  These roughly correspond to life stages, but don't think of them as just related to your age.  A young woman who is a student or working in the creative industries might be able to dress solely according to the principles in Style Guide 1, but another woman the same age might dress that way at leisure, but in career terms might need to look at Style Guide 2.  Style Guide 3 doesn't assume that older women must dress differently from younger women, but it does recognise that bodies change shape or texture over time, and that dressing well means being aware of how to finesse those changes. 
 
You may find the advice offered here differs substantially from advice for petites in many fashion magazines and television programmes.  There's a good reason for this.  We know what we're talking about!  Most advice to petites from non-petite people tends to assume that petite means having a little girls' figure (hence all the recommendations to wear princess coats and baby doll dresses).  But 'petite' in the fashion world is only about height; real petite women are individuals, and have widely varying figures, just like any other woman, regardless of height.


The key thing for any petite woman is fit.  Let's explain.  Most standard size clothes on sale on the High Street are cut for a height of 5'5"-5'7" with body proportions to match.  It's not just that the shoulders will be too wide, or the sleeves too long.  Have you ever had the experience of trying on something that's supposed to be your size and finding that it doesn't fit at all?   If you are, say, 5'2" and a size 12, a size 12 cut for someone 5" taller will have the waist, bust and hips in the wrong place.  You may not even be able to fasten the garment (if the garment's waist is where your hips are, this stands to reason).  Even if you can get the thing on, something that's not a good fit will make you look shorter and stockier.
 
On the other hand, if you get clothes that fit you properly, with shoulders your width, waist and hips in the same place as yours, then whatever size you are, you will look taller and slimmer.  Fit is everything.


Know Your Body Shape

 

Regular Hour Glass

 

The regular hour glass shape is one in which your body above and below the waist is proportionate, and you have a clearly defined waist.  This is a great shape to have.  It's both attractive and healthy.  You can wear most styles, especially those that emphasise the waist.  Given that this season cinched waists are back, with either wide or very narrow belts worn on the natural waistline, you have an advantage in the style stakes!

 

Long Body, Short Legs

 

If you are of a petite height, but with this body shape, it's possible that you may find standard size tops and petite fit bottoms work best for you.  The visual trick for your shape is to try to rebalance your body so that your torso looks a little less long, and your legs look a little longer.  High waisted trousers and skirts and empire line or baby doll dresses work well.  Layering is also a good option. A longer line top with a contrasting colour shorter top layered over it - and possibly a belt as well, in a third shade - balances your proportions.  Wide legged trousers are not usually flattering for this shape, although there are exceptions.  If you are very slim with a very long torso, wide legged, exaggeratedly high waisted trousers in a dark colour with a contrasting top can seemingly lengthen your legs.  Very narrow legged trousers, like skinny jeans, can also be a problem with this shape unless you have very small hips and thighs.

 

Short Body, Long Legs


At the upper end of the petite height range, with this body shape you may need petite tops but regular fit bottoms, though the most likely scenario is that petite trousers will be too short, and standard ones too long!  Long legs are a real asset, but you will need to use styling tricks to visually lengthen your body.  Keeping to one colour palette top and bottom can help.  Choose trousers that sit below your natural waist, and avoid clutter, excessive pattern, or too much embellishment on top.  Scarves and pendants can also lend length to your upper body whilst drawing the eye down to your admirably lengthy legs!

 

The Tall Petite

 

How can you have a tall petite?  With luck and the right genes, is the answer!  A Tall Petite is someone who has a narrow frame in proportion to her height.  It's basically the same equation as a catwalk model who is 6' tall and only a size 8.  Tall petites can be 'Size Zero' and perfectly healthy.  If you are a tall petite, you can wear anything!  As long as it fits....

 

Apples and Pears

 

In addition to having regular, long bodied/short legged, and short bodied/long legged proportions, you may also be either an apple or a pear.  Apples tend to have bigger busts and proportionally narrower hips and thighs, with a tendency to carry any extra weight around the middle.  Pears tend to have smaller busts, well defined small waists, and wider hips and thighs.

 

Apples may want to disguise bigger busts, but be warned - camouflage doesn't work!  Instead, avoid frills and embellishment on top, avoid high necklines, and use jackets and cardigans to define your shape.  Your biggest problem can be to look like you haven't got a waistline, so look for structured garments that can give you shape.  This doesn't have to mean tailoring; a parka (look for this season's new parka dresses) with drawstrings at the waist can do the job in a looser more urban way.  Even if you choose a tailored jacket, this needn't be dull.  Narrow fitting short blazers are big right now worn with jeans, biker boots and a college scarf for a 'punk on campus' feel.  If rock chick is more your style, the new biker jackets are also good for your shape.

 

Pears often have fabulous arms and shoulders, so strappy tops, vests, waistcoats are all great for you.  The difficulty can come in making tricky skirt and trouser shapes work with bigger hips and thighs.  Dresses and tunics worn over trousers can still be one of the solutions, but update the look with a belt on your natural waist (not low slung).  Avoid excess fabric around the hips, and look for straight or slightly A Line shapes to balance your shape.  Longer line tops can also add proportion.  This season longer cardigans are big, preferably ones with tie belts, or add your own skinny belt to emphasise your perfect waist!