Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Do you have a well fitting bra? That's number one. The right bra makes you look slimmer and your waist loooks smaller (a sports bra is not it).
Yep, I have 2. They definitely make me look "better", but i feel miserable in them. Also, not being used to having that much cleavage (the girls are so "out there"). It is not something I am comfortable with, which means I want to dress differently, which poses further challenges.
The big girl bras are torture chambers, and they come off the minute I come home. Pretty much always have not been a bra person anywa I know people who can't stand them no matter what, and those who won't even walk around the house without. I am somewhere in the middle, and now in the process of losing the weight now, so hopefully the challenges of being petite will just be the usual.
Great thread, and some things I haven't even thought about. Probably why I am just so picky with my clothes, and buy the same things over and over.
I'm 5'2", with a very long body and very short legs. Regular tops are mostly too short, bottoms are always too long, even petites.
I am a big fan of hemming - I learned to sew as a teenager and have altered my own clothing ever since. The problem with pants isn't just the length - unless the pants are straight leg, the way they form around the body changes when you cut them off. Like how skinny jeans are much smaller at the ankle than the knee or if there is an obvious detail around the knee, well on me the knee ends up mid-shin. Not so attractive! And since I am now older and just into the plus sizes, people think that a bigger waist means huge butt and thighs, but I'm an apple. I wear scrubs at work, so I have to sew the legs slimmer as well as shorter, or they look like monster oversized pajamas on me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FlightAttendant
I need to be independently wealthy and have all my clothes custom made LOL. (Not in this lifetime, sadly)
Yes, me, too! lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by city living
I think most people don't realize that most people don't fit into clothes perfectly and have trouble in some way.
That is true. I had a 6'1" roommate years go, and when we went shopping together it was a nightmare of different proportions!
I do have a sister-in-law who is one of "those people", she can put on anything off the rack and as long as it's the correct size, she looks amazing in it. So jealous...
I've bought two dresses from eShakti.com. You can customize the length to your height and on most dresses, you can also customize the neckline and sleeves. I was very happy with the quality and fit of the two that I've ordered. They aren't super expensive for "custom" fit either.
This isn't necessarily petite-related but I'm wearing a top today that I ordered online specifically because it had elbow-length sleeves, which I think are more work appropriate. The shirt fits fine, but the sleeves are weirdly tight. It's not the first time that's happened, either. It's almost like the size of the shirt gets bigger, but the sleeves are all the same size.
This isn't necessarily petite-related but I'm wearing a top today that I ordered online specifically because it had elbow-length sleeves, which I think are more work appropriate. The shirt fits fine, but the sleeves are weirdly tight. It's not the first time that's happened, either. It's almost like the size of the shirt gets bigger, but the sleeves are all the same size.
I find this happens often. I was at Macy's over the weekend and I saw a jacket deemed "flexible fit" from Calvin Klein with ponte inserts in the arms and torso. I was surprised since it was a formal jacket - and that is generally a feature in larger sizes but it was in the misses section.
I don't know how clothing manufacturers will adjust to the weightlifting boom. Women have larger arms, backs and thighs now, but the patterns are assuming an entirely different shape. Also I think the patterns were based on the assumption that most women tend towards pear shapes, but I am not sure if that is the case anymore either.
- The fact that even though I'm 5'3" I am not petite in pants sizes. I need regular length. I don't think my legs are overly long, fairly proportionate really, but petite pants are too short for me.
- The fact that other people think I am smaller than I really am. Others say "you're so tiny!" and if they gift me clothing, it's usually too small. I am somewhat more flexible in t-shirts and some tops, depending on the cut, but the best fit is about a size 8 in pants and a medium in shirts, or a medium in something like yoga pants. Dresses I have to try on, period. They might be too long or the cut might not work for me.
- The fact that many women's clothing styles are designed to look best with high heels. I cannot wear high heels. My feet have a bone deformity (bunions) which makes any sort of high heeled shoe cause me agonizing pain. Finding a way to make some kind of a flat shoe work with certain dresses or skirts, is just an exercise in sadness. Especially when I also have trouble with narrow ladies' shoes anyhow. I will not sacrifice my comfort and mobility just to look good.
- The fact that many women's clothing styles are designed to look best with high heels. I cannot wear high heels. My feet have a bone deformity (bunions) which makes any sort of high heeled shoe cause me agonizing pain. Finding a way to make some kind of a flat shoe work with certain dresses or skirts, is just an exercise in sadness. Especially when I also have trouble with narrow ladies' shoes anyhow. I will not sacrifice my comfort and mobility just to look good.
I rarely wear heels at all. Some shoes that work well with lots of dresses and skirts (to me anyway)
1. Ankle boots - flat ones work, just don't get a toe that is super round
2. kitten heeled shoes
3. block heeled shoes - lots are pretty flat, you only need a tiny block and they are more comfy and practical than typical heels
4. pointy flats - the widest part should be the widest part of your foot. Pointy shoes to not have to be uncomfy.
I have no problems with leggings, but I only wear them to work out or at home, not for work/errands or otherwise public outfits.
Problems:
1. Petite length pants are too short, but regular length are too long. I always have to buy regular and get them hemmed.
2. I have a J-lo booty, so pants always gap at the waist and I have to have them taken in.
3. I am short-waisted, so all these low cut tops are not flattering. It is very difficult to find tops with a neckline at or above the collar bone. Otherwise I have to gauge whether a top will work with a cami underneath, and whether I even want to go that route.
4. Flow-y or boxy tops are not flattering on me, they make me look much heavier than I am. I need tops that are darted or somehow manage to create an hourglass shape.
5. Too many straight leg "slim fit" pants, or even worse, tapered, see #2 as to why those are not flattering. It's hard to find looser or wide-leg or slightly boot-cut pants these days.
I am 5'2" and my problem is tops. I am regular on bottom, petite on top. My waist is high, so even petite tops put the waist lower than where mine is, which is unflattering. And my body is narrow, but not thin. Tops are just made too wide for me, so I look bigger than I am.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I know people who can't stand them no matter what, and those who won't even walk around the house without. I am somewhere in the middle, and now in the process of losing the weight now, so hopefully the challenges of being petite will just be the usual.
