Petite Focus

I am barely 5'4 with a short waist and long legs. When trying on petite sizes of most clothing, I find the fit is indeed better for me. I strongly believe the most important thing we all need to look for in clothes is cut, cut and cut. I have experienced a pair of $20.00 jeans from Wal-Mart cut for petite fit me far better than the $200.00 designer label from a sweet boutique. However I do have some quibbles.

When trying on pants/jeans, I find them to be a little short, yet too long-waisted because of my porportionally long legs. What makes some designers think "petite--just cut a few inches off the legs and that'll do"?

Also, many manufacturers equate petite = "little old dowdy lady" tastes. Not right at all. Most petites wish to dress as well, and as sophisticated as most of our taller counterparts. These manufacturers don't seem to realize we have just as many different tastes as anybody else. I am talking about women of all ages from teens on up. It's very difficult for younger women to find fun and trendy clothing which fit properly.

When I go into wonderful stores like The Limited, Anthropologie, or Target, I get frustrated because the fit just isn't quite "right". I understand there may be added costs to manufacture more different sizings; but I think it would pay off well as statistics indicate the average female in this country is 5'4.

I find the Macy's petite departments overall, is the best because it is large and they carry most variety of styles. JC Pennys is so-so. They have more middle-of-the-road sort of tastes. Nordstrom is surprisingly disappointing. Their petite departments have actually decreased over the years, and much of the clothing they carry is priced for women of higher incomes.

Because of my years of trial and errors, I developed the ability to eyeball an article of clothing and pretty much determine if it's going to be even worth trying on, or not. However, my senses are a little thrown off these days due to my recent weight loss, and some cuts and sizes simply no longer work for me. This is a for a near-future posting.