Looking for petite clothing stores? You are at the right place!
As a 5’2″ fashionista, I have been constantly scouting the best petite stores and designers for myself and other short girls. I have compiled this list of best petite clothing brands to share with you in this post, but before that, let me share with you what prompted me to write this post.
I recently went to an entrepreneur conference, where I met this lovely petite girl boss Christine. She is a pretty brunette in her early 30s, who has a booming fine jewelry business.
“What do you do?” She asked me. “I have an online petite clothing store that specializes in women’s fashion for petites. You know, women under 5’4″.” I replied, and then asked: “You seem to be petite, do you ever struggle to find your sizes?”
She paused, and then said “OMG, I didn’t know petite clothing store is a thing! ” Then she pointed me to her black pants ” Yes, I struggle all the time to find the right petite clothing for my height! I am 5’3″, and look at these pants I’m wearing- they are ankle pants for taller girls and I have to wear them because everything else is too long for me”.
I was wonder how many petite women are there like Christine, who has been settling with wearing clothing from regular departments that are not really designed for them. Of course I’m sure short girls like Christine have heard of Ann Taylor and Jcrew carry petite sizes, but what exactly does that mean? They may not know petite sizing has different tailoring and there are far better options than wearing ankle pants as full length.
So, I have put together the list of best petite brands and categorized them in terms of typical price range. You can check them out according to your budget. I also have another post on the best places to shop for discounted petite clothing, be sure to read it if you are interested in where to find bargain price of petite size clothes.
Some of them I frequently purchase from personally, others I have heard great things about from my blog readers.
In this post, I have covered petite brands and retailers with a price range of low, medium and high budget. I also suggest you watch my video on how petite sizing works, and how it is different from regular sizes.
Let me start with the low to medium priced petite clothing stores.
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Table of Contents
Twenty Four Fashion
This young petite brand is founded by 5 feet tall UK designer Lucie (see below her wearing the brand) when she was 24. What I love about her design is the simplicity. The crop blazers, straight leg pants and A line skirts are classic silhouettes that fit into any body type and would stay years after years in your wardrobe.
But that’s not it all. I am officially addicted to this brand because of its silk fabrics! I am a total sucker for silk, because it is the most comfortable and soft fabrics in the world, yet it is also the strongest. If you have sensitive skin like me, you will especially appreciate how silk feels against your skin.
Ok, now, the best part- the price! Can you imagine getting such high quality pure silk clothing for under $100?This 100% petite silk blouseis only $69, which comes in orange, navy and black.The high waisted petite silk pantsis $101. This amazing petite silk suitthat comes with the silk blazer and silk pants cost only $121!
I was shocked when I heard about the price, and I knew everybody else would be too.
Since they are a UK based brand, they will be shipped directly from London. Are you worried about international shipping? They have partnered with Petitedressing.com to serve customers in the US and Canada so that you don’t have to pay expensive international shipping to purchase them.
Crown and Ivy
I first noticed this brand in Belk, when I visited my husband’s family who live in North Carolina. Me and Marie (my mother-in-law) are both petite, and we’d go to mall and wonder around in the petite section (and yes, we do shop together!)
I LOVED the colorful selection of petite size clothing from Crown & Ivy, which reflects the southern style! If you don’t know, Crown and Ivy is an exclusive petite brand at Belk.
Their price point? You can get a door buster belted blazer for $28, and a floral print dress for $38. It doesn’t get better than this!
They make petite clothes from dresses to pants to jackets, offering plenty of choices for short women year round. Their sizing is quite generous, for me personally. So, take that into consideration before you ordering and perhaps size down the first time until you figure out how their sizing works for you.
Kim Rogers
If you’ve never heard of this petite clothing brand, I’m not shocked. This is another petite brand I discovered only at Belk, and later on I heard they are exclusive to Belk.
They offer a wide selection of petite size at EXTREMELY reasonable price point. For example, bootcut pants for $19.99 (Doorbuster price) that comes in 4 different colors and size from 6P to 16P. Now we know where to shop without feeling any guilt!
ASOS
This is one of the most well known budget friendly stores with petite women’s clothing online. If you are looking for something cute and trendy that will also make your wallet smile, this is the shop for you. To me, the most attractive part is of course their price and the wide variety of selections.
Anything petite women need that is hard to find elsewhere, you can pretty much find them here. Petite jumpsuits, petite pajamas, petite wide leg pants, and list goes on and on. Even though they are UK based, they offer free international shipping for orders over certain amount of purchase & free returns.
On the other hand, quality can be hit or miss and sizing can be tricky (can run 1-2 sizes small compared to American brands). Since they also selltons of other brands, sizing and quality will differ across all of these brands.
What I like about ASOS is that they always use petite models for their petite clothing! Most of their models are 5’3″ for the petite store, so it is much easier to see how the the clothes might look on you.
Express
They have locations across the US in shopping malls or independent stores, but their petite sizes are only available on line. Their style is young, hip and urban chic. Unlike ASOS which is focused on casual petite wear, you can find plenty of choices appropriate for office in petite sizes.
If you are a young graduate looking for office ready clothing that won’t cost too much, this is the place to go. You can find a good selection of blouses and pencil skirts for under $50. They also carry office suitable pants in petite sizes, which is normally a headache for petite girls to find. Express now also offers chic petite clothing to wear for outside the office.
The Limited
I still remember my first suits were from The Limited years ago!
If you are not familiar with this brand, they are a clothing designer that specializes in office wear such as suits, pants and skirts for profession women. The limited used to have locations in NY and NJ and I could try them on in stores before I went on an interview.
Now, the bad news is they no longer have brick and motor stores and have become a petite clothing online store only.
The good news? The price is SUPER reasonable. Belk carries a full line of petite clothing from the Limited. If you are looking for affordable petite office clothing, you should check them out!
Now I’ll go into the medium price range petite clothing stores.
Petite Dressing
I launched Petite Dressing two years ago. There are so many designers I have mentioned in this post, how is Petite Dressing different?
Here is how. Our fundamental concept is petite clothingshould not just be shorter version of regular size clothing. To me, petite clothing needs to make petite girls’ legs look longer and proportion look better.
I have found many of the petite designers cut petite sizes based on the designs for regular size clothing, and the style do not really look good on shorter girls, even if they fit ok.
Petite Dressing dress petite women according to their petite body type, a revolutionary way of styling shorter women.
Our specialty is petite pants/jeans, petite maxi dresses and petite size jumpsuits, the major pain points for shorter women.
We work with emerging petite designers such as S64 and Twenty Four Fashion and introduce them to petite women all over the world.
Halogen
I wouldn’t be surprised if you have not heard of or seen this petite designer. They are Nordstrom’s in house brand, so you probably can only find them in Nordstrom.
As a younger brand, their design is like fresh breeze, and I can see some similarities (in a good way) to Diane Von Fursteinberg. The price, of course, is a lot sweeter!
If you have not tried them, head over to Nordstrom and pick up a colorful blouse or a wool petite coat, and you’ll be glad you have found this brand!
Jessica Howard
I first discovered this petite clothing online brand at Macy’s. What I’m impressed with the combination of beautiful design and a reasonable price tag, even before the promotions and coupons at Macy’s! I love their flora dresses and jumpsuits for petites.
S64
This is a new petite clothing brand founded by Erika Gomez, a petite woman who wants to find a solution for short women. She sensed the pain point for petite girls are inevitably pants, so she is starting her collection with petite wide leg pants.
The Gloria Pant and the Sonia Pant are our customers’ fave!
In addition to designing clothing petites to fit short women, Erika also promote the “powerfully petite” spirit through her brand.
Charter Club
The exclusive petite clothing brand you can only find at Macy’s! I love how they make petite size cashmere sweaters at a very reasonable price! Their other designs also look fresh and chic, and again, you can’t beat the price anywhere else!
Gal Meets Glam
I first noticed this brand at Nordstrom. I fell in love with their dresses because they are so elegant and chic. Most of their petite collection are petite sun dresses and petite co*cktail dresses that are suitable for dressy casual occasions. They also make jumpsuits for petite women, which I find quite cool!
Xscape
This is a brand I discovered at Macy’s that makes special occasion dresses for petites. If you have an important event coming up such as a wedding, or if you are a petite mother-of-the bride, you should check out their selection.
Vince Camuto
This is a popular clothing brand that a lot of us have heard of. I like their casual clothing which is typically quite versatile and almost have no age limit that petite women of any age could wear.
Lauren by Ralph Lauren
This is the brand by Top American designer Ralph Lauren. So, the high quality is consistent with Ralph Lauren brands. They offer a wide selection of formal and casual wear. At Nordstrom, you can find anything from petite trench coats to petite pajamas.
I recently purchased long sleeve and long pants pajama sets from this brand in petite sizes, and I love their 100% cotton fabrics and the relaxed fit.
The original prices could be a bit high. You can always order when they are on sale. Mine came down to less than $40 for the set, which I was very pleased with.
To me, the size runs big, and it starts from size 2. I am a size 0 or 2, and for pajamas I was happy it is on the roomy side. However, if you are a petite size 0, you should check out their sizing chart before you order.
Tahari ASL
If you are looking for petite online stores, you should check out Tahari ASL, especially if you are looking for office wear for short women. Tahari ASL specialize in office attire such as suits and work dresses, and that’s exactly what most professional petite women are struggling to find for their sizes!
Other than their own website, Macy’s also carry a pretty good selection of Tahari ASL petite sizes.
London Fog
You probably have seen London Fog at Nordstrom before and you may have noticed they have a great selection of petite coats. What you may not know is thelong and rich history of this brand.
This leadingAmericanmanufacturerofcoatsand other apparel was founded in 1923 as theLondontownclothing company by Israel Myers.DuringWorld War II, the company was known for makingwaterproofclothing for theUnited States Navy. Following the war, the company partnered withDuPontto make material for use inraincoats. These coats, which were the first to have a patented removable liner, were sold inPhiladelphia, where they became very popular.
So, if you are shopping for coats in petite sizes, you need to check out this brand. They are known for making well tailored petite trench coats, and the fabrics are premium.
Talbots
Their style is more leaning towards the mature crowd, but younger petite women can still find a good selection. They are known for their petite coats, but they also offer work wear, active wear, swim wear, and etc.
Price range is very affordable and design is comfortable. They do have a few higher ticketed items such as petite suede coat which cost over $1000, but you can always wait for a good deal in seasonal sales. Plus, there is plenty of choices priced very reasonable.
They carry a full spectrum from 0P to 16P. If you are a short girl on the curvy side, they have petite plus available.
Alex Evenings
This is a petite women’s clothing online brand you can find at Macy’s. Alex Evenings specialize in women’s evening wear, so if you are looking for petite clothing for a special occasion, make sure you check out this brand.
Ann Taylor
Every petite girl, or at least those in the US, knows who they are. They are the preferred petite clothing store by many, especially for their professional petite clothing. They are known for quality fabrics and fine craftsmanship.
They have local stores across US to try it on and it is easy to return to stores. Fit is consistent. They are focused on work wear for petite women, so this is not a place to look for club wear or casual attire.
White House Black Market
This is a well known American chain with local stores in some cities. They offer a good selection of work wear and casual style in petite sizes, and the prices are reasonable.
What I love about them is the feminine design of office wear, which is classy but is also chic and can be worn to a dinner after work.
I wish they had morelocal stores available, and most importantly, i wish more stores carry petite sizes.
Banana Republic
Again, this is one of the most popular stores which carry petite size clothing at a reasonable price range. What I love about them is they are everywhere and most local stores carry petite selections.
It is so easy to pop in and try them on in store and decide what to keep and what to put back. Their original prices can be a little steep, but you can always wait till their seasonal sale and score 50% off. Their quality is generally acceptable for the price tag, but it could also be ahit or miss.
I was wearing the wool trench coat from Banana Republic in size xs.
Anthropologie
This is the fave of many petite girls who love chic and romantic blouses and dresses. Plus, their stores offer not just clothing, but also cute products for your home. They have stores across the US, and some local stores carry petites to try on in store.
Compared with their local stores, their website offer wider selection of colorful designs and comfortable dresses, tops and bottoms for women under 5’4″. The flip side is they do not offer a lot of choices for petite professional wear.
Jcrew
This goes without saying is one of the most popular petite clothing stores. They are known for good quality fabrics and perfect petite fit, especially their coats and suits. They have a wide selection of petite fashion from work to causal wear, to pajamas and even wedding.
I have purchased many Jcrews over the years, and I only wish they make their petite selections more available in store. When I was living in Manhattan, I was surprised and surprised to find that they do not carry petite sizes in store.[/vc_column_text]
Soft Surroundings
This is one of the best stores for petites who are into bohemian style. They carry a good selection of petite size maxi dresses and tunics that are relaxed fit and suitable for shorter women.
Now, I’ll talk about some brands or stores which carry higher end designer petite clothing for short women.
Reformation
This is a popular online petite clothing store that many short girls are raving about. They have the cool girl chic vibe, and I love how their design is colorful and not limited to the neutrals.
Other than their own brand, you can also find Reformation carried at Nordstrom.
Tadashi Shoji
This is a high end brand that specializes in dresses for special occasions. Tadashi Shoji is a US based Japanese designer that makes formal wear for women.
I found it quite exciting that they make petite size dresses for special occasions such as co*cktail dresses or evening gowns. As a petite myself, it is such a struggle to find formal wear for short women. You can check out their own website, but also Nordstrom carries a pretty good selection of this brand.
In 2018, Tadashi Shoji launched a new line of affordable bridal gowns to add to his collection of formal women’s wear.
Adrianna Papell
Another high end brand that specializes in evening wear for women, and it’s great news that they have added petite clothing line! You can find plenty of choices for special occasion dresses in petite sizes such as petite mother-of-the-bride dresses. How wonderful is that!
You can find this brand at Macy’s as well as their own website.
Brooks Brothers
Many people have heard of this classic American designer with a long and rich history, but not every petite girl knows they carry petite sizes. If you have heard of them, you probably have also heard they are known for fine fabrics and top quality tailoring.
The cons, of course, has something to do with the lofty price tag. If you are into finer things and have the budget, I would go ahead and splurge on their fine wool coats and dresses.
Now that you know the petite stores you should be shopping from, I think it’s equally important for you to understand a few fundamentals about how petite designer works.
Let’s start with what is petite?
What is Petite Sizing?
If you don’t really know, read my post and understand the fundamentals. The concept of petite in fashion is based on height, and not weight. Yes, petite is an elegant name for us shorties that originated from French.
A petite girl is not necessarily skinny, contrary to the popular belief. You can be a size XL, or even plus size, and still need petite clothing, as long as your height is under 5’4″.
So, here is some common traits of shorter women:
Shoulders:
Most petite women tend to have narrower shoulders. If you fall into the range of petite triangle body type, then you may have broader shoulders than an average short girl and this does not apply to you.
Arms
Most of us short girls have shorter arms, which are in proportion to our shorter statue.
Legs
This one is obvious-majority of petite women have shorter legs. Although, exception does exist, and I have heard from customers in Petite Dressing boutique who request longer inseam than most short girls. These are the lucky ones blessed with long legs proportional to their body.
If you want to know more, read my post on “The Truth about Petite Sizing“. Also, please keep in mind each petite brand may have slight difference in their measurements, so make sure you read their petite size chart to ensure you find the best fit.
How Petite Brands Work Differently
When you pick up a petite sized clothing and compare it with a regular size, the first and most obvious difference you will notice is the length. That is, sleeves, skirts, leg lengths and tops are all shorter in petite sizes than regular sizes.
Since what is petite is largely decided by the height and most petite women are bothered by the hem of the pants and length of the sleeves, it is easy to think that making a regular sized piece of clothing shorter would then solve the problem for petite women.
That cannot be further away from truth. Of course the correct sleeve length and pants length are very important, but petite clothing needs far more than shorter sleeves and shorter pants in order to look flattering on petite women.
High quality petite clothing have designs specifically made to flatter shorter women.
For instance
- Armholes should be higher
- Details of the clothing should be proportionate to the petite body frame
- Petite pants should not only have shorter legs, but also take the rise into consideration
- Petite dress should have a shorter bodice to look flattering on shorter torso.
In fact, the best petite clothing brands are designed to create the longer and slimmer look by elongating the arms and legs and thus create the illusion of height.
With the help of petite flattering designs, such as vertical details (vertical hem and piping on the side of pant legs), vertical stitching and vertical patterns, petite size apparel can help create the vertical lines in our body and thus make us look taller and more proportionate than we actually are.
