Top 5 Fashion Tips for Plus-Size Petite Women

For women 5'4" and under, finding clothes that fit properly can be a real challenge, particularly if you are a plus-size petite. Although many retailers now carry sizes for short stature women, for some reason most of them are under the impression that all petite women are slim, slender and lack any curves. For members of the "short and curvy" club like myself, this lack of available clothing can result in incredibly frustrating shopping experiences. Fortunately, I've had learned some tricks over the years, especially from my friend Jill. Here are the top 5 fashion tips for plus-size petite women.

Top 5 Fashion Tips for Plus-Size Petite Women #1: Find a Good Tailor

One of the first things Jill taught me is that fit in width matters more than fit in length. If you find something that fits nicely, but is just a little too long in the sleeve, pant leg, or shirt length, have it altered to fit your frame. My friends and I have been able to shop for average height clothing in retailers like Lane Bryant and then have the items altered to fit us. It works like a charm.

Alteration works even better if you know how to sew, because you will save some money. But for those of you who can't afford to hire a tailor regularly, you can use hemming tape found in stores like Joann Fabrics. This only works for simple hemming jobs like pant length, but with some practice and a steady hand, you can shorten the length of your clothes without the use of a needle and thread. Eventually, you should have the item altered, but if you don't have the money or time, hemming tape is a great temporary fix.

Top 5 Fashion Tips for Plus-Size Petite Women #2: Rethink Regular Size Clothing

Jill has incredibly sexy white jeans that hug her in all the right places and is the perfect length. It has jeweled embroidery on the hem so I knew she did not have it altered. When I asked her where she got it, she let out a peal of laughter and told me they were capri pants for average height women!

Now, my friends and I are not fans of capris. To us, on short women, they just look like we're wearing pants that are too short. If you can pull this look off, more power to you, but so far making capris look right has completely escaped me.

The moral of the story is, don't be afraid to think outside the box like Jill has. A mini-skirt for a tall lady may hang just above the knee for me. I've found numerous clothes that I don't have to alter just by thinking how a piece of clothing can be "repurposed" for my plus-size petite size.

Top 5 Fashion Tips for Plus-Size Petite Women #3: Find Your Favorites

Every woman has their favorite stores, and plus-size petite women can be especially loyal to retailers that carry ready-to-wear clothing that actually fits their frame. Here are three of my favorite stores that carry a wide selection of plus-size petite clothing in various sizes:

Talbots is a little pricey, but worth the investment because of their high quality classic designs. My absolutely favorite red dress in the world was purchased at Talbots. I've had it for years, and still looks like the current style.

I've had some luck in their retail stores, but Old Navy has an entire collection of petite clothing online ranging from size 0-20. Their plus-size clothing is also sold exclusively online, and in my experience can be easily altered to fit short lengths.

Fashion Bug has affordable styles for practically every size. Their petite sizes run from 16 short to 32 short. Finally, a store that has clothes for real women! (Can I have an alleluia, please?)

Top 5 Fashion Tips for Plus-Size Petite Women #4: Research Trends

For particularly fashion-savvy women, keeping up with the current trends is essential to maintaining their style. Fortunately there are resources out there that can help convert today's style to real plus-size petite women. Two helpful websites I have discovered are Oprah.com and Petite Resource.com.

Ever in touch with her audience, Oprah's O Magazine recently did a series of articles on the best clothing per body type including petite women. Other articles include subjects like the best designer labels for petites and the best long dresses for petites.

Petite Resource is a particularly useful website geared specifically for petite women of all sizes. Fashion tips, retail store listings, and other resources are updated regularly on the site.

Top 5 Fashion Tips for Plus-Size Petite Women #5: Find Your Own Style

This is more a final thought than anything else, but I want to stress the importance of finding a style that expresses your individuality and personality. It can be a bit of a challenge to find clothes that fit right, look great, and make you feel confident about your look, but it can be done. Use the tips above to help guide you to making purchases that work for you, and like I suggest in my article Top 5 Christmas Party Outfit Ideas, bring a shopping buddy who will help you make the best decision for you.

And that's the "short" of it. To my fellow plus-size petite women, take heart. There are clothes out there for us. Have fun shopping!

Sources

Personal experience

My dear friend and personal shopping guru Jill, who has taught me many of the tips listed in this article

Lane Bryant

Joann Fabrics

Talbots

Old Navy

Fashion Bug

Oprah.com

Petite Resource.com