Small Petite Suiting: Below Zero Petites

Petite career women have got it tough. There's the boxy suits at department store petite departments, or there's the trendier offerings at Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and J.Crew, but that's assuming you can fit in their smallest sizes!

Being as tiny as I am, I unfortunately do not fit in current suiting offerings. I'm lucky enough to work in an industry that is VERY casual, so I can wear jeans to work everyday. I don't know what I would do if I had to sport a full suit to work. I own two pairs of non-jean pants (and one of them kinda looks like jeans, so it might not even count), so I understand the plight of searching for small fitting dress pants. Too see some of my attempts at dress pants, see my posts on Theory and Victoria's Secret.

So, I think it's important that tiny petites know about Below Zero Petites, a clothing line created by a small-framed petite woman named Debbiann who was so fed up searching for tiny clothes, that she decided to create them herself! According to her site, the sizing charts are correct and not vanity sized in any way, which is amazing because those measurements are TINY! Yay! Read the letter from Debbiann here.

Below Zero Petites Sizing Guide
I think I might be a size small!

Most exciting of Below Zero Petite's offerings is the suiting, available in a few different colors, tiny petite career women now have options! My favorite is the grey.

Below Zero Petites Suit Yourself Collection, $126-$201, bzpetites.com

Other offerings from this line include dresses and a nightgown. I'm eyeing this little black dress, which seems like the perfect basic addition to a wardrobe.

Below Zero Petites Classic Black Dress, $168, bzpetites.com

I have not tried Below Zero Petites personally, but I'm still very excited about the concept and hope to try them soon. It's important to support companies and designers that are catering to petites, especially us tiny petites! I will be checking back to see what else this clothing line will have to offer in the future! Has anyone tried BZ Petites yet?

Short Guys Have it Tough Too...

online.wsj.com

This article from the Wall Street Journal describes the issues short men face with fitting suits to their proportions, as well as highlights a boutique in Beverly Hills that caters to men 5'8" and shorter. I know how you feel boys!

The Power of Proportions for Shorter Men
How One 5-foot-2 Designer Helps Clients-Slighted by Fashion-Get Clothes That Fit

One out of three men in the United States is under 5 feet 8 inches tall. You'd never guess the magnitude of the demographic from menswear.

"They have stores for big and tall men, so why not for shorter men?" asks Josh Lefkowitz, who describes his height as "five-foot-three and a half." A New York public-relations executive, Mr. Lefkowitz likes to buy a jacket in size 36 short and take it to a tailor. To make a size seven shoe fit, he buys inserts to fill out the extra space.

Yet when standard-size clothes are altered for a man like Mr. Lefkowitz, the final proportions can come out all wrong. Simply shortening a suit's hems and sleeves can leave the collar too broad, the pockets oversized, the armholes gargantuan, the elbow curves too low and the rear droopy.

Read the rest of the article at WSJ.com here...

Adventures in Alterations: Bottom Detailed Skirt

While hemming a skirt seems pretty straight forward, sometimes there are fun details that are threatened by taking off a few inches. As a follow-up to my post about the Rag & Bone pencil skirt that was a bit too long, here are the results of hemming to fit me at the knee.

Before: Rag & Bone skirt, Abercrombie & Fitch sweater, Cole Haan shoes
After: Rag & Bone skirt, Diane von Furstenburg top, Cole Haan shoes

A basic skirt slit can be easily raised by a tailor as inches come off the hem, but in this case, things are a bit more complicated. This skirt has a gathering of fabric that is attached in such a way that it cannot be moved up, so the slit length will be shortened along with the hem.

An inside look at the gathering detail

This alteration worked because the slit in the skirt was quite long to begin with. After the skirt was taken up, there is still about 4.25 inches of slit left to keep the alteration from looking awkward.

If you come across a similar alteration, my suggestion would be to measure the amount of fabric that will need to be hemmed, and subtract that from the slit length. I know, a no-brainer, right? But it may mean you need to invest in a fabric measuring tape, and toss it in your handbag when you go shopping.

Related Posts:
Tiny Skirt: Rag and Bone

Not Small Enough: Victoria's Secret Kate Fit Pants

victoriassecret.com

Moving onward in the search for dress pants, I heard from a fellow petite friend who swears by the Victoria's Secret "Christie Fit" pant. I remember trying on a pair of her VS pants a while ago, and them being too big, so I forgot all about them until I came across the "Kate Fit".

victoriassecret.com

The Kate is supposed to have a really low rise, and the word "stretch" in the description gave me a glimmer of hope that these might be a decent fit. The pants also come in multiple inseams, including a 30 inch inseam that can work for a lot of petites with a pair of heels. I gave it a try and ordered two pairs in size 0 (so I could get free shipping, whoo hoo!) to check it out.

Victoria's Secret Kate Fit Bootcut Pant, size 0, 30 inch inseam, $69.50, victoriassecret.com

The rise is a nice 7 inches, which makes the pants easier to alter. Of course, the pants are too big everywhere else, which would mean I would have to take them in from the waist all the way down the leg.

When it came down to deciding to keep the pants or not, it just wasn't worth it to me. The pants are alterable, but I would rather find a pair made of better quality material (these are an unlined polyester/rayon/spandex blend) and construction than put money into these. If you are in need of dress pants and don't mind the alteration, then these are worth looking into. Afterall, finding the right rise is half the battle!

Tiny Skirt: Rag and Bone

rag-bone.com

I found this little gem while digging through the bargains at the Barney's Warehouse Sale in Los Angeles over the weekend. I had never tried anything from Rag & Bone before, but when I found this high waisted pencil skirt in size 24, it looked like it ran really small. Sure enough, this skirt fits like a glove!

Rag & Bone Pencil Skirt II, retail $295, Abercrombie & Fitch Sweater, Cole Haan Shoes

This skirt fits perfectly everywhere, but of course it's meant to be knee length, so it's quite a bit too long on me. I prefer skirts that hit at the knee. The best part about this skirt is the details. The fabric is a soft, thin wool blend and it is fully lined. A look on the inside of the skirt reveals beautiful construction. And just look at those great pocket and back slit details! Swoon!

Rag & Bone Pencil Skirt II, F/W 2008

This makes me very excited! I've always enjoyed the menswear and equestrian influences in the Rag & Bone women's RTW. If Rag & Bone tends to run small, this may very well be my new favorite designer brand! I will be investigating this further!

So, now my next adventure is to get the skirt hemmed to fit knee length, and hopefully without ruining the fun pleat details along the bottom hem. Wish me luck!

Related Posts:
Adventures in Alterations: Bottom Detailed Skirt

Putting Theory to Rest

www.theory.com

Every time I ask a sales associate at a department store to show me the brands they think run small, they say, "Oh! Theory runs incredibly small!"

Every time I complain to someone I don't own any decent dress pants because I can never find any small enough, they say, "Have you tried Theory? That brand runs REALLY small!"

I would like to set the record straight. Yes, Theory size 00 works for a lot of petites, but not ones as tiny as me.

I tried on some Theory size 00 pants because I'm always hoping that some day, somewhere in a land far far away, I'll find a cut that fits. Here are my results after trying on several pairs of differing cuts. This is the Max C pant by Theory in size 00.

The pant falls really low on my hips, and the crotch is down near my knees (ok, so that's an exaggeration, but it's way too low). The pants also need some major hemming.

The waist is too big and would need alteration. The leg and thigh is also too big, and would need to be taken in.

When the pants are pulled up so the crotch is in the right place, the rise is WAY too high for my body type (I believe Steve Urkel sports this high of a rise).

So, to sum this up:

Length = too long - the pants would need hemming = $$
Waist = too big - the waist would need to be taken in = $$
Thigh and leg = too wide - both would need to be slimmed = $$
Rise = too high - invasive and expensive alteration = lots of $$$

Theory size 00 is overall too large for me and in order to make a pair of these pants properly fit my frame would cost too much money for the price and quality of the pant. Everything wrong with the pant can technically be altered, but shortening the rise is way too costly. I don't suggest anyone pay that much money to alter a pair of unlined wool/lycra blend pants. A pair of incredibly special cashmere pants...maybe...

On the flip-side, if you're a little taller, curvier, or have a longer torso than me, then these pants might be a good bet for you.

So, sales associates of the world, please don't tell me to try Theory size 00 pants anymore. It's just a big tease.

Lagerfeld Confidential on Sundance Tonight

photo: IMDB

The documentary Lagerfeld Confidential (2007) airs on the Sundance Channel tonight as everyone starts prepping for NY fashion week! There is no official biography on Karl, and this was the first time he agreed to let anyone follow his life. If you love eccentric fashion types as I do, then I highly suggest you catch this one. I already have this one DVRed!

Show times are:

Feb. 9th 4pm Pacific Time/7pm Eastern Time
Feb. 9th 11pm PT
Feb.10th 2am ET
Feb. 20th 10am PT/1pm ET
Feb. 28th 3:30pm PT/6:30 ET

Shoes That Run Small: Cinderella of Boston

Cinderellaofboston.com

If you have a 4.5 shoe size or below, then you HAVE to know about this company. At a size 5, I can usually squeak by with most major shoe designers, but even I have a hard time finding shoes that are small enough! I can't imagine you poor gals with even tinier feet than me!

In comes Cinderella of Boston, with their shoe selection in sizes 2 to 5.5! And I must say, their selection has become way more high fashion than in the past.

Exhibit A:
Here is the Regent High Heel Pump...how very Dior!!!

Exhibit B:

Here is the Sultry...how very Chanel!!!

And this may very well be the perfect "office" shoe...the Claudia.

Cinderella of Boston, Claudia, $69, cinderellaofboston.com

Bravo, Cinderella of Boston, I'm impressed! Anyone go to their store in Westminster? I might have to take a field trip to the OC to check it out!

Barney's Warehouse Sale is Coming to Town!

That's right budget fashionistas! The Barney's Warehouse Sale is coming back to town. The dates have been tricky to find...but luckymag.com confirmed it for me...yay!!!

Los Angeles:

Warehouse Sale
Barneys New York
The Barneys Warehouse Sale kicks off Thursday, February 5, and runs through Monday, February 16. As usual, it will be rife with designer clothing, shoes, and accessories reduced up to 80 percent.
Santa Monica Airport Hangar
3021 Airport Ave.
310-276-4400
Thurs., Feb. 5 - Fri., Feb. 6, 8-9; Sat., Feb. 7, 9-7; Mon., Feb. 16, 10-7; Sun., Feb 8-Sun., 15, 10-8 (on weekends 10-7)

I haven't seen an official release yet for the NYC dates, but I've heard speculation that it's going to start February 12th.

Info via luckymag.com.

Brand that Runs Small: Paul Smith

paulsmith.co.uk

Perusing the shops on Melrose in Los Angeles over the weekend, I stopped in the Paul Smith boutique to peruse the fun menswear collection with the boyfriend. Paul Smith is a British brand that is mostly known for their menswear, infused with fun unexpected touches like wildly patterned inner linings and youthful color combinations. After playing with the menswear, I perused the women's section, and found an interesting thing...tiny dress shirts!

Paul X Striped Shirt, $300, paulsmith.co.uk

This shirt, which is from the Paul X collection, fits incredibly tiny in size 38. Cut unbelievably small in the chest and torso, I couldn't believe the fit right off the rack. The shirt is cut with a teeny tiny waist, small shoulders and high arm holes. It will work perfectly for someone who is longer waisted than I am.


The shirt fit great on me from the front, but because I am shorter in the torso than average, there was some extra fabric at the back. The shirt's waist is so fitted that it rides up to sit on my natural waist, but because it is meant for a longer torso, there is extra fabric bunched up near my shoulders. If you have a long to average torso, then this shirt will fit amazingly on you right off the rack! The only alterations the shirt might need would be to shorten the sleeves.

I thought it was a fluke, a one time cut perhaps, and asked a sales associate if any other Paul Smith shirts are cut this small. The sales associate informed me that this cut is indeed meant to be very slim, and is a cut offered every season in a variety of colors, including the tried and true staples of black and white. I looked around the store and found a few more shirts in this same tiny cut, as well as a few sweaters and even a fantastic dress in the Paul Smith Black collection. I could not find an online photo of the dress I tried on, but it fit my torso like a glove, and would only need to have the bottom hemmed.

So...check out Paul Smith for dress shirts if you're lucky enough to have an average to long torso...otherwise, my tailor suggests you buy a size up and have the sides tailored down. Aside from that, also check out the sweaters and dresses from this designer in size 38, as there are loads of options that are cut teeny tiny!