Lots of petite women shop in the junior’s department, or stores geared toward teens. These items are usually cut smaller, so a lot of petite women who have a hard time finding items slim enough can find items cut for slim teenagers to fill their wardrobes.
While shopping in juniors departments can yield a lot of success for petite women, there are things to look out for and avoid. Teen styles tend to be super trendy and youthful, which is dangerous for petite women who don’t want to get lost in a group of junior high schoolers on the street. Teen styles also tend to be made cheaply, with short lives, since teenagers are fickle creatures who will get bored and throw away their clothes rather quickly.
Teen clothing is also cut for…teen bodies! Less curves, less bust, slim builds, and a more average height. Teen clothing can still be ill proportioned for petite women, so watch out.
That being said, teen stores have saved my wardrobe quite a few times. My very first professional button-up shirt was bought in the Brass Plum department at Nordstrom, and until I discovered my favorite Paige jeans, all my denim was juniors department finds.
Of course, then there are the mistakes…like this Abercrombie and Fitch tank that I bought two of! How embarrassing!
When I first found it, I liked the lace detail along the top of the bust and bottom hem, and thought it would be a nice feminine detail to have peak out from under a cardigan. I tried on a size XS, and it was cut super slim. Although the straps are non adjustable and a little long, I figured out that if I just pulled the back of the top lower (past my bra band) the straps generally stayed in place. Why did I ever think that was ok? I went back and found the same one in navy blue, bought both, and wore them maybe a total of 3 times before I was so annoyed with the fit that I stuffed them in a drawer, never to be worn again.
Besides the too long straps and my clever (not) idea to just yank the back down to keep them up, can you see what else is wrong with the fit of this tank? Answer after the jump.
If you guessed the bust detail placement is wrong…you’re right!
The main reason why this tank drives me nuts is the bust placement on the top is not cut for an adult woman.
This tank is designed for a younger girl, with a small, high bust. While my bust is not very large, it is larger and lower than the teenage girls it was designed for. When the bust seam sits in the right place, my bra shows, because the bust on the tank has been cut for a smaller bust. In order to cover my bra, I have to hike the top up, but that makes the seam rest on top of my bra. This results in the top constantly slipping back down to sit in it’s proper place…and constantly showing my bra!
This tank is a constant tug of war, and downright annoying to wear…so now they both sit in my “give to charity” bag. What a waste of money huh? Beware of the juniors department ladies! It’s not necessarily your friend.
Side note: my 5’7″ friend was guilty of the same offense! She marveled one day about the strange detail on her tank top that had a seam running straight across the bust. When I asked her where the tank was from….you guessed it….a teen store. She was surprised to hear the tank wasn’t designed to look that way…it just wasn’t designed for her…an adult woman! Petites are not the only ones who do this!
