It’s time for another installment of “poor advice given to petite women“!
This month’s Glamour Magazine picks spring jackets for ladies of various body types, those being “boy-shaped”, “plus-sized”, and my personal favorite…”petite”! The “boy-shaped” and “plus-sized” ladies look fabulous in their jackets…but what’s that I see? Wait, they didn’t put the petite girl in…oh, no they didn’t!
A childish looking sports jackets that screams, “I’m on the Junior Varsity team”? Really? As if petite women need to look even younger than we already do!
I am happy to see such a short petite being represented (5’0″, woot woot!), but she’d be better served dressed in something a little more flattering and chic, like a petite favorite Theory jacket perhaps?
Or, really, I’d take anything that doesn’t suggest she’ll be making-out with her boyfriend under the bleachers after PE.
I’m not too happy about her shoes either…something with a lower vamp would help extend her leg line, instead of cutting if off at the ankle.
Oh yeah…and the pockets peeking out from under her short skirt…is that still “in” or am I just getting old?
Despite that last tidbit of “advice” I do agree with Glamour’s advice on the second page for petite women. Narrow sleeves and high armholes really make a huge difference in the way jackets look on petite women, and I’ve had the sleeves slimmed on a jacket before with flattering results.
The first two styles shown for petite women are pretty good. I like the stylish, peplum shape of the first jacket (makes me think of the Urban Outfitters peplum knit jacket), and bright color. The classic shape of the second jacket is pretty universally flattering, and while I detest that almost neon yellow, I give Glamour props for the bold choice.
But there goes that “sporty” varsity jacket look again with jacket number three. Unless I’m trying out for the softball team, I’ll pass on that one.
What do you think of Glamour’s picks for petite women? Hit or miss?
While I was scanning through your blog, I thought the picture of the petite girl was a before picture. I was trying to look for the "after" result.
Oh dear.. it looks like they mixed up "petite woman" with "little girl"
Seriously though, varsity jacket?!
I think my eye started twitching when I saw the "varsity" jacket. I almost threw a fit (in true petite-in-varsity-jacket-looking-12-years-old fashion) until I saw you ripped them a new one for it. Phew. Thank you for calming my nerves so I can sleep.
The pockets sticking out is ALSO high school. You're not old, just classy. I'm wagging my "what for" finger at Glamour right now!!
You know, it's advice like this that people often treat us young or think that we're younger than we are. Not good. I *DO* like the first jacket on the second page though.
I had the same reaction when I got my issue of Glamour in the mail.
Aren't there any petite women working at Glamour?? You think they'd realize…
I couldn't agree with you more!
@ShortBlonde I'm sure there are, but they're probably really small framed and have also been "brainwashed" into believing that the look is ok.
Oh boy… that's terrible advice! But I'm glad at least the second page showed they had some sense and the first 2 picks are good.
Thanks for sharing these petite-related magazine articles btw… saves me time & money spent on magazines looking for interesting articles :)
Nice to see the Talbots jacket listed. The colour is off on that photo…it's actually a green chartreuse and it comes in other great colours like geranium.
I bought 4 Talbots jackets for fall/winter and have several on my wishlist for spring. Don't overlook Talbots, ladies. They've changed and have been doing some great stuff. My 24 yr old daughter loves my Talbots stuff. They just had a sweater featured in Teen Vogue.
The topshop baseball jacket and the H&M version on the latter page are atrocious. Since they touched on those two brands, why did they not consider other blazers and jackets offered by both lines? I love the petite blazers and jackets at Topshop, and H&M has excellent tiny blazers for petite women. I just wore the knit one yesterday (that PetiteXXS, Petite LG, etc have also showcased on their blog) and it's a perfect fit for my petite proportions, and inexpensive.
That neon yellow one though…I LOVE it. I'm sad to see it's from Talbots because I know even a 0P will be big, after seeing Elle try a jacket on from there.
OMG that's horrid! And that skirt is sooo super short!!! What woman would actually wear that! And the pockets sticking out – ok I'm totally showing my age but I would NOT let my daughter (if I had a kid) go out like that!!!
The jackets on the next page are nice but they really lose the effect when it's not on the model. Sheesh!
@PetiteAsianGirl
There have been several women on the Talbots Facebook page requesting that they go smaller than 0P. They are listening to comments and making changes so if you're interested in Talbots you might want to post a comment.
Am I missing something here? Since when are "boy shaped," "petite," and "plus sized" body types? Is part of the article missing? Last I checked, only "boy shaped" was a body shape (but that's kind of an offensive way of describing it…) Petite is a height and plus sized a weight. What happened to, you know, actual body shapes??
@HM63 Is 0P available at Talbots stores? I've never seen it – at least not in Toronto (mind you, I've only checked two – Bloor Street (I think it's a flagship) and Toronto Eaton Centre (which is a fairly decent-sized location)
Just awful! That's why I don't buy magazines. They're sooo out of touch. Can't belive these are "REAL" stylists.
"We love how it looks a bit oversized on Molly…"
This phrase should never be said on a petite. What the heck were they thinking???
I like the blazer for the petits, but not sure about those baseball like jackets~
That is incredibly tragic! Being 4'11" myself…I don't need to blend in with middle schoolers, do I??
I'm sorry but WHAT WERE THEY THINKING! This is almost as big of a no no as puffy sleeves on a petite. You are 100 percent right, makes her look about 15. Lame.
la vie petite
@CynthiaC
Cynthia….I'm not sure if 0P is available in-store or not but I can check next time I'm in. I know they carry PP in-store. I do a lot of online shopping from Talbots….way more selection and good deals to be had. Reasonable shipping and easy returns.
I don't turn to fashion magazines for fashion advices. I have a mirror at home.
Well said! For us baby boomers, the baseball look does doing either………only for keeping the wind from chilling your bones while walking the dog on the farm road where there is no one but people and tractors!! I agree with everything you said……..thanks for the interesting article and keeping us straight!
Bonnie
nothing…….should be the correct word in first sentence…..I need to not type and work at the same time, ha! Bonnie
Ughhh hate the varsity jacket! It looks horrible on her. I don't understand why they would put her in it; just swallows her up and makes her look like she's only in high school or middle school even, especially with the ridiculously short jean skirt. I'm 15 and I would never wear a skirt that short, with the pockets hanging out. I said that last time too with the super short green dress that was in the last Glamour. What's up with the microminis on petite? I would have much preferred if they put her in the first jacket. It's tailored and feminine; perfection.
I actually gasped at that picture. Horrible! She looks like she's about 14! You are totally right, and I also quite like the second jacket suggestion (in a different color, of course).
Coincidentally Kelly, I too thumbed through that glamour mag today. I was completely underwhelmed with the tips and advice they had to offer for us petite ladies :(
@Anonymous – LOL! I totally see how you would think that. No "after" unfortunately… :P
@Maggie – I know! She completely looks like a high schooler! I hate that varsity jacket they put her in. Ugh!
@Aubrey – LOL! You're too funny! And I'm glad you see the same problem I do with the pockets sticking out of that skirt! Ick!
@CynthiaC – Yeah, you would think a stylist would know that petite women struggle with looking young, and would chic her up, instead of younging her down. Tsk tsk.
@ShortBlonde – I'm sure there are petite women working at Glamour…probably just not the stylist or assistants working on this piece. :P
@PetiteXXS – Yeah, the other jacket picks are pretty good (aside from that last sporty looking thing). I especially like the top blue one, even though that style of shoulder usually looks awful on me. I love it on other people though!
Ack!! What about a cute moto jacket for the model? So many petites have made that look great!
You are right about the shoes cutting off her legs…perhaps a different color for her skin type would have been better.
I am loving the first look Glamour put together for a boyish figure! The only thing missing is a pretty belt!
@HM63 – Totally agree, Talbots has been doing great things lately. I love their new advertisements too. I'm a bit sized out at the moment, but hopefully they'll introduce some smaller sizes soon so I can partake! ;)
@PetiteAsianGirl – You're so right! It's very disappointing that they chose to feature such unflattering styles from such petite friendly brands when there are so many other flattering items! You're braver about bold color choices than I am. I'm not interested in trying that yellow-green color at all! But it is kind of similar to your little yellow-green cardigan, so I can imagine you rocking it. ;)
@curls-and-pearls – Hopefully your daughter would inherit your good fashion sense and agree that outfit is just awful… :)
i actually love talbots for their accessories; their stuff is very high quality. i picked up some belts at their outlet for less than $5 each and a beautiful pair of gloves for $15 – all real leather. it was great since they had lots of xs belts in stock.
however, i do find their clothes run quite big, which is a bummer – vanity sizing i think? i have never been a 00p so i'd love it if talbots made that size as i swim in their 0p sizes.
I think Glamour found my high school varsity jacket at the thrift store and put it on their model! Seriously, I had one just like it (well in green) ahhhh! How funny.
@Brittany – You're so right! I felt that was really inaccurate as well, but it's very typical of this type of generalized "special size" advice. We get lumped into one category, when in reality, we can be of all shapes and sizes.
@I am Khatu – I know! Someone got paid to give this advice (assuming it was a paid staffer/stylist, and not some poor unpaid intern/assistant doing the work). And to think…there are all these petite bloggers giving away good fashion advice for free!
@Jen – Uh yeah…poor Molly is 5'0"…everything is over-sized on her. Let's put her in something that FITS Glamour!
@Adoring Thoughts – LOL! As a fellow 4'11" lady, I believe it was at 23 (the age of the model) that I had finally started looking old enough to stop getting hit on by middle school boys. High school boys, however, were another story… :P
@Bonnie – Ah, yes. A jacket like that can be functional…but certainly not a fashion statement any petite should be making. ;)
@fashionforteens – Thank you for affirming that I hate that skirt, not because I'm "old", but because it's just plain awful! LOL.
@Erin – According to HM63, that jacket is slightly different colored in person, and comes in a few other colors as well. Might be time to check out Talbots! ;)
@Callandra – I don't think I've read any really good petite advice in a magazine in a long, long time. If ever, really. :P
@Michelle – A moto jacket would have been a great idea! That would incorporate the "sporty" look they were going for, in a much more chic and age appropriate way. Great idea! Glamour should have consulted us first! LOL. My favorite look is the "boy-shaped" one too. ;)
@Anonymous – I don't believe Talbots has made size 00P yet, but HM63 mentioned above that they are getting lots of requests for the size from fans on their Facebook page. Hopefully they'll listen because I'd love to try some of these new Talbots styles too!
@Ski Petite – LOL! Just think…if you had kept it, you could have copied this "stylish" outfit for petites! ;)
I'm not as appalled as other readers, I think she looks pretty cute if a bit young. The outfit on the petite is certainly less work appropriate than the other featured in the article.
Sure, sports jackets aren't the most fashionable item but the article suggested some some great non-traditional jackets that work for petites. I think the point is to find a non-basic jacket for spring, whether it's in style, hue, or details. It's hard to make a varsity jacket look chic and they did a pretty good job.
*I'm playing devil's advocate…don't hate me! =P
@HM63 Thanks HM63 – I went to their FB page and couldn't find any comments requesting smaller sizing. I'll have to remember to leave a note when it is relevant!
I made a disgruntle ugh looking at the petite example among the three. Your opinions are spot on with what's wrong with the entire outfit. The peek-a-boo pockets nearly had me fall off my chair. I'm 24, not 14.
I do like the two other options they had, the peplum and the neon yellow. I actually really love the bright color to welcome the spring.
OMG!!! I couldn't agree with you more, when I saw this in Glamour I thought the same thing…I would never wear that jacket!!! I thought she looked like she was in high school it looks ridiculous!
I completely agree! On a side note I am also irked at the portrayal of petite women on prime time comedies! Remember when Sole Moon Frye played Ross's girlfriend on Friends and she annoyingly punched him constantly? Recently Kelly Stables has made appearances on Two and a Half Men and Mad Love where this gorgeous woman was reduced to a annoying and child like personality. Last night another character on Mad Love actually uttered the line "Where's you tiny girlfriend?" (uuuuhhh miffed!) See I told you it was a side note but, would love an upcoming post/thoughts about this topic too! :)
Would not be caught dead in the school jacket….
@Stylepint – Ah ha! A contrarian! LOL. I see what you mean about the jackets being non-traditional, but I guess I just don't like how the other two models look chic and adult, but the petite model looks like a little girl.
@Gracie – Ugh, I know! I never liked those peek-a-boo pockets when they came into style. I thought they were "out" finally, but apparently Glamour is convinced otherwise. Ick!
@Agui and Jenn – Every time I look at the photo again, poor Molly keeps looking younger and younger to me.
@Anonymous – Hmm…I'm trying to think of a petite actress on prime time TV that plays a good role and I can't seem to think of any. Yikes!
I'm not the only one that thinks this is a little offensive, right? Most petite women want to avoid looking like a teenager at all costs!
I think part of the problem is the age of the model they used for the photos. She's pretty young herself and maybe doesn't mind wearing such a clearly youthful outfit. I imagine a petite woman a little closer to 30 than 20 would have protested being photographed in an outfit that makes her look 14. Of course, that's part of the problem. Glamour and other magazines seems to think that women stop being petite around age 21 (or that looking younger than your age is always a good thing) so why would anyone protest to looking like a teenager? Clearly no one at Glamour has ever been turned down for a job or viewed as unprofessional just because of their size.
@Alterations Needed
Lilly on How I Met Your Mother is petite and I loooove her character!
@Elizabeth Ann – Very true. Age could most definitely have played a part in this. Although, even at 23, I was never dressing that young. Isn't that about the age people get tired of being treated like kids and start dressing like adults? At least it was for me. ;)
@Erin – Even though that show has been on for years, I've never seen it! I should probably finally watch an episode to see who this "Lilly" character is. LOL.
@Alterations Needed
You know, I'd never seen it either til I went on a cruise and it was THE ONLY THING on! It's pretty good! Alyson Hannigan plays Lilly and she's paired up with Jason Segel (Marshall) — sometimes they'll make fun of how short she is but it's always in reference to how TALL he is! Reminds me of myself and the BF (5'3" and 6'4") :)