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In fashion and clothing, petite sizes are standard clothing sizes designed to fit women of shorter height, typically 5 feet 3 inches or less. Regular misses sizes are designed for a woman roughly 5 feet 5 inches tall, and even when bust, waist and hip circumferences are appropriate, the sleeve lengths, leg inseam lengths and vertical torso measurements, such as back length and bust-waist length, must be altered significantly for a shorter woman to fit well.
Regular misses' size clothing is designed for a woman roughly 5'5" tall (without shoes) and will not fit a woman of significantly shorter height well. Even if the bust, waist and hip circumferences are appropriate, the sleeve lengths, leg inseam lengths and vertical torso measurements (such as the back length and bust-waist length) must be altered significantly to fit well. Misses' size dresses cannot be easily altered to produce the equivalent petite size, since, in general, these lengths (particularly the critical torso measurements) cannot be altered without introducing an unsightly seam. Significant errors in the torso measurements will make a well-fitted look impossible, e.g., if the bust-point darts are off by three inches.
In addition to its measurements, a petite-size garment may have a different design from those intended for taller women. For example, style elements may be added to give a longer, slimmer look, e.g., vertical stripes, princess seams, short skirts, large patterns or patterns arranged helically around the whole body. Unfortunately, many modern "petite" sizes are actually re-named half sizes intended for mature women and, as a result, tend to boxy and unfashionable for younger women. Designs for taller women may also have style lines that appear to shorten the figure, such as horizontal lines (e.g., clamdigger pants or midcalf skirts); hence, even if the measurements are adjusted correctly, a petite-size version of a regular-size garment may be unflattering.
The average height of an American woman is roughly 5'4", with a standard deviation of roughly 4". Thus, 40% of all American women are 5'3" or less (z < = − 0.25) and roughly one-quarter are 5'1" or less (z < = − 0.75). Different ethnic groups and age groups may also have a high population of shorter women. Thus, it is rather remarkable that clothing manufacturers have not responded to this large, relatively untapped market.
In general, manufacturers do not make their clothing in every standard size. Instead, clothes are often made only for the sizes most common in the general population, presumably for a better profit margin. As a result, women who wear petite sizes have significantly fewer options for fashionable clothing, mainly basic bottoms and tops.
There are stores that offer a full range or larger of petite clothes online or via catalog. These lines include Banana Republic and J.Crew, the latter of which only sells petites online and through catalog. Banana Republic recently opened some petite-only stores, which sell a larger range than stores with only a petite department.
Compared to the plus-sizes industry, promotion of petite sizes in magazines and the fashion world is less prominent, even though many well-known celebrities are small. These include Reese Witherspoon who is listed as 5'2, Jada Pinkett Smith, 5' even and Eva Longoria who is about 5'1. The few "petite models" seen in fashion magazines are actually slightly above average height (5'7 or so).
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/petite_sizes). 10/10/06 Above article modified by Apparel Search |
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Shorter Means Reproportioned, Not Just ShortenedA petite garment is engineered in the vertical dimension. Sleeve lengths and leg inseam lengths are the obvious changes, but the decisive ones are the vertical torso measurements, such as the back length and the bust-waist length. If those are wrong, fit fails where the eye notices most: bust-point darts sit inches away from where they belong, waist seams fall at the wrong level, and the whole garment hangs as if borrowed. That is why significant errors in the torso measurements will make a well-fitted look impossible, and why simply buying a regular misses size and turning up the hem does not produce a petite fit. The difference is built at the pattern stage, where every length that runs down the body is recalculated for a shorter frame while circumferences may stay close to the standard size range. Design changes accompany the measurements. A petite-size garment may have a different design from those intended for taller women, with style elements added to give a longer, slimmer look, such as vertical stripes, princess seams, short skirts, and large patterns or patterns arranged helically around the whole body. The reverse also holds: style lines that appear to shorten the figure, such as the horizontal lines of clamdigger pants or midcalf skirts, can make even a correctly measured petite version of a regular-size garment unflattering. A further complication is that many modern petite sizes are actually renamed half sizes intended for mature women, and as a result tend to be boxy and unfashionable for younger women — a labeling problem that leaves shorter younger shoppers poorly served by ranges carrying the petite name. A Large Market With Limited ChoiceThe numbers make the limited choice surprising. With an average American woman's height of roughly 5 feet 4 inches, about 40 percent of American women stand 5 feet 3 inches or less and roughly one-quarter stand 5 feet 1 inch or less, and different ethnic groups and age groups may also have a high population of shorter women. Yet manufacturers do not make their clothing in every standard size; clothes are often made only for the sizes most common in the general population, presumably for a better profit margin. As a result, women who wear petite sizes have significantly fewer options for fashionable clothing, mainly basic bottoms and tops, even though the population that needs the range is very large. Specialist supply has partly filled the gap. Some stores offer a full or larger range of petite clothes online or via catalog, including lines from Banana Republic and J.Crew, the latter selling petites only online and through catalog, while Banana Republic opened some petite-only stores selling a larger range than stores with only a petite department. Compared with the plus-sizes industry, promotion of petite sizes in magazines and the fashion world is less prominent, even though many well-known celebrities are small. The few petite models seen in fashion magazines are actually slightly above average height, at about 5 feet 7 inches or so, which underlines the gap between the label and the shoppers it names: petite is a fit category for women of 5 feet 3 inches or less, and true petite fit depends on reproportioned patterns, not on relabeling or on hemming a taller woman's garment. Common QuestionsWhat are petite sizes?Petite sizes are standard clothing sizes designed to fit women of shorter height, typically 5 feet 3 inches or less. They adjust pattern measurements and design, not just overall length. Why can a misses dress not simply be altered into a petite?Misses dresses cannot be easily altered to produce the equivalent petite size, because critical torso lengths cannot be altered without introducing an unsightly seam. Significant errors in torso measurements will make a well-fitted look impossible. How common is petite height among American women?The average height of an American woman is roughly 5 feet 4 inches. About 40 percent of American women are 5 feet 3 inches or less, and roughly one-quarter are 5 feet 1 inch or less. More to Explore
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