One of my biggest styling secrets is well tailored clothing. Being petite (I’m 5’2″), I’m ultra-conscious of not overwhelming my frame with too long or too baggy clothing. I always search for pieces that flatter my frame, but let’s be honest off-the-rack clothing just isn’t meant for every body type. If I find a piece that I fall in love with, but it just doesn’t fit, I’ll take it to my tailor first to see if it’d be possible to tailor it or if it would have to be remade entirely – in which case, it doesn’t make sense to keep it. I definitely don’t tailor every piece of clothing though since it is pricey and time consuming. To avoid the hassle, I’ve been shopping the petite section more and more over the last few years. I rarely have to tailor petite clothing and I’m always shocked how well fitting petite pieces can be.

When I Shop The Petite Section

I try to shop the petite section as much as I can since so many stores now have a wider selection of sizes. Both of my grandmas are very petite and I remember when I was younger and we would shop for presents for them (usually clothing), I would think what an awful selection the petite section had – it just didn’t seem fair that all of the nice pieces only came in regular sizing. I always hoped that I’d grow tall enough to not have to shop the petite section, but that just didn’t happen. Fortunately, petite selections have come a long way since then. It’s actually where I start now when I’m shopping at a retailer that has a petite offering. I’ll head to the petite section first (usually online) and then browse all of those styles before going over to regular sizing. I tend to shop the petite section for bottoms most because that’s the one piece of clothing that seems to never fit right in regular sizing.

How I Shop The Petite Section

I like to search for more modern petite pieces especially since there’s usually only one section for all age groups. I favor flattering necklines for tops and either opt for skinny or wide-leg bottoms – not much in between. I always browse by size first and then color since I tend to prefer neutrals. I pay extra attention to wear pieces hit (at the wrists for long-sleeve tops and at the ankles for bottoms) since that’s a dead giveaway of ill-fitting clothing. One retailer that seems to always have the widest selection of petite apparel is Macy’s. I’m wearing a jumpsuit from their NY Collection – which has a great selection of styles for summer. I always make sure to have a black jumpsuit on hand for the summer because it’s so versatile. You can dress it up with heels or pair it with flats for a more casual look and a jumpsuit is so comfortable to travel in too!

xo, Maria

Outfit Details

NY Collection Black Jumpsuit
Kenneth Cole Black Heels

Sponsored by Macy’s and ShopStyle.

More Petite Favorites

Shop myinstagram

view all