It occurred to me recently while speaking to a group of women in my Ageless Style Program that we are one of the first generations of women who are wearing, almost exclusively, store-bought clothing. Clothing made in factories in “standard” sizes designed to fit almost everyone and, in reality, fitting no one.
No wonder we struggle to find clothing that fits and flatters us.
One of the things I try to communicate to the women that I work with is this:
It’s not you. It’s the clothes.
Our goal should be to find clothes that suit us, and not try to make our bodies fit the clothes. We have it backwards, and it’s causing us to speak badly about the bodies that we have been blessed with.
God’s variety and diversity is a beautiful thing. You are not a size 8. You are a size You, and sometimes, that beautiful You will wear an 8 or a 6 or a 12. It’s not your body that’s messed up. It’s the sizing system.
Fortunately, there are brands that are figuring out that the one-size-fits-all system is not working, and are creating beautiful clothes designed to fit women of all shapes and sizes. I’ve even created a catalog exclusively for those of us who are “hard to fit” featuring tall, plus, and petite sources in the U.S. and around the world.
In this post/video, I focus on petites (like me!), with some of the best brands for petites (that you may not have heard of!).
Bomb Petite
Bomb Petite was founded by a fashion designer and industry insider who happens to be petite. It features curated pieces from their own label as well as other small, independent designers. It also offers style inspiration, advice, and community. Bomb Petite even offers a bespoke option, with custom pieces handcrafted for you in London.
Petite Dressing
Petite Dressing is a one-stop shop for petites, offering exclusive collections (office ready, leg elongating, etc.) plus shops that allow you to flatter your body type, from hourglass to pear. Don’t miss their styling tips and inspiration from petite celebs and bloggers.
Stature
Stature NYC is not your mother’s petite store. It features edgy, contemporary, and urban-inspired pieces from independent designers like Rachel Comey, Lisa Says Gah and Ilana Kohn. The motto of the two petite founders (who are ten feet tall, combined) is that they tailor the pieces so that you don’t have to. Don’t miss the Stature Sized section, with exclusive-to-Stature items.
Petite Studio
Petite Studio has a chic store in SOHO, but you can shop their entire collection online. The store features its own petite-sized pieces, from everyday essentials to loungewear to seasonal updates, making it a one-stop-shop for everything you need in your wardrobe. I love their trendy tops, especially the Arden and the Raelyn.
This is the first in a series focusing on those of us outside of the standard size ranges, from tall to plus to long/short torsos, and I’ve put my favorite sources in this catalog.
What is your biggest fit challenge? Let me know, and I’ll try to address it in a future video and post!
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