Reader Mailbag: Where to get suits for short women?

47 Comments

1. i ordered a bunch of pants from victoria’s secret once: every single one of them looked, as my husband said, “like something a secretary would wear”. i very much second the theory (although you’ll have to get the sleeves shortened and about a foot chopped off the bottom of the pants) they fit GREAT through the shoulders for petites and that’s not something you can tailor easily or cheaply. very surprised you didn’t mention that ann taylor, j. crew and banana republic all sell suits in petite sizes. remember that children’s clothing won’t be cut for breasts and hips.

2. Oeh. You’ve just given me a reason to wanna visit India! :)

3. Honestly, Theory suits are the way to go. Pricey? Yes, but I’ve had no problem finding sale suits at Off 5th, Century 21, etc. for the same price (or less) of a much poorer fitting and much less flattering Ann Taylor or Banana suit. I have plenty of the latter hanging in my closet that I won’t wear now that I have 3 basic ones from Theory.

   I had a fantastic Trina Turk suit from 2004 but unfortunately she hasn’t made anything that conservative since then. Shame.

   (I’m 5’2 and top heavy and find I have to waiver between a 0 and a 4 in Theory depending on the cut of the suit so always try them on!)

4. Find a good tailor–spending the extra money to have it fit well is a better option than wearing something for children. If you are small, you are not doing yourself any favors by wearing clothes that don’t fit or are made for children, especially if you look young as well.

   I thought the Victoria Secret clothing looked cheap and was made of cheap materials.

   JCrew, Ann Taylor, and Banana Republic petites are very good.

   I was sized by a rep from Tom James–the clothes are custom-made for your measurements. And I believe their pants were in the $200-400 range (depending on the fabric).

5. Banana Republic Petite Suits are my lifesaver — they’re moderately priced, you can get three pieces to alternate (jacket, pants, and skirt) and you can find a few really good sales a year and stock up.

6. Ooh, could you do one next for the amazons among us? Most brands are getting good at making pants in longer lengths, but have yet to offer longer lengths in shirts and jackets. The only company that comes to mind is the Gap, which offers “tall” tops. I can occasionally have a tailor let the sleeves out a bit, but there is only so much fabric to work with, and if its lined, it becomes even more complicated.

   Why has the women’s clothing industry been sooo reluctant to switch over to the men’s system of sizing, where you can find different combinations of sizes??

   Oh and in addition to India, my brother, who is 6’8″, was in Hong Kong, and had custom suits and shirts made for him.

7. Short arms doesn’t strike me as much of a problem, you can just have them taken up, unless they don’t have seamstresses/ tailors in the Netherlands?

   I also have a love/ hate relationship with Theory – love their clothes and the fit – hate that I have to buy a size 10! I have the opposite problem as your other reader – abnormally long legs and arms for my height/size (Ann Taylor jackets all look like bracelet length sleeves on me), so the extra length on Theory works perfect for me!

8. i agree with everyone who has suggested banana republic and ann taylor. i’m 5 ft. and when i was going through recruiting, i stocked up on petite suits from both stores. overall, i prefer banana republic — and if you’re a luxe cardholder, you get free basic alterations.

9. Sorry – but I love the pic! “You might ask yourself, ‘Could this suit be taken in a little?'”

10. Banana Republic’s petite line of clothing is fantastic! Last time I ordered a suit, they delivered it to the store and had a tailor in-store to make any other adjustments needed – for free!

11. As a 5’4″ woman who lived in the Netherlands and felt like a dwarf, I hear you. :-) Find a good seamstress or tailor. Have them alter stuff for you. Not sure about shipping costs for shopping at US stores like Ann Taylor and the like — is that an option for you?

12. I have a mixture Theory and Banana Republic for every day workwear suits. And yes, Theory is cut small. I have a lot of my friends in the fashion/retail industry who just tell me: “Don’t pay attention to the size label”. I can’t seem to find anything that fits me at Ann Taylor – my body is very boyish – meaning I have no waist – so I don’t shop there.

    Because I am small (5’2″), I do spend the money to get everything taken in. I think it’s worth it. The whole elbow placement is off thingy – I don’t understand – I get sleeves taken up all the time and it doesn’t bother me.

    1. Some sleeves are designed to leave more room to accommodate the elbow, so if you’re arms are short the sleeve will hit in the wrong place and can’t simply be cut off at the bottom and hemmed.

13. I’m 5’3″ and a size 0, petite from top to bottum and I can’t find a suit, not even Banana or Ann Taylor in Petite looks like it’s my size. I look like I’m wearing my moms clothes! I have to mix and match, but Express seems to do me the most justice. They’re cheap and my body doesn’t get lost in the clothes!

14. They do actually (have seamstresses) but the one shop I tried actually managed to charge something like 30 euro’s to fix pants that only had cost me 50 (on sale), and they did a worse job than my mother does (or myself, for that matter). Maybe I should ask around for a better taylor, although I don’t know who to ask.

    It’s just that… At 23, fresh out of university and with all my family and friends being math and computer geeks who think wearing a blouse instead of a wrinkled t-shirt qualifies as being “dressed up”, and being a pretty shy girl, I’ve just no idea where to start in this whole looking professional thing. I’ve been to a haircutter 5 times in my life, all in the past couple of years – none of my family ever went to a haircutter, can you imagine?

    I’m lost. Utterly. Which is why I started looking online and found Corporette. Because I just had no idea where even to start. :-)

15. I don’t understand the Theory suggestion. I love their stuff but I have never seen a Theory suit labeled “petite” and have always had to hem their pants and skirts.

    I like Ann Taylor for petites. It’s not for everyone but if it fits your body shape, their stuff is professional and very well made. The only problem is that they don’t always have too many ‘conservative’ suits in stock when you need them.

16. Theory’s my top choice too, but I’ve also had good luck with Ann Taylor and J.Crew petites. I was going to suggest European brands, since their cuts are typically slimmer than domestic ones, but if she’s already in Europe then presumably that might not work.

    What about buying suits or jackets that are designed to be bracelet or 3/4-length in the first place? The extra length won’t be as obvious and it also eliminates the need for alterations. I hate having to have sleeves shortened because NOBODY takes them up properly at the shoulder, and like the reader says, the proportions do look funny afterwards.

17. I’ve noticed that the Victoria’s secret blazers are a little longer in the sleeves than the clothes I’ve gotten from other petite stores. I order their size 4 jackets (non-petite because I’m very busty) and they fit fine other than the sleeves being too long.

    My suits are all from Victoria’s Secret, Max Azria or Brooks Brothers. All of these stores are great because they offer petite and non-petite in the matching fabrics. I always need a 4 regular size on top, but 0-2 petite pants.

    However, I’m in the midwest and we have a tailor in town who will make custom suits, some for less than $1,000, using high quality Italian wools. In my opinion, the extra $$$ are worth it because the fit is so perfect. I’m probably going to ask him to make one for me next year.

18. I second the suggestion to do a thread for tall folks. We already know about BR, JCrew, and AT and Talbots carry some tall pants (but not tall jackets). I am hoping to hear of some cult labels. I know that being petite is not great in that you cannot find stuff that hits properly at the joints (particularly when pants are bootcut), but us tall ladies cannot create fabric out of none. That is to say, it’s very difficult to wear suits and look like Olive Oyl! Please help.

19. I’ve got the opposite issue…any brand recommendations for a slender woman with a L-O-N-G torso? I’m always having to pull my shirts down, they rarely tuck in and I hate having my belly stick out.

20. I’m 5’1″ with short legs as well. I like the Limited; they’ll do free tailoring in the store and they sell petite sizes sometimes. I also like J Crew online; they sell petites in jackets, pants, and skirts (and the jackets have the narrower shoulders, which is great). In the end though, short women just need to develop a really good relationship with a high quality tailor. Sometimes the alterations will cost more than the clothes, especially if you find clothes on sale. Just make sure the rise isn’t too high, you can button the buttons, and the shoulders fit; most everything else can be tailored.

21. Emily: Which part of the suit is the rise, exactly?

22. The rise is the part of the pants between the bottom of the crotch and the waistband. If it’s too long, you get a suspicious bulge in the zipper of the pants. If it’s too short, I guess you might get the plumber’s crack problem if you can get the pants on at all.

23. Ohhh okay. Thanks for clarifying! Luckily I seem to have a standard size there.

24. Has anyone found a good brand for those of us who are both short (read: under 5’6″) and fat (read: above a size 12)?

25. I’m 5’0″ and about 95 lbs and had a hell of a time finding a suits that fit (i.e., in tears at the mall). In Canada, Smart Set has decent and decently priced suits that fit really small. Ricki’s also has “short,” “regular” and “long” for all their pants, but they are still too loose on me. Smart Set was the only place that had suits that fit me (though the pants and sleeves still need shortening).

26. Liz, I understand how it can feel to have no idea where to look for professional clothes. The women in my family don’t work outside the home at all, much less at a large law firm, and it’s a little embarrassing to ask someone “excuse me, but where should I look for sharp professional clothes?” I think that women in this position have a much harder time than men, who have multiple sizing options and who don’t have so many goddamn curves to tailor around. I love my hourglass shape, but I’ve nearly given up on button-down shirts because they rarely accomodate my bust without being frumpy and baggy around my waist.

    I’ve kind done a trial and error approach – I bought three suits and other items, most of which I think are okay for the time being. I figure I’ll just use them for a while and then upgrade once I’ve gotten a better idea of what to look for. Some people don’t have the luxury to do that, so I expect the pressure to get it done right the first time is a bit higher. Anyway, good luck to you!

27. 2L: I have the same problem with the blouses! It helps to be able to sew though. Taking in waistlines by an inch or so is fairly easy, get a shirt wide enough to accomodate all your curves and then all you really need to do is measure how much you want to narrow it and where exactly, then fold it inside out, iron it and pin it on the side seams, and sew in a straight line, cut the excess off leaving about a half a finger’s width, and lock or zigzag the seam so it doesn’t ruffle. It only works if you need about an inch less around the waist or so because else it starts pulling sideways – if you want more you’re going to have to take in the seams at the front as well and that’s a little complicated. If anybody in your family has a sewing machine, you could try it out on some old blouses. It also works on some types of pants – those without a waistband – and skirts without waistband and lining, on t-shirts, polo’s and some dresses. Careful with lycra-like stretch materials – there you may need to use the most narrow zigzag stitch to sew instead of the straight stitch – and with knit materials, which are too difficult for beginners. If you feel uncomfortable at sewing straight when it’s pinned, you can hand-stitch it first with large stitches, see how it fits and then stitch it on the sewing machine. All you really need on a sewing machine for starters is a zig-zag and a straight stitch to start, so a very old but functioning sewing machine off e-bay or so should be fine if you wish to continue experimenting.

    Sorry, now I’m in homemaker’s mode, not exactly overachieving-professional. Then again, aren’t overachieving chicks capable of learning all skills?
    Anyway don’t give up on the blouses just because you DO have an hourglass. Ideal and biologically the most attractive is considered 90-60-90 cm (36-24-36 inch?) but most clothes that size tend to be tailored for 84-66-92 (33-26-36 inch?) so go figure, no wonder it doesn’t fit women with curves! We have to take matters into our own hands. :)

    And some blouses have stretch to them, they’re not plain cotton. Firstly, those either don’t need ironing out of the dryer or only very little, secondly, they tend to be a little more accomodating to curvier women without 8-shaped holes between buttons or stretch marks forming around the bust area!

28. And 2L? I’m glad I’m not alone! :-)

29. One major issue I’ve had across all petite departments is that everything is cropped and overly cute or boxy. I’ve been on the lookout for a basic long sleeve pants suit in a dark color for several years. Banana’s looks the best on the rack, but the rise is too high and makes me look preggos. Ann Taylor seems to all be cropped sleeves or ugly, bold detailing. Major department stores have boxy pink suits. Boutiques try to be too trendy. Do short women not need a good quality power suit like the rest of the professional world?

30. I’ve been to Ann Taylor and the saleslady always says the smallest size available is 4 and usually those are sold out. So i don’t think that’s a good place for small people. I’ve tried Sears juniors but the jackets have no fitting in the waist and the fabric is linty and stiff.

    the other brands mentioned are way out of my price range cuz im unemployed. if you’re in the same situation, i suggest buying a blazer in solid black which you can match with a pair of black pants you already have. plus you can buy 2 blazers for the cost of 1 whole suit =more potential outfits.

    1. If you like AT, try shopping online at AnnTaylor.com. I always have to buy online because I need 00, which they don’t carry in stores anymore. I wait for free shipping and 30% off promotions to save the most. I’ll order multiple sizes with free shipping and then just return the ones that don’t fit to the stores near my house.

31. “Ideal and biologically the most attractive is considered 90-60-90 cm (36-24-36 inch?) but most clothes that size tend to be tailored for 84-66-92 (33-26-36 inch?) so go figure, no wonder it doesn’t fit women with curves!”

    While most clothing manufacturers do favor a more angular build, i have never read that 36-24-36 is biologically the most attractive. I have seen studies about a 0.7 waist/hip ratio being more beautiful, but both of your example approximate 0.7…

32. I’m really glad there is a thread on this. Petite women really don’t have a lot to choose from in professional clothing that fits decently off the rack (i.e. only would need hemming or a nip here or there). My pick is Ann Taylor, esp. for skirts. I think that Theory is cut for skinny tall women; the jackets are too long, ditto for the pants and skirts.

33. I was excited to see this thread, but I’m a bit disappointed by the apparent misunderstanding in what exactly “petite” means in fashion. It’s for those 5’4″ and under. You seem to be using it as if it meant “thin.”

    I’m borderline petite at 5’3″ & very thin. Jcrew’s petite 0 is pretty good, but I find that the sleeves & pants are just a bit short. Banana Republic’s 0P & 00P are hit & miss, just depends on the style. Theory is awesome & I love their suits, but I wouldn’t say they’re made for petites. They also put real button holes in the sleeves (so does jcrew, can’t remember if BR does), which makes the sleeves very difficult & expensive to shorten, as the tailor will need to detach the sleeves at the shoulder & shorten it from there.

34. I wear suits made in Hong Kong and exported here, not suits made for name brands but suits for the people in Honk Kong.

    $150 would get you very nice matching jacket and pants or skirt, that are contemporary and chic.

35. Just wanted to mention that I followed a suggestion from the Tall Girls post and had a suit made by Moi-Meme in NYC. For not that much more than it cost to buy a Banana Republic suit and alter it, I now have a suit that I like much better and that fits really well. Check it out if you live in (or regularly visit) NYC, have trouble with the fit of off-the-rack suits, and are willing and able invest in quality fabrics and a great fit.

    If anyone is considering buying a suit there and would like to see pictures of mine, email me at kemnyc@gmail.com. (First check out the website – moi-meme.com – for lots of pictures and other useful info.)

36. I’m 5’2/115 and I have good luck with Banana Republic. I also have a nice petite suit from Calvin Klein (bought on sale at Macy’s). Ann Taylor can be hit or miss with me. The petite pants are a smidge too short to look nice with even 2″ heels (i.e. you sit down and your pants are above your ankles). But my bigger problem with AT is that I find the cuts very inconsistent.

    Bottom line for short girls: prepare for a long, frustrating day of suit shopping and, if you’re 5’2- 5’3, bring your heels with you so you make sure the pants work.

37. hate to sound like such a vain girly-girl but it’s super validating to hear that other people have the Theory size tag shock. I like to think that size doesn’t matter between brands and that I’m OK with whatever size that is … but for a gal who is typically a 5-2 size 2-4, the 6-8-10 range from there was at first a bit shocking. That said, the jackets are pretty fabulous for us smaller gals, and the skirts generally have enough kick pleat for decent hemming (and aren’t toooo long to begin with!

    1. I’m a 5’2″ 6/8, so does this mean I’ll be like a 10/12 in Theory? Dear me, good thing I can’t afford them yet lol.

38. Second that on Theory pantsuits for petite, curvy fram– clean tailored look. Nanette for more fem look worn by my atty friends. High end for nicer fabrics is still challenge.

39. If you are from Netherlands, you can have your suit tailored in Poland – they do it good and cheap, flight takes two hours (if look good 100 euro for flight, two ways). Doing a suit starts from around 30 euros (+cost of fabrics),

40. Tahari Petites fit like they’re made for me, and I’m 5’2 and 118-120ish. Well made, classic shapes, and available at Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack.

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