I went to Costa Rica in the rainy season on purpose. It was green and lush, and I was glad I went ahead and bought suitable clothing to keep me warm and dry. I was willing to go ahead and buy some outdoorsy clothing, because much of Los Angeles social life revolves around exercise. It’s common to go straight from the beach, mountain hiking trails, or a yoga class straight to a nice lunch; I do so all the time. So I knew if I could find athletic apparel that was cute, well-priced, and fit properly, I would wear it regularly.
The “fit properly” part of the equation was the challenge. I’m petite: I’m fairly short, and very small-boned. I want to look like a stylish girl, not a fleece-covered blob. It took a lot of trying things on to figure out what brands would work for my narrow shoulders and short arms, and my low height when I wear flat shoes or sandals. I now have some idea what will fit, which makes shopping faster and means I might be able to take advantage of things like online outlets. I figured I’d share this information for others who find themselves in the same situation.
Actual Petite Sizes
REI carries a lot of petite clothing. This was great, because I could go in and try things on, and I found a lot of items in the store that worked. I didn’t find their own brand of clothing attractive on me, though.
The North Face was a brand I was trying to avoid at first, because I associate it with annoying preppies wearing their parkas. However, they make a lot of petite clothing, and their pants fit me perfectly and were actually flattering. I found them on sale, too, which made the high prices more bearable. Congratulations, North Face, you have won me over.
Athleta also has a lot of petite sizes. They seem to work really hard to make things that look as nice at a restaurant dinner as they do on the trails. The prices are quite high for the quality, though; sometimes the sale prices are still high.
Petite-Friendly Regular Sizes
Marmot runs small, which is awesome for my purposes. Their waterproof, breathable jackets fit my shoulders and arms. They’re expensive, but clearly well-made and seem like they will last for years.
Lucy varies widely. Some of their clothes fit me perfectly, and others seem made for six-foot women (I’m sure the six-footers who shop there are equally pleased and befuddled by which half of the clothes will fit them). Their clothes are well-made and often fashionable enough to wear to brunch. The prices go way, way down at sale time. By far my favorite of their local stores is the one in Manhattan Beach, which seems to have the greatest assortment of things you could wear in a variety of situations.
Big 5 Sporting Goods had some well-priced stuff that worked. I found a pair of “Rugged Exposure” brand pants that are much more tailored than you might guess from the brand name, and a Body Sensors by Terramar shirt whose long sleeves fit my arms, and which also has flattering seaming that makes the whole shirt fitted, not baggy. I also got an Adidas shirt; Adidas generally fits me pretty well.
Wintersilks amazes me because so much of their silk clothing is machine-washable. They are great for those of us who are allergic to wool and want to keep warm. They do have some things in official petite sizes, but what I’m obsessed with is their silk clothing that’s appropriate for yoga, like these pants (which used to come in black and brown). Silk yoga clothing feels ridiculously luxurious, and this stuff is affordable, easy to care for, and fits me well enough.
Shoes seem like they wouldn’t be different for petites, but I do find that heavy shoes are difficult for my little legs to lift. I buy trail-running shoes for hiking, because they are lightweight, yet have treads on the soles to grip the trails. I find that Adidas shoes suit my feet, which are narrow with very high arches.
What Not to Try
Patagonia and Prana brands seem designed for wide shoulders, long arms, and long legs. They don’t make petite lines, so if you’re small, there’s no point. It’s too bad, because they have some nice styles that make rugged wear look delicate and pretty. I didn’t find anything suitable from some other popular brands, either, but regretted it less.
I did buy a sleeveless Lolë top, though it’s a bit too big. I wouldn’t try them for anything long-sleeved, or long pants.
Interesting! Ha ha, the brands you avoid are the ones that actually fit me. I love Prana — it fits long skinny legs. And the white jacket I got with the invisible white print, was actually Lole. If you’re okay with younger fashion, you could try kids extra large too. I’ve gotten some good, cheaper stuff that way.