Feature
The high street now caters for petite women, but still the ranges always seem limited to the back of the shop. You can bet that what you want won’t be scaled down in the petite range.
If you are 5’3” or under, there are specialist retailers catering for your size. By shopping with them, you get a choice of their full range and you won’t feel like a small minority.
Here are three top choices for petite fashion:
Founded in 2005, Petite Affair caters for women of 5’3” or under in sizes 6 to 16. Along with its own line, Petite Affair currently offers ranges from Almost Famous and MAC, all of which are available online and via their mail order catalogue. The Almost Famous petite range is available exclusively from Petite Affair.
The autumn/winter range offers a selection of trousers, jackets, skirts, suits, dresses, tops, jeans and coats in a palette of brown, black, grey and pink. Fabrics include bouclé, tweed, wool and cotton for day wear, while evening wear features printed and crushed velvet and chiffon.
Prices from £15.00 to £150.00, available from www.petiteaffair.com. For a mail order catalogue, call 01275 474484.
Precis Petite’s range is designed for women up to 5’3” and is available in sizes 8 to 18. Precis Petite is available from more than 100 outlets across the UK in department stores, including House of Fraser, Debenhams, Beales and Fenwick.
The autumn and winter range includes five key looks. Hitchcock Heroine is 1930s-inspired and teams lipstick-red and grey and is completed with patent tote bags, wide cinch belts, thin patent belts and long leather gloves. Country Couture features chunky knits, tweeds and silk in chocolate, fern, plum and ivory, with pencil skirts and fitted jackets. Historical Romance has a palette of aubergine, antique rose and slate and comprises floral dresses and detailed knitwear. Coco Boutique mixes tailoring with delicate blouses and embellished cardigans, while Shakespeare uses black, claret and midnight blue on beaded and silk evening dresses and satin clutch bags.
Prices from £59.00 to £249.00 (www.precis.co.uk). For stockists, call 0191 5213888.
Minuet Petite caters for women of 5’4” and under and offers sizes 8 to 16 with a leg length of 29 inches. Minuet Petite has 107 outlets in the UK, including House of Fraser, John Lewis and Debenhams stores and 12 outlets in Europe.
The autumn and winter daywear collection includes knitwear, printed blouses and tailoring, with short and long line jackets, skirts, trousers and city shorts, as well as single and double-breasted jackets, wide-leg trousers and floaty and long bias cut skirts. Colours include fern, charcoal and chocolate, with touches of pomegranate and bluebell on bouclé, tweed, printed silk and cashmere mixes. The casual collection features suede and leather pieces, denim, cutwork fleece, flocked cotton and a selection of knitwear. For evening there’s a selection of bustiers, fish-tail skirts, knitwear, dresses and suits, with matching boleros, faux fur stoles and shrugs in a palette of terracotta, gold, oyster and black. A small capsule collection of coats for day and night is also available.
Prices from £24.99 to £139.00. For stockists, call 01582 399877.
Picture: From Minuet Petite’s winter range – bluebell wool mix cardigan (£59.99), also in stone; ivory square neck vest (£29.99); and charcoal wool mix crop mix trousers (£59.99).
