Dressing a Petite Frame: Brands I Love

Katherine
Jun 3, 2021
2 min read

In my last post, I talked about my personal style. A big part of understanding my personal style is buying clothes that fit my “borderline” petite frame. This can be a difficult process for me because I also have an hourglass silhouette. So, not only are regular-sized pants and shirts often too long but finding pants that fit both my waist and my hips can be a struggle. Over the years of figuring out what works best for me, I tend to gravitate toward certain brands because they are petite-friendly. Today, I’m sharing my top 3 petite-friendly brands.

1. LOFT / Ann Taylor

If you were to open my closet, you would see an abundance of LOFT and Ann Taylor clothing. LOFT and Ann Taylor have long marketed themselves as having stylish clothing and offering petite and tall options (as well as plus sizes and maternity clothing). They were one of the first brands I found that actually fit well and were more affordable than some other petite-friendly brands. As a teacher, I also love that they have an educator discount, and their sales are much better than the other two brands I will mention in this article.

LOFT is your bet if you like a more casual style, while Ann Taylor is great for office looks or more classic, elegant styles. LOFT currently has a sale of 50% off summer styles and 50-60% off sale items. Ann Taylor is offering an extra 40% off sale items, as well.

Latest look I have worn with LOFT/Ann Taylor pieces:

2. J.Crew

J.Crew is another brand that is great for the classic, feminine, and preppy styles. It also offers pieces for a good range of ages and lifestyles. Although I don’t have very many pieces from J.Crew, the pieces I do have I love and are of great quality. One thing I really love about this brand is that they often have pieces that are unique and you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. They don’t have as extensive a selection of petite sizing as Ann Taylor/LOFT, but they definitely have quality items.

Latest look I have worn with J.Crew pieces:

3. Banana Republic (Also GAP and Old Navy)

Banana Republic has long been a brand known for its quality, which is definitely something I like about the brand. I also like that they have a more feminine and work-friendly aesthetic than GAP or Old Navy. Since I work at an independent school, my work dress code is pretty strict (business wear only), so having versatile pieces is very important. Plus, I noticed they have worked with Teacher Style Box - a style rental service priced specifically for teachers - to have some of their items included (as has LOFT, Ann Taylor, and many other brands). Although Teacher Style Box does not offer petite sizing, I plan to try out the service in the future and perhaps review my experience here. Banana Republic also recently launched its own rental style box as well.

Currently, Banana Republic has a couple of sales going on, as well: an extra 50% of sale styles and 30% of regular priced items.