Fashion or Foe: It's Not Easy Being Petite

   In honor of International Women's day, I'm tackling an issue dear to my heart: petite fashion!

Sometimes getting dressed is like this Clueless scene. GIF from Tumblr. 

This is not how a maxi dress should fit!
Image from Pintrest

     I enjoy shopping for clothes as much as the next gal, but I sometimes find the task insurmountable because of my size. I am 5 feet tall, and I am a petite size. You must be thinking now, is this girl complaining about being small? How dare she? For the record, it's not all it's cracked up to be. I often feel like I'm a child playing dress-up in my dad's work shirts. Unlike in Rom-coms, it is not a cute look. I also had a maxi dress that made me look like Kirsten the American Girl (left) in her Christmas robe. As an investment in my sanity, I have found a delightful tailor that knows my shape and has saved countless garments from return or the Goodwill pile.



     I've taken to online shopping, sight unseen, to find the most petite options. In recent months, Express, Gap and Old Navy have all launched online petite collections. I enjoyed the petite fit of The Limited, but as mentioned in a previous post, that is no longer an option. Part of the frustration in petite shopping is that these stores have the audacity to carry the items only in their warehouses. They're doing you a "favor" by creating shorter length pants (still not short enough if you ask me), but you have to use a picture of a model to guess the fit. It says the pants are made for a 5'4" size and under, but those cropped jeans will still hit me at the ankle. The size chart is often not helpful enough in determining fit. Some petite sizes are just less long than the regular, or give a general size like 4-6, which is neither a 4 or a 6. These retailers need to size clothing accordingly and address common problems like the butt/waistband gap issue. (For this problem, I am now wearing petite curvy jeans). In a nutshell, you have no idea how they really fit, and they make you pay to ship the items to your house. You may order two sizes, and you end up spending a lot of time dealing with returns because a blousy petite small tank is still about 2 sizes too big for some reason.

     If you can brave out the petite section of a store, god bless! I took a stroll through my local Macy's petite section, which is about 20' x 15' total due to the Macy's Backstage taking up most of one floor. The cute sweaters in the women's sportswear were nowhere to be found in this postage stamp of a collection. At best, it looks like someone that cared little about fashion or fit could find some petite options here. It was pathetic. I stop in at Ann Taylor Loft every few weeks to check their petite section. If I'm looking for jeans, I may be in luck. If I'm looking for anything else, the options are 'lofty.' I bought a small striped top a few months ago, and it still appeared huge on my frame, as low as my mid-thigh and mid-sleeved. Who is the parson that thinks all small women want to wear tunics? I would love to see more dresses and tops that fit or follow my frame.  I don't need more over-sized sweaters and drapey tops!

Retail Tanks in 2017- The End of An Era

     America is in facing a huge emergency. It's a "Darth Vader is coming" type of fashion emergency. In the last week, I have learned that 2 major retail chains are closing stores (again), and one manjor women's retailer is going out of business. One store is on it's way back in the coming weeks, but the damage may already be done.

The Limited- Shock and Awe
     A week ago, I walked past my local The Limited store. It was Gone Girl. It wasn't just closed, it was dark and stripped of all signage. It was completely empty. In fact, I didn't even know that spot was The Limited until I reviewed the stores on each side. Here's the kicker. I didn't have any idea the store was closing. And it seems other people are in the same boat. According to an article I read today, the stores began filing notices after thanksgiving that large-scale layoffs were coming. What they didn't say was that their plan meant that everyone was getting laid off. All of the stores are closing as of tomorrow evening, but news sources report the online business will remain open. Right now, everything is 50% off on TheLimited.com and there is no information about the future of the company.

     It's basically like The Limited is pulling an Irish exit, disappearing from a party out the back door. My mom had been by out local store two days before me, and it was fully operational. There was no "everything must go" signage. Now everything is 90% off in store. It's almost like the stores begun closing in secret. I read several articles that had been posted by local newspapers around the country last week, all stores in Florida are closing, all stores in Ohio are closing.... but nobody mentioned it was across the country. Now I'll have to look for a new place to buy my favorite dress pants...

Macy's and Sears- More Disappointments
     Major retailers are struggling. We can get so many things online today, but we can't try on a sweater through our computer. We can't get lost in counters of perfume and makeup on the computer. How can so many large department stores be closing? Macy's plans to close almost 65 stores early this year, resulting in 4,000 to 6,000 employees (depending on which source you consult) that will lose their jobs or be re-assigned to other stores. One of my local stores added a "Macy's Backstage" department, which carries a lot of assorted items and clothes for the "fashion-forward bargain hunter." When I walked through the area, the associate explained that this was to compete with the trifecta of bargain hunting,  TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls.  I have no ill will against these store,s but I've never gone to Macy's looking for the same things I look for HomeGoods. And I know for sure, that when shopping for a wedding registry, one goes to Macy's as opposed to Marshalls. I'm really shocked that a store that has a very classy reputation is going so (for lack of a better word) mainstream.

     On the other hand, I've always seen Sears as more of an every woman type of store. The sell electronics and tools as opposed to makeup and luggage. I also cannot remember the last time I've shopped in a Sears. TBH, once the Kardashian Kollection moved in (about 2010), I couldn't step foot into the store unless I was cutting through to get somewhere else. I take it back, as I did go there to pick up a pair of discount boots at the beginning of spring. I also had to return to the store because the box was sold to me with two right boots. Reports indicate Sears is in serious trouble. They are closing 150 stores (a mix of Sears and KMart stores). They are also selling off their legendary Craftsman Tools brand to pay off debts. It's pretty unfortunate.

Aeropostale- a New Hope?
     Trouble started with the closing of similiar brand American Eagle's lingerie/apparel store Aerie in 2014. They went online only and are still here online in 2017. Nothing for me if worse than ordering some underwear and bathing suits on a computer when you have no idea how they will fit.

     Throughout 2016, Aeropostale stores began closing (with signage). The filed for bankruptcy in May. In September, it was announced that the company may be restructured to keep stores open. My local store closed. This marks a new level of restructuring, where the chain of stores would be sold off to property management group, Simon Malls.  Simon is now the first property group to take over a chain of stores. We are eagerly curious about the new iteration of Aero coming to our local mall, which is not owned by the Simon group. Will more stores be bought out by mall owners in the future? I'm hoping this type of business model might keep any future stores from closing.