Store Resources for Petites
A selection of stores with my notes on petite friendliness, including sizing info and best item types.
Stores listed in bold are among my favorites, where I frequently have shopping success.
American Eagle
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: short inseam jeans on a budget.
Note: sizing for tops runs large.
www.ae.com
Ann Taylor
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: work wear.
Note: sizing runs large overall.
www.anntaylor.com
Anthropologie
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: latest trends, fun prints.
Note: many styles are long and loose, can be pricey.
www.anthropologie.com
Aritzia
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: small petites - many items available in xxs!
Note: necklines and inseams may be too long, can be pricey.
www.aritzia.com
ASOS
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: many different items available in petite sizes.
Note: runs small, can look very young, online only. Their Fit Predictor and shorter models are helpful for online shopping.
See on me on the blog here.
www.asos.com
Banana Republic
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: work wear, typically good quality.
Note: limited selection, sizing runs large overall.
www.bananarepublic.com
Banana Republic Factory Store
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: work wear, frequent sales, many options.
Note: does not ship outside the US, quality may be less than their regular stores.
See on me on the blog here.
www.bananarepublicfactory.com
BCBG/Max Azria
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: occasion/formal dresses that run small/short.
Note: most other item types run large, can be very pricey.
www.bcbg.com
Brandy Melville
Petite sizing: no
Best For: basic fitted tees, everyday dresses, jewelry.
Note: most items are one size fits all but frequently run small.
See on me on the blog here.
www.brandymelvilleusa.com
Change Lingerie
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: great selection of band and cup sizes for bras.
Note: bra straps can be set too wide for small shoulders, no store locations in the US.
www.change.com/en-ca/
Cleo
(Canada only)
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: work wear, stylish, budget friendly.
Note: sizing runs extremely large, only ships within Canada.
www.cleo.ca
Forever 21
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: latest trends, budget friendly.
Note: sizing runs large overall, typically low quality.
www.forever21.com
Gap
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: basics, budget friendly.
Note: some styles seem older/not fashion forward.
www.gap.com
Guess
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: petite outerwear, stylish, regular sized dresses that run small.
Note: small selection of petite sizes and not usually in store, some styles can look too young.
Tip: try finding Guess petite via Nordstrom online rather than Guess websites/stores.
Canada Tip: the Bay carries Guess in their dress section
www.guess.com
H&M
Petite Sizing: yes! (limited selection of petite jeans)
Best For: trends and basics, color options, jeans, budget friendly work wear, decent quality for the price.
Note: sizing runs small though hems can be too long, mainly man-made fabrics, many other people own the exact same items.
www.hm.com
J. Crew
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: work wear, outerwear, wardrobe staples, great fabrics, occasion/formal dresses, typically excellent quality, xxs for both petite and regular sizes.
Note: limited selection of petite items, some styles are too boxy, may include trendier details that are quickly out of style.
www.jcrew.com
Jeetly
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: work wear and suiting, UK brand owned by a petite and made specifically for petites.
Note: can be too much extra material in the bust area for smaller ladies, dress hemlines too long for very short petites, rarely releases new styles.
www.jeetly.com
Kallone Intimi
(Canada only)
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: carries bras by the Little Bra Company! Good option to ship within Canada.
Note: limited availability (and one store location, in Toronto)
www.kallone.ca
Lord and Taylor
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: sweaters, work blouses, quality fabric.
Note: patterns can be out of style. Try their in-house L&T brand petite clothing in solid colors.
See on me on the blog here.
www.lordandtaylor.com
Little Bra Company
Petite Sizing: yes!!!
Best For: small sized bra bands and cup sizes, overall styles and shoulder strap placements specifically designed for petites.
Note: medium and large cup sizes not available, can be expensive and hard to exchange if shipping to an address outside the US.
Tip: check if an intimates store in your country carries this brand (such as Kallone Intimi in Canada)
www.thelittlebracompany.com
Loft
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: work wear.
Note: sizing runs large overall.
www.loft.com
LuluLemon
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: stylish workout wear options including cropped pants with short inseams.
Note: sizing runs small, hand wash to maintain quality, some items can be pricey.
See on me: on the blog here.
www.lululemon.com
Maurices
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: budget friendly, stylish, work wear, can be petite friendly in fitted styles.
Note: xs frequently out of stock, many store locations in the US but otherwise hard to find.
www.maurices.com
Modcloth
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: fun prints and styles, user reviews and images incredibly helpful for selecting a great fit.
Note: online only, many items are not available in xs and the even rarer xxs, xxs hard to find with search functions.
See on me: on the blog here.
www.modcloth.com
Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC)
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: good prices and sales on merinos, underlayers, boots, sunglasses, and winter clothing
Note: only carries standard sizes, variety of store locations in Canada but international shipping can be pricey
www.mec.ca
Nordstrom
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: large selection of styles and prices, small sized footwear, wardrobe staples, high quality.
Note: international shipping is expensive, decent options in store but not as good as online.
www.nordstrom.com
Pendleton
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: wardrobe staple sweaters, quality fabrics and wool
Note: other items run large. Xs petite is called "petite petite" size.
www.pendleton-usa.com
Roots
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: xxs zip-up hoodies, casual wear, outdoors, warm socks, small sized boots, leather purses in various sizes and shapes.
Note: sleeves and hems may be too long, shirts too loose. Size 5 (smallest size) boots run small.
www.roots.com
Suzy Shier
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: great store for fast fashion and trends, budget friendly, H&M alternative.
Note: sizing runs small, ships only to US/Canada, stores are only in Canada, tunics and dresses may be too long.
www.suzyshier.com
The Bay
(Canada only, but also applicable to Sears/JCPenney)
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: variety of items available in-store, work wear, wardrobe staples, casual options, stores are typically large and can be a quieter shopping experience.
Note: petite items are typically not fashion forward, many sizes run large.
www.thebay.com
TopShop
Petite Sizing: yes
Best For: variety of items available in-store, dress lengths can be good without alteration, trendy, regular sizes can also work for petites.
Note: jeans run very small and bodycon dresses run wide, some styles are overly trendy and can look very young, a little overpriced for the quality.
www.topshop.com
Vans
Petite Sizing: no
Best For: casual, budget friendly shoes, kids shoes that will fit smaller feet.
Note: some patterns can look very young.
Review on the blog here.
www.vans.com
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