Petite Women's Plus Size Clothing

Petite women's plus size clothing is designed for plus size women who are 5'4" or shorter and who wear sizes 14 and higher.

Jessica London Petite Leather Jacket

It can be difficult enough to find trendy plus size clothes you like without compounding the problem with fit. If you're a shorter plus size woman and feel like you're swimming in fashions too long for your torso, arms or legs, then you probably should consider shopping for petite women's plus size clothing. However, before you shop, it's important to know that not all petite cuts are the same, whether you're talking plus size or not.

Just because you are 5'4" or shorter doesn't mean all petite cuts will fit you. While the fashion industry considers you petite, the problem is that that same industry understands that women are individuals and has responded with various types of petite fits. Which one are you?

• Long torso and short legs
• Long legs and short torso
• A body where everything is proportionately petite
• Shorter arms in relation to the torso

These variations don't have to make shopping for petite sizes confusing. It's like anything else. If you're equipped with the understanding of why there are different petite cuts, it's easy to see why not all petite sizes fit every petite woman. The end result is that even if the label says petite, it's important to shop around and try things on. In general, petite cuts work well for women who are built with longer legs and shorter torsos. If you carry more of your weight in your lower body, regular cuts may fit you better if you can't find a petite size that works for you. The downside is that you'll most likely have to alter the length.

Altering clothes after you buy them is becoming less necessary with today's petite options. Today's shorter plus size woman is no longer forced to make do with something on the rack only to come home to make alterations. The plus size clothing industry has come to recognize the need for a selection of petite size women clothing which today can be found at online retailers and at many of their brick and mortar counterparts. The following selection of retailers provides a variety of the latest styles:

Women Within offers a large selection of plus size clothing in petite sizes in:

• Jeans
• Capris
• Skirts
• Tops and blouses

Whether you decide to shop at your neighborhood JCPenney or take advantage of their online presence, you'll be happy to see that they offer petite plus sizes in:

• Blazers
• Dresses
• Suits
• Sweaters
• Jackets
• Skirts
• Shorts
• Maternity

Just My Size provides a smaller selection of petite sizes compared to some online retailers, but the styles they offer are up-to-date and stylish whether you're looking for something casual or casual/dressy.

Avenue has a large selection of petite sizes for plus size women, including pants, jeans, dresses, tops and outerwear:

• Leather blazers
• Leather jackets
• Wool coats
• Trench coats

Jessica London has a nice selection of classic styles including:

• Dresses and suits
• Pants and skirts
• Jackets and blazers
• Outerwear

It's clear that not all plus size petites are built the same, but the one thing they do have in common is that they are not tall. With that in mind, there are a few tips to follow when choosing the styles you wear:

• Skirts with very long hemlines tend to make you look shorter.
• Hemlines of pants should cover your shoes to elongate the look of your legs.
• Wearing one color actually makes you look taller.
• Choosing thick fabrics will make you look heavier than you are.

• Wide belts of the wrong color that tend to cut your look in half makes you look shorter.
• Don't wear oversize tee-shirts. They make you look shapeless and short.
• Don't choose a style with extra fabric that gathers at the waist. This takes away definition and creates an illusion that you are shorter than you are.

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