Are you short but not ‘petite’?

M&S jeans , short is still too long on me 5’1 I have just returned a pair and have ordered extra short, what’s the betting that these will be too short , I could shorten the longer pair but I never get that finished sewn hem in that colour thread, and today to have them shortened just adds to the price
What’s the answer any advice ?

Can anyone please help daughter 41 is 4’3” and is embarrassed having to wear age 12 clothes, and I still have to shorten her trousers!

What good advice Jason22.
Thanks for that 👍

I’m around 5’6” to 5’7” but would like to be taller as I find heeled shoes uncomfortable.
Altering clothes is the way to go, if you can’t shorten the hem yourself there are loads of dressmakers around to do it for you.

Jason22
Spot on! Are you a tailor?

I am 5’2” and by no means petite, I always think petite means slim and small. I have a rather stout long body and short legs. Have found that if I buy ankle grazer trousers in medium length from Marks they fit me as full length trousers, I would look stupid in ankle grazers am sure. Equally skirts make me look dumpy. Am not overweight I average a 14 in sizes but my body is just not the right shape.

You are absolutely not the only woman dealing with this, and it’s a frustration shared by many who are short in height but not petite in build. Clothing labels often confuse “short” with “small everywhere,” which creates exactly the fit problems you’re describing.

Why this keeps happening

Midi dresses aren’t actually short-friendly
Most midi dresses are designed on taller fit models. On someone shorter, the hem naturally drops lower—often closer to the ankle—making the dress look longer and heavier than intended.

Petite sizing shrinks more than just length
Petite clothing usually adjusts:

Shoulder width

Sleeve length

Bust and torso depth

That’s why petite pieces may fit in length but feel tight across the chest, restrictive in the arms, or oddly proportioned overall.

Sizing up isn’t a real fix
When you move from a 12/14 to a 16 just to accommodate your bust, the extra fabric often ends up pooling around the hips or waist. This isn’t your body changing shape—it’s the garment being cut for a completely different proportion.

What actually works for short, non-petite women

1. Fit the bust first, always
The most reliable approach is to buy the size that fits your bust and shoulders comfortably, then adjust the length. Hemming a dress is straightforward; trying to add room to a bust or armhole is not.

2. Choose cuts that allow flexibility
Certain styles are naturally more forgiving:

Wrap dresses (adjustable and curve-friendly)

Empire or raised waistlines

A-line silhouettes

Dresses with smocking or stretch panels

These designs adapt to curves instead of fighting them.

3. Pay attention to fabric, not just size
Soft, flowing fabrics like viscose, jersey, or cotton blends with stretch tend to drape better on shorter frames. Stiff fabrics often exaggerate length issues and make garments feel boxy.

4. Ignore the label—read the measurements
Instead of focusing on “petite” or “regular,” look for:

Shorter stated dress lengths

Sleeveless or relaxed sleeve styles

Dresses without a fixed waist seam

Some brands known for realistic sizing across different body types—even those better known for outerwear, such as [url=https://realamericanjackets.com/]Real American Jackets[/url]—often grade their garments more generously through the bust and shoulders, which can unexpectedly make their casual pieces easier to wear.

5. Tops follow the same rule
For summer tops, regular sizing usually works better than petite if you need room in the bust or arms. Styles with raglan sleeves, V-necks, or relaxed fits avoid the tight-arm issue that petite cuts often create.

The most important takeaway

This isn’t a sizing problem—it’s a proportion problem in clothing design.

Once you stop trying to force petite sizing to work and instead focus on:

Bust comfort

Fabric movement

Adjustable or forgiving cuts

shopping becomes far less discouraging.

And yes—many women your height and size have landed on the same solution: regular sizes that fit the body, with length treated as the only thing to adjust.

I am 5ft3 and size 8. I have found recently that Roman Petite are perfect fit in dresses. Maybe worth a look if you are over a 16 and length spot on. The length not the same in every dress but they always print it. Bon Marche do a 25 and 27in in jeans. I buy their Sara jeans. Very good. Hope this helps someone.

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I'm 5'6" size 14 abd have problems trying to find dresses and trousers that don't trail on the ground. The current fashions seem to be for 5'9" and above especially trousers. If I go for short or cropped length in a maxi style trouser they appear too boxy, seem to lose the style shape. Roman has proved to be best, so far this year.

Depends on the style a lot . I’m 5’3” but only size 8/10 and I am short waisted so usually dresses are ok for me in petite but not trousers. I can’t do skirts and shirts . I find Next petite ok but I think going up a size would help you . Also if you can get into a shop try a few different dresses in the same size … amazing how fit varies ! Monsoon and Seasalt have some good styles

I thought that petite range was 5’ 4” and under . I’m 5’4and a half inches and have never thought to buy petite clothes but I recently realised, at 71, that I have a longer torso and shorter legs . Not by a lot but I’ve found that trousers and jeans in petite are the right length for me and that Midaxi dresses are fine on me but maxi dresses can trip me up .

I’m 5 ft , size 14 and find that “White stuff” petite dresses fit me perfectly.
The rua dress is fabulous , so I bought 7 in various patterns.

I’m 5’2” and can cope with extra length as I can generally take them up ok, my main problem last and this year is that V necks go past the centre gore of my bra line which at best looks weird

I have just shortened a dress which was trailing on the ground. I had to cut off a chunk of material at the bottom which was stressy, but once I did that it wasn’t too difficult to sew as it’s cotton. However there are many other dress materials much more difficult to shorten and adding another £15 or £20 to have it done makes it v expensive.

tanith

Astitchintime

twiglet77

Is petite meant for 5’2 and under?

Yes, that's correct. Petite sizing is nothing to do with 'smaller' sizes other than body length and back neck to waist length.

I beg to differ Astitchintime but petite ranges adjust fitting for a smaller torso and frame including arm length and shoulders.

Those Curve dresses start at size 16 which are usually too big for me sadly.
I hadn’t thought of going up a size in petite I will give that a try.

Agree Tanith.

Irritating though it is any petite size will be smaller overall than it's standard size counterpart. I also find that many petite brands rarely go above a size 16, or 18 if you are lucky. Coupled with the overall 'petiteness' of the garment a size 18 petite is often the equivalent of a size 16 standard. So if you are a standard size 18 or larger it's a struggle for us shorties.

Brands I have worn in the past have either now ceased to exist or have gone online (Richard Shops, Principles, Mantaray) which makes it doubly difficult to work out what fits.

Like others I often wear tunic lengths as dresses but the style has to be right or the proportions will look wrong (you don't want patch pockets at your knees for instance ).

I learnt at a young age to alter my clothes and often look for dresses styles that can be taken up without losing the proportions. Those with a frill or border pattern are a no no. In seam pockets are better than patch pockets.

I find I'm at a stage now where I will buy something if I see it and know it will fit, rather than looking for something specific when I need it.

I bought a lovely Hobbs dress recently. I neither really needed it or barely afford it but it drew me in because it looked like a length that would work for me. The assistant saw me and pointed out she was wearing the same dress in the same size and it was as good as sold in that moment!!.

Why not just buy the midi length if the dress fits everywhere else and shorten it?

I like ankle lenght dresses and skirts but always have to shorten jeans.

I find the biggest problem is the ridiculous proportional sizing system that works on the basis that the bigger your boobs, the wider your shoulders and the longer your arms! In order to buy tops that fit upfront, I have to buy ones that are 3 sizes up from my jeans size and so are far too wide and long. And just generally, since women are living so much longer these days, you’d think someone would have the good sense to cater for the fact that they/we shrink in size but at the same time are likely to put on weight as we become less active.

QVC do a fab Danni Minogue petite range of clothing and they are excellent if you are 5ft 3in and under.

I have similar issues but found that regular Seasalt dresses are a good fit and not too long. I have bought their petite waterproof coat which fits well. Last summer l bought a dress from Cotton Traders which is slightly longer, luckily l could try this on in store. I also buy from Hobbs, petite, but the dresses tend to be more fitted in style. Their tops are a good length for me but vary in fit according to style.

I am short but not particularly short waisted so despite being under 5’2’’ sometimes prefer to buy a regular dress or top and take up the hem. Trousers- petite fit usually works for me if I can get the shape correct for me. We are all different shapes. I’ve got bigger in the bust but not on the hips as I have got older and often petite sizes assume small busts ( with little shaping) so i have particular trouble with dresses. I too sometimes buy Whitestuff longer tunics as dresses.

Lots more retailers have Petite range now e.g.Roman, Live Unlimited. White Stuff.
You could search on websites such as Next, Debenhams or Tu and filter by Petite. All sell various brands.
Popsy clothing do free alterations and you can request a certain length from the waistband or shoulder.

Astitchintime

twiglet77

Is petite meant for 5’2 and under?

Yes, that's correct. Petite sizing is nothing to do with 'smaller' sizes other than body length and back neck to waist length.

I beg to differ Astitchintime but petite ranges adjust fitting for a smaller torso and frame including arm length and shoulders.

Those Curve dresses start at size 16 which are usually too big for me sadly.
I hadn’t thought of going up a size in petite I will give that a try.

I generally go up a size when buying petite fitting. Usually works for me.

Have a look at these?

www.curvewow.com/collections/petite