Short, Fat and Stylish a Fashion Guide for Plus Size Petite Women
By Amaryllis
Plus size and petite, looking gorgeous in one color pajamas from Certain Style
There seems to be a belief that petite is synonymous with elfin, that petite women are tiny graceful creatures who float delicately on a sea of petals and have waists the size of an average womans neck. Not true. While many such women do exist, there are just as many (if not more) who are petite plus, average size and above (in width) but less than average height. Why do we care?
While the media is delighted to fuss over the existence of so-called plus size models, the plight of the short is totally ignored. Worried you don't get to see models who are a normal size? Forget about width, that's bad enough. Let me tell you about height.
A short model is 5 feet 9. Honestly. That's 8 inches and more taller than a petite woman. And that alters the way any outfit looks, not a little but completely. Have you ever been to try on a wedding dress and found yourself standing on a small dais which allows the dress, which is too long, to fall to the floor? I bet you looked great, but it's not what you would look like in real life because the ratio of width to height on your body would be completely different. Why is that?
What we perceive (for some reason everyone seems to be the same) as elegant is a silhouette where the height is several times the width. Take a look at any fashion illustration you've ever seen. Take a look at a Barbie doll, the length of the leg is way above normal in comparison to the other measurements. To redress that balance, short women need to use every visual illusion they can to increase that perceived ratio of height to width and achieve the look of elegance most women aspire to.
It makes sense that the longer the single blocks of color on your body are, the taller you will appear. A blouse and pants for example will make you look short unless
1. The blouse is the same color as the pants and
2. There is no obvious horizontal line between them.
The ideal outfit for the plus size petite woman is mostly one color, with the contrast at the narrowest point (usually the neck). This means that maxi skirts and dresses have the potential to make you look slimmer than conventional skirts. Jackets can provide a great contrast and look good over matching blouse and pants (especially when left open to show the blouse, a narrow strip of lighter colored fabric) but if they don't match the pants the lower edge will form a horizontal line, breaking up the outline and spoiling the illusion of height.
One solution is to wear pants, top and jacket all to match, or use cleverly shaped jackets, like waterfall jackets which hang in soft folds and provide no solid horizontal outline.
When it comes to evening wear, the shorter woman can shine in a full length gown, but even here the illusion can be improved by the use of the right neckline. A V neck also creates an illusion of length and can be very flattering, whereas a square neck emphasises width and is unlikely to look as good.
Nightgowns pajamas and robes are just as important - there is no better way to end the day than in a beautifully sensual silk nightgown that fits, but this is usually difficult for small women who find full length nightgowns difficult to come by. The best solution is to either use a made to measure service or choose a design with a lace edge. By cutting the lace off you'll be able to reduce the nightgown to the right length. As short nightgowns tend to fall to the knee on petite women, it is important to look carefully at the design. If its primary purpose is to show off your legs, forget it and go for something designed to show off face or shoulders instead.
Although short plus size women are not generally used as models in any part of the fashion industry this doesn't mean they can't look good. Simply pay attention to the creation of the right visual illusion and you can look just as good as anyone, however tall they are.
Comments
Ben educate yourself on womens clothing, petite is any woman 5'4" and under regardless of weight. It is not a dictionary definition!!
Ben, I'm delighted to have support from Rebecca and seamstress1, if you read the first paragraph again, I agree that the classical definition of petite is, essentially, tiny, but in the fashion industry the term now refers to anyone who is short.
But that's not the important point. Why shouldn't fat girls feel good? Why should you, or anyone else for that matter, get to say when we are allowed to feel good about ourselves? I couldn't disagree with you more.
I actually work for a Plus Size Woman's clothing company in NZ and it occurs on a almost a daily basis.
People saying "fat girls shouldn't wear this fat girls shouldn't wear that."
Incredible to think others feel the need to verbally state their stance on such matters. Says A LOT about what's going on inside the critic. Often they are in a bad head space about themselves so feel the need to belittle others.(Excuse the pun)
Also very easy for someone like Ben to make these comments from behind the safety of a computer monitor.
Ben, I agree with you 100 percent. If you are 5 feet tall and 6 feet wide, you are NOT petite
Understanding this as an industry standard, petite refers to the shorter length from neck to wrist,neck to shoulder, waist to hip, breastbone to waist, knee to hip, etc. A five foot woman at 92 lbs has pretty much the same dimensions mentioned above even if she gains forty pounds. Only her measurements of circumference will change. Regular sized clothing and plus sizes will result in pant rises hanging halfway to her knees, shoulder seems similarly laying several inches down the arm, jackets and shirts which land mid thigh, arm holes which lay four inches down the underarm side of the garment (really a problem in sleeveless garments; half of the bra shows). The issue here is clothing fit, not how attractive to men the short person is. Do the men who remarked here picture a 23 year old who is stuffing her face with pizza when she should be svelte and sexy for him to ogle? Got a mom, aunt, or grandma or physically challenged female relative who is really beloved and overweight? Do you feel disgusted with them because of the weight? Do you feel the same way about male relatives with the same issues? I've seen enough out of shape men making jokes about over weight women who presumably wouldn't give the men the time of day if those women were thin.
The topic here was clothing, not the morality of being fat.
I am only four ten and about nine stone. Im considered to be "fat" and yet my height deliniates me as "petite".
Ben and Dave, what would someone larger but short be labled in fashion senses if not a "petit" height?
I'm very short and very fat. There, we don't have to argue over the term "petite". This article is extremely useful for me, I just wish it'd come with some more photos to illustrate. Thank you, Amaryllis.
Great article!
Although, as a manager of a plus size boutique, I do believe that you can be a bit more easy-going with your rules, such as the pant and top having to match.
Keep your chin up! Even on a great site like hubpages, people like to stretch their muscles and make negative comments. You ARE petite plus. That is an industry fact. The word "petite" has different uses in different arenas, and we'll use ours the way the clothing industry does, thank you very much!
Guys: If you don't know the business, keep out of ours please, and be a bit nicer next time.
Actually, I am petite and fat. You must be my cousin.
Wow! I love this color. Regular sized clothing and plus sizes will result in pant rises hanging halfway to her knees, shoulder seems similarly laying several inches down the arm, jackets and shirts which land mid thigh, arm holes which lay four inches down the underarm side of the garment… Thanks for sharing….
Hey,Ben!
How about all the plus size girls go hide under a rock while you are out on the town, going to the grocery store, and exercising your virile, masculine body.
You think everyone should feel bad unless they live up to your standards, but so far, I see that your standards mean being sh it ty to other people until they feel bad so you can feel superior.
Hope you get a petite, plus size, fat, short ball busting woman as your next boss.
Have a great day!
Can I break into the bigot bashing to ask; where can I find a dress or skirt that will fit a plus waist but petite hieght? I am 5'2 and have been searching for a nice mid-calf-length, summer dress all over the web...forget the department stores...nothing here fits me.
Thank you for this article. I have to attend a wedding in a couple of months and as the short and fat step mother of the bride I don't want to embarrass her by looking frumpy.
Ben and Dave should each get a life because the time could come (if it hasn't already) when they will not be 'hot'and then they will be 100% short on personality to compensate for their lack of physical beauty.
Double standards for men and women need to end now. Men with potbellies insist that their women must look hot. I say 'to hell with them', there are more than enough men out there who look at inner beauty first and consider outer beauty to be just a bonus.
Great Article!
I am very frustrated when shopping for clothes. I too am short and round and clothing usually fits my top but not my waist. If I buy clothes from Lane Bryant they are made for tall heavy ladies. Apparantly only tall women can be plus sized.Even the petites are too small. If i am lucky I can find them in 16 and up. Occasionally I find a petite short in pants in an 18 but few and far between. With petite short I don't have to hem them. Also why do they think if you have a thick waist, your thighs are just as big. The pants usually look like tents. Very frustrating!
Thank you ladies for setting Ben straight.I am a mature lady and have had a fun life. I have found that men like Ben love to think they are more than what they are. It is usually because of their (short)comings,if you know what I mean, that they love to put a woman down. Who do they think they are? Wonder what his mother,sister,wife, or GF will think when he gets old,fat or bald? you think they will love him any less/ No. Ben, Grow up jerk!
I was directed to this site for some ideas on how to dress stylishly for my height which is 4'11" 1/2, weight at the moment 165lbs. The height runs in my family, I like being little. The weight is from medication, depression, stress and working 3 jobs to support my daughter and husband. I only eat breakfeast and the other 2 meals are Boost while traveling between jobs. When I married my husband, I was on 102lbs size 6 at the most. Husband was normal weight, but now, he is no underwear model, himself. He has match me pound for pound and then some. Guys are called big, women are call fat. I didnt choice to be this way, but Dave and Ben you choice to be pigs. It is possible for me and others to change are weight but a pig will always be a pig, no matter how you dress him up. At least we women are are this site for information to help us look our best. Why on earth are you guys on this site and even commenting on such a simple article, again for WOMEN. I appreciate the good information in the article.
I know it's old, but blimey that was some crazy comments up there. In the UK, Plus Size is considered to start at size 12. Size 12! That's a US Size 8. It's ridiculous that anyone in that category be considered plus size.
Of course, I would say that, but we're a plus size company and we don't start until Size 18, which is where we believe it really become plus size.
And, again I would say this, but I don't care: it's completely possible for Size 18+ to buy and dress in some fabulous clothes and look great. The days when you couldn't are thankfully long gone.
I am a woman and agree with Ben---not the way he put it, mind you, but in essence, I agree. There are 2 issues here. Height and breadth. If you are short, yes you are petite, in that your height is small, however if you are heavy...petite doesn't sit right with me. Conversely I believe you can be tall, so by definition NOT petite in height, however if you have small bones and very little weight then your breadth IS petite. It's a combo thing.
where i live, "petite" is a height measurement for fashion, just as "centimetre" is a length measurement, and "litre" is a volume measurement. you can be petite, and be plus-sized. to those of you in your bubbles, yes, petite and plus-sized DOES happen. petite jeans are not necessarily skinnier fitting than regular, they're usually just shorter. petite as a word on its own does mean smaller, but in fashion it means shorter. (source: i'm a fashion student)
some peole are just rude who care like I'm 5'4 and over weight lol...then i have others tell me your not over weight lol just tone up stomach a bit more hahaha either way iam short lol..
Ben - pushing your twatty comment to the side for a second; why exactly are you googling and reading articles on women's fashion?
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Amaryllis -- I LOVE the title of this Hub! Thanks for the good ideas.
so....back to where to find l/xl petite?. as an apple...my belly is large but butt and legs are trim....i like to walk in the summer but suffer from hot flashes. this leads me to look for t-shirts that go over the belly with cap sleeves...but not look pregnant.
in one case i put an elastic band around bottom of t-shirt and bought (Target) tshirt material bottoms. the bottoms were light and fit well ..with easy pull on.
many times, i have thought of seeking out a streamstress and market such clothes???
but in the mean time ...i march thru the web sites to trial and error.
Petite means short.
Clothing petite means slender. I have to agree with Ben on clothing petite.
This blog is fantastic.... thank you for the advise
Interested readers can get a lot out of here about fashion tips and tricks.
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Ben 22 months ago
Petite does not mean short and fat. You can not be petite and fat. please stop trying to redefine the word petite to make fat girls feel good. look up the definition of petite.