Why dont stores realize there are petite fat woman out here?

[crzyred]

I'm 5'4 and find that I need to get things tailored if I want them to fit properly. Luckily I found a pretty inexpensive and fast tailor near my work.

i did too....she goes by the name "mom". she actually has hand made all my formal dresses and a few sundresses.

I am 5'2", 200lbs, with a 38DDD bosom. Try fitting that figure!

well i'm basically you, except i'm 5'1" and about 175 lbs. add on to that that i am 22 yrs old, and you have a recipe for a very high positive self-esteem

i've hated clothes shopping since stupid puberty hit. i can't even find shoes that fit me right.

i never go clothes shopping with my friends, they can walk into a store and find a thousand things that fit, me either the girls are on display or i feel like i should have a "bulls eye" on my hind-end.

 

[hniki234]

Thank you - someone has actually realized that just because I'm short and I wear a size 4 - I do have breasts I can still wear the same pants I wore in high school but I have to buy a shirt 5 sizes too big just to get it buttoned

I know what you mean! I'm 5'3" and wear a 6/8. I have an incredibly hard time finding a dress that will fit my upper body as well as my lower body! And I love how button-up shirts look, but I just can't wear them because I always have a gap. If I went up in sizes, then it wouldn't fit elsewhere.

I was actually glad to run into this thread today because I'm upset about a bridesmaids' dress that I have to wear at the end of this month and its nice to know I'm not the only one with these problems! I wasn't able to try the dress on because the store only had two sizes: a 2 and a 14 - neither of which would work for me. I had to guess at my size because the employees were not helpful (this was at David's Bridal). We just got the dresses in and I don't really have time to get a larger size and have it "tailored" to fit me (besides, I already spent $120 on the dress and don't feel like spending another $50 to get it tailored). It's a strapless knee-length dress. It fits my lower body great, but it looks bad on my upper half. Normally, I would wear a short-sleeve, short length cardigan with it, but seeing as how I have to "match" the other girls I can't get away with it. I think sleeveless dresses are cute...when I can cover the sleeveless part! I'm really dreading this wedding now.

 

[Talking Hands]

Geez, you are all tall compared to me. Try to by clothes when you are 4'8" and 190 pounds. Yuck. Always too long and ugly. Very frustrating.

 

[Mrs.Milo]

I have seen catalogs that have petites in 14P & up, but I just can't remember the names. Try an online search, and if I find it I'll let you know!

 

[Stitchfans]

Again didn't read all the other posts. But it sometimes is hard to find tall fat womans clothes too. Sometimes the pants are not long enough. I also prefer the tops to be a big longer to cover more of the belly. TMI?

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

I think this whole *gapping* issue has created the new trend of cami's under buttondown tops which are now buttoned to just below the chest.

 

[Christine]

38C and I gap too, I dont even bother most of the time even trying on button down shirts although I did buy one at talbots but I put a cute lacy camisole uner it and left it open, so not really a button down!

Just and FYI...the button down blouses (French cuff) from Victoria's Secret do not gap on me. Also, a few years ago I got some from The Limited and they did not gap, but they don't seem to sell them anymore.

 

[froglady]

I think this whole *gapping* issue has created the new trend of cami's under buttondown tops which are now buttoned to just below the chest.

I sew mine closed; I just slip the shirt over my head.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

i did too....she goes by the name "mom". she actually has hand made all my formal dresses and a few sundresses.

I have the same type tailor! I can't sew worth a flip, so many times I have my mom take things up for me.
Kim

 

[PrincessKitty1]

I've read various estimates that petites account for anywhere from 35-45% of the USA adult female population.

I'm 5' 4 1/2", so barely fall in the petite height range, but regular sizes are way, way out of proportion for me--armholes too big, shoulders too wide, darts too low, waist to crotch too long on pants, etc., etc.

I don't even bother to look at regularly-sized dresses, because most of them would literally be below my ankles and dragging on the floor.

Even regularly-sized T-shirts in a size small are way, way too big for me all over. What do true petites (like 5 feet tall, 100 pounds) do for clothes??

I'm fairly thin (120) which puts me at a 6 petite for most department-store lines, but a 4 petite for the pricier lines and the smaller shops like Ann Taylor. The stores in my area have very, very few items smaller than a six petite, so if I lose a few pounds, or want to wear something other than Macy's Style & Co. line (their 6P fits me perfectly), I have to shop 1-2 hours away. I drag DH to the Millenium Mall Macy's sometimes when we go to Disney because their sizes start at 2P, while our local Macys rarely has anything smaller than a 6P.

Basically I end up with about 5 casual tops and 5 casual pants every season that I wear over and over. This is OK as long as I can wear scrubs to work. I would have loved to have some cute, casual dresses to wear on my little beach vacation, but NOTHING FITS. It's very frustrating, and I think I'm pretty normal-sized. Plus I'm 50, and I would look ridiculous in a lot of styles that are current right now (e.g. baby-doll mini-dresses,etc.). I'm not a fuddy-duddy, but I don't want people to point and laugh at me because my clothes are too young! Don't even get me started on those issues.

 

[RitaZ.]

I'm not a fuddy-duddy, but I don't want people to point and laugh at me because my clothes are too young! Don't even get me started on those issues.

I understand what you're saying. You don't want to look older than you are, but you don't want to look ridiculous by wearing trends that are clearly for younger women.

IMO, dressing age appropriate is something more women should do. There is a fine line between looking sexy and looking ridiculous. I saw a woman at Publix wearing a Bebe tank top with a denim mini-skirt, then I saw her face. She must have been in her early 50's. Her look was all wrong!