Wedding Supplies

Petite Fashions:
Shopping for petite sized clothes is a major problem. Some of the common statements made during this process are – trousers ado not fit at the fork, the waist is too large, jackets are not available, check the children’s section. People wrongly think that petite sizing needs will be met just by putting on an extra small size. But a petite person has a small bone structure, but a woman’s body. It is very frustrating then to be directed to the smaller – read ‘children’s’ - sizes when the correct garment is non-existent. However, luckily, in India, there are tailors who can custom make a garment to petite proportions. But what to get made? What are the colours, shapes and proportions which suit a petite person?


Colour and prints

Wear single columns of colour. They increase height and prevent the visual cutting up of the body shape into distorted colour groups. Wear small prints as per as possible, and large prints only on the shoulder and chest – to lengthen the shoulder and bust line. Horizontal stripes make petites taller. Vertical stripes can also enhance elongation when teamed with a cardigan or jacket.

Stay away from neons, blocks of colour and an overplay of ‘sheer’ mixes. Necklines, shoulders and tops A regular shoulder for petites is 33.75 cm. Stay with a good fit to enhance the shoulder line even 2.5 cm over the exact shoulder can make a petite look like she is wearing an oversized garment.


The armhole should fit snugly.

Wear tops that are short and elongate the torso. Revealing a bit of midriff works well to lengthen the body. Teamed with low waisted hipsters, cropped fitted tops are ideal for petites.

Navel revealing styles, besides making one look taller, also make a small chest look visually larger.


Low necked waistcoats over fitted tops enhance the silhouette.

Necklines that work: Boat, sweethearts, halters and Chinese collars worn open. Also favourable are square necks for tiny shoulders and lightly draped cowls for small busts.

Necklines to avoid: Vee necks for thin necks, Puritan collars and funnel collars. Also, ruff collars and Mandrain collars worn closed. No ties and no jabot scarves.

Always define the shoulders. Leave them bare. Cutaway sleeveless styles and wide scooped necks enhance the shoulder line.

Tiny fitted sleeves work better than puffed styles that ‘drown’ the wearer. Jackets, skirts and trousers Cardigans and twin sets look great.

Avoid short fitted bolero styles and jackets that have Dolman sleeves. Skirts that skim the knees do not work on petites. Keep them either 15 cm above the knees or ankle length; both lengths elongate the body.

Cut skirts as close to the body as possible and avoid flared styles. Trousers, too, should be closely fitting.

Slightly stretchy fabric is preferable – ‘shape’ is of vital necessity for petites.

Stirrup pants and semi-fitted hipsters get the green signal. So do low-waisted Bermudas and culottes in soft fabrics.

If you have a large waist, most trousers are fine, except jumpsuits and flared shorts.

Gathered skirts are taboo. Paralleled, gored and wraparound skirts are great. Sarong skirts are flattering on petites.


Ethnic Wear

Wear ‘kurtas’ fitted till the waist or lower bust. As far as possible, maintain a waist shape. Avoid oversized flared styles. Keep ‘dupattas’ long and narrow. ‘Ghagra-choli’ sets are good to show off the body shape just keep the ‘choli’ close fitting and the ‘dupatta’ sheer. Saris make petites taller. Ensure that the ‘cholis’ are short and the saris worn low waisted. For evenings, wear backless and shoulder-revealing ‘choli’ styles.