9 Vintage Fit Tips for Petite Ladies

Flashback Summer: 9 Vintage Fit Tips for Petite Ladies

While I know that this post won't apply to everyone, I do know that there will be some readers that will be spared much anguish by this information!  This post is about a few ways that petite ladies can create vintage looks that fit them well.  (I do know that there aren't just petite ladies, though, so I've included some links to other tricky-to-fit body types at the bottom!)

First, let me talk about what petite means, because it seems that there are a lot of misconceptions.

petite - (noun) a category of clothing sized for women or girls of less than average height and with average or diminutive figures, or women who wear this clothing

So petite is not simply a nicer French word for "short" or "tiny waist."  It actually includes a difference in proportion.  Petite ladies are not only shorter than average, but they tend to have shorter torsos and narrower shoulders as well.  The height isn't just shorter, the proportions are smaller.  This makes finding clothing difficult.

You may be petite if:
- You try on clothing and the bust darts are always too low.
- The shoulder seams on clothing where the sleeves start generally hit below your shoulder, on your arm, or sag.
- The length of garments from your shoulder to your waist are usually too long.
- The widest part of a dress around the hips is at your mid-thigh, not your hips.
- When you try to move bust darts or shorten a dress at the torso, the arm holes mess up your plans.
- Sleeves are often too long for your arms.

As you can see, there are some fit issues encountered by petite ladies that aren't usually considered by others who just tell petite women to "get dresses hemmed" to fit.  Well, it takes more than hemming to get an average sized garment to fit a petite lady!

Here are a few ways to help you petite ladies out there find clothing that fits, or how to make clothing fit!

1.  When buying vintage clothing, always ask for the length of the garment and the shoulder-to-waist length.
The shoulder-to-waist length can help determine how long the bodice is and if it will fit your torso.  If it's too long, the waist of the dress won't hit at your waist and the bust darts will probably be too low.  This will also likely mean the hip of the dress won't hit at the widest point of your hips but rather below.
(Keep in mind, though, that many vintage dresses have a bloused effect, so another good measurement to ask for, if you think this is the case, is the shoulder-to-bust-apex.  Compare it to your measurement there, and this will show if the darts will hit in the right place.)

2. Use vintage patterns with a petite option.
Vintage patterns often have different proportions available in one pattern packet (such as this 1960s pants pattern that came in petite, normal, and tall).  Using petite proportioned patterns can help you get a better fit.

3. Use vintage patterns in general!
Older patterns with smaller bust sizes also tended to become more petite.  Although you may still have to shorten a torso here and there, the shoulders, from my experience, tend to be narrower and have a better fit than modern patterns with the same bust measurement.

4. Find staple pieces in modern stores that have petite sections.
Petite sections are not so common, but there are a few stores that have them, so utilize them for your basics like button downs and pencil skirts.  These trends are classic and still available.  I very highly recommend the petite button down shirts at Banana Republic.  I have two of them (one is styled in this post), and I LOVE THEM.  The shirt fit me perfectly in every way, and they're even made of anti-wrinkle fabric!

5. Buy knits.
Knits are amazing for petite ladies!  Due to the stretchy nature of knits, most are made without darts, so you don't have to worry about them hitting at the wrong place!  Not to mention, vintage knits are often made with negative ease, which makes them smaller than other pieces made of fabric.  This can make them just wearable for a petite lady!

6. Carefully shrink things.
Sometimes all it would take to make a garment fit is a general slight shrinking, much like dragging the corner of an image inward on the computer to make all of it proportionally smaller.  Shrinking can do this!
Many fabrics will shrink if put in hot water or in a warm dryer.  I have done this on a couple sweaters, and also a 1940s sweater dress whose shoulders were a little big for me.  If you want to do this, I would recommend shrinking by keeping it in hot water (or the dryer) for only a few minutes, then taking it out and checking it.  Repeat this process until it is finally down to the size you want.  (But seriously, be careful with this!)  I've also benefitted greatly from others' shrinking disasters!  When they proclaim that they are now selling the dress cheap because it is "child-sized" I jump in there and check it out!

7. Look for eras when your size was average.
For me, this is apparently the late 1800s to 1910s.  I find a LOT of antique clothing that fits me perfectly, and I like to incorporate the pieces when I can (although sometimes it requires certain undergarments to make it work).  I won't lie, it kind of gives me an extra little happiness that after all the frustration of trying to shop in a bigger world, at least these antique fancies that many people want to wear but can't actually fit me for once!

8. Let your favorite shops and vintage sellers know your measurements and that you're willing to buy tiny things.
I've heard from a couple sellers that they're surprised I want a smaller piece.  They've said that they tend to skip over petite pieces they find because they don't think there's a market for it.  Let them know you're here and ready to buy!

9. Don't give up heart!
A lot of people don't understand how truly difficult it can be to find petite-proportioned vintage clothing and not understand "the strugs."  It's okay.  Maybe they'll come around and ask about your journey so they can understand more.  Until then, keep looking for all those "china doll-sized" pieces that you can rock!  (Anyone else hear that all the time?  "You just look like a little doll!!!  You look like a tiny china doll!")

Resources for other tricky-to-fit body types:
eShakti Size Offerings (custom available)
Plus Size
Pear Shaped


  1. Another thing to remember is that half sizes are usually petite. If you are larger, it's easier to find plus sized, half sizes. In the 50s and 60s, half size patterns can be found in sizes up to 24 1/2, which is a 47" bust.

    1. Oooo, I didn't know that! That's a great tip! Thanks, Andrea!

  2. I understand the petite struggle. My Mom, Sister, and two of my bridesmaids are petites. It made bridesmaid dress shopping a little tricky. Especially since two of them wore extra large. Vintage I can only imagine being harder, though I am sure it is sort of what you pointed out- people have the pieces, they just don't post them.

  3. Great post! As a petite lady myself, I can absolutely relate to all of these issues, and these are definitely some great tips, too! The short-waistedness and small shoulders are what always get me. I can't tell you how many otherwise perfect dresses had to be put back because my shoulders were too small for the garment!

    (Also, I LOVE the jeans you made in the Banana Republic shirt post. Those are just perfect!)


    1. I always have to put bigger-shouldered dresses back!!! So obnoxious!
      And thank you! They were actually quite simple to make, so that's nice!

  4. Argh, blogger ate my comment again. Let's try this one more time. Great post!! I'm petite on top, but not much on the bottom. Or rather, my height is in my thighs, but my calves are short. I always struggle with shoulders being too wide, gaping necklines, and too-long sleeves, even though I'm on the upper end of the normal women's size range. I'm also quite short-waisted, and have a ridiculously short inseam, but my rise is very long. I've bought petite sizes before and it really does help. I also appreciate vintage patterns and clothing for this reason--women of the 1940s and 1950s who were my size seem like they were proportioned more like me too, so the clothing fits a lot better. Sewing also gives me a lot of latitude to fix things that don't fit right, whereas in RTW, I don't always have that option (or it is harder to make a clean alteration because of how modern garments are constructed). I end up pinning a lot of necklines in the back to bring the shoulders in, and adding tucks and pleats to the front neckline to fix gaping. I'm still figuring out how to properly fit myself when sewing, but I'm learning. I'm getting there. :)

    1. I totally identify! I've had to do all the alterations you mentioned, and it is trickier than a lot of people think. I've also learned how to fit myself better, but it is such a process! With every pattern being different and requiring different alterations, it's tricky!

  5. Stellar tips, Em! I'm petite (barely 5'2") myself and have thought about writing on this topic many times, yet haven't had a chance to so far. You've covered so much here and done such a fantastic job of delving into the topic that I'm not sure there's much I could think to add now. If I do ever write about it, I'll be sure to mention your post in mine and meanwhile (and after, too) refer anyone who comes to me with questions on this topic to yours.

    Here's to us stylish vintage "china dolls" (I actually love being told such things - weird?).

    ♥ Jessica

    1. Wow, well thank you so much, Jessica! That's quite a compliment! I'd appreciate a mention if you decide to get into the topic. If you do write about it, that would be great! I've always got new tips to learn!

      And yeah, "china doll" isn't the worst! People usually associate "small" with "fragile," and that part kinda bothers me. I'm not fragile! (But that's totally tomboy childhood baggage, haha!)

  6. Great post! I'm another just about 5'2"er like Jessica, with the world's narrowest shoulders, and I just don't think people realise how difficult it is to buy clothes when you're petite. Throw vintage into it and it all gets a lot harder! I definitely agree with buying staples in modern day petite ranges - I'm in the UK and I find ASOS great for reasonable prices and wide range of choice. CC x