Where to Shop If You’re Short

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If you’re on the shorter end of the height spectrum, you’re familiar with the challenges of finding pants that don’t need hemming, sleeves that aren’t far too long, and clothing that generally doesn’t line up with your proportions. Fortunately, many brands have expanded their offerings in the petite department. But unfortunately, most of that progress has happened online, with many stores still only carrying a fraction — if any — of their petite collections in their physical spaces.

For now, the internet is your best bet. Here’s a list of the best places to shop online for petite clothing, broken down by category: work, weekend, and more.

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Best for Work

If you spend most of your time in an office setting, you’re going to need some professional clothes that don’t make you look like you’re playing dress-up in your mom’s ’80s powersuits. J.Crew makes many of its work-ready pieces in petite sizes, like the Résumé Dress, which can work in the warmer months on its own or with a blazer and tights in the winter. Complete your 9-to-5 wardrobe with separates like the Campbell Blazer, the Preston Pant, and this stretchy cotton pencil skirt.

If you work in a creative office, check out Eileen Fisher for small-sized versions of the drapey, oversized minimalist styles that typically leave petites drowning in extra fabric. This wool crepe box top and this seamless ballet neck tunic are made just for smaller proportions, and with a shorter inseam and slimmer cut, these wide-leg ankle pants are a great option for shorter ladies looking to try out the culottes trend.

To stock up on work basics without dropping a ton of cash, keep an eye on Loft’s huge petites selection — and its frequent big sales. There’s this modern blazer with notched lapels that could easily become a work wardrobe staple, as well as these wide-leg tweed trousers with sailor buttons that will give the illusion of extra height.

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Best for Working Out

For workout clothes made for petites, the entire Gap family of brands has an excellent selection, with budget-friendly choices from Old Navy, classic workout basics from GapFit, and outstanding technical apparel from Athleta.

Pick up this cut-out back workout tank top in a few colors and this reflective-trim half-zip jacket that’s perfect for keeping you visible and safe on early-morning or late-night outdoor runs. Get full-length tights in muscle-supporting compression from GapFit, and complete your gym look with some pieces from Athleta, including this loose-fitting T-shirt.

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Best for Weekend Essentials

Anthopologie makes hundreds of its flowy, bohemian styles available in sizes that are guaranteed to not be way oversized. This paisley printed dress or polished yet relaxed jumpsuit would be perfect for brunch, and this cozy turtleneck tunic looks ideal for lounging around on lazy Sundays. Petites know that getting pants shortened a few inches will mean losing any details on the hem, but with Anthro’s shorter inseams you can keep those cute details, like the frayed ruffle on these jeans.

If your style leans more edgy than boho, turn to Topshop for a great selection of trendy pieces. This tiger-embroidered short-sleeved button-down and this oversized washed black denim jacket are good picks for transitional fall dressing. Topshop also makes most of its denim styles in 28” and 30” inseams, like these black jeans with a hook-and-eye detail and the super soft and stretchy Leigh moto jeans.

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Best for Denim

Known for its covetable denim fits, Madewell recently introduced short-length jeans to the excitement of petites everywhere. The high-rise skinnies are now available in a petite-friendly 26.5” inseam, and these button-fly frayed edge flares will actually be a crop length on petites.

Cult denim favorite Paige also sells a number of styles in petite length, like these black cherry velvet skinny jeans and these moss-colored skinnies, as well as year-round favorites like the popular Verdugo skinnies in an array of washes, including inky dark and classic white.

Although it doesn’t specifically make petite sizes, Japanese brand Uniqlo offers free in-store tailoring on any jeans over $20 (if the pair you buy costs less, it’s only a $5 fee), and they’re usually ready within a few hours. The ultra-stretch jeans come in pretty much any wash you want, and the brand also makes on-trend styles, like these distressed slim boyfriend jeans and these slim-leg high-rise cigarette jeans.

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Best for Petite Plus

It’s a common misunderstanding that petite means tiny all over, but there are also many of us who are short and curvy. Launched to meet the needs of curvy women seeking trendy and stylish options, plus-size brand Eloquii also caters to the petite plus market. In a bold color, this pencil skirt brings a pop of fun to an everyday work look, or go boho in this embroidered peasant blouse.

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Best for Formal Affairs

Decoding dress codes for formal events like weddings can be tough enough without having to consider that most floor-length dresses are made for someone at least a foot taller than you. For everything from cocktail parties to black-tie weddings, ASOS’s huge petite section features a variety of choices for girls of any style, including long dresses are generally an off-the-rack no-no for those of us hovering around 5-foot.

This gorgeous tulle and sequined gown would be perfect for a formal wedding, and this flutter-sleeve maxi could work as a bridesmaid dress. For a semi-formal event, consider this printed cold-shoulder dress or this open-back jumpsuit.

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Best for Going Out

After introducing a petite capsule line (with the totally badass name “Don’t Call Me Cute”) in 2015, Reformation has recently made its hip, indie styles available in a permanent petite collection.

Jumpsuits can be found in lots of perfect styles for weekend nights, like the Swiss jumpsuit that comes in bright colors and fun prints. There are also sexy-night-out dresses to shop, like this leopard mini dress and this sassy ’90s-inspired red number with spaghetti straps and a ruffled hem.

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Best for a Little Bit of Everything

For one-stop petite shopping, major department stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s carry a number of small-size garments in all different categories. From Nordstrom, choices include this dress-it-up or dress-it-down shimmery pleated skirt from Vince Camuto, a wool and cashmere cardigan from Halogen, and classic Citizens of Humanity black skinny jeans. The Macy’s selection ranges from faux-fur-trimmed coats from Via Spiga to cute printed day dresses from Michael Michael Kors.

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Best for Athleisure

Athleta picks up another top spot for its athletic-style clothes that can do double-duty in the gym and beyond. These tights are perfect for a light hike or just walking around town, as is this cute down jacket. Pieces like this striped sweatshirt dress also capture the athletic style but can transition to brunch, errands, or even a casual Friday at the office.

Canadian brand Aritza doesn’t have dedicated petite sizes, but since regular sizing starts at XXS, many of the athleisure styles from lines like TNA and The Constant will work for petites. Check out the on-trend colorblocked pants and tops in sizes that work with petite frames. There’s also this dancer-inspired tie-front tank top and these cozy yet flattering sweatpants in a gorgeous green.

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Bonus: Petite-Only Shops

While it’s exciting that mainstream brands have become more inclusive by carrying petite sizes, it’s still worth highlighting the shops that cater exclusively to petites. New York-based Petite Studio carries vintage-inspired garments, including this white dress with black contrasting buttons and this textured ’50s-style tank top. It also designs outerwear perfect for smaller frames — try this classic trench coat or this gorgeous camel coat.

For indie brands, check out Stature. The online shop lists its models’ measurements (they’re all under 5’4”), so it’s easy to see how pieces like this Loup striped dress or this Steven Alan coat will look in real life. Brands like Dusen Dusen also make exclusive pieces just for Stature, like this printed T-shirt. You can also get some pieces custom-hemmed, like these Rachel Comey camo pants. Stature also stocks shoes in sizes 6 and under, which, as those of us tiny-footed folk know, are often the first to sell out in regular stores.