Petite Style: What Is It Anyway?

Now, now, I don’t really plan on getting caught up in semantics. However, I thought it might be useful for folks who come here wondering what on earth do we really mean when we say “Petite Style”… or perhaps, “Petite Fashion”?

So, here’s my best attempt at explaining what we intend to cover here at Petite Stylista -

What… or who… is considered to be Petite?

Petite is a word that was derived from the French word petit, meaning “small”. It has come to mean “of small stature or being trim in figure.” Usually, in reference to a woman. It may be used either as a noun or adjective. And, it is often referred to as a way to determine garment size.

In fashion, there has been some confusion and debate on what is considered petite. Some fashion manufacturers claim their clothes to be in the ‘petite’ range, however, they may just simply be for ‘thin’ or ‘slender’ figures but still would be too long or big for the shorter women. Or, they may not even fit certain body types of some petite women.

So, in general, we consider someone to be petite if she is 5 feet and 4 inches tall or smaller. She may have different body types or sizes.

Now, what’s this Style thing?

Style is defined in a few different ways, such as: “a form of appearance”, “the way in which something is done”, “elegance or refinement of manners and dress”, and “popular fashion in dress or looks” (see these style definitions). In this site, I refer to it as an overall look or manner, which may relate to clothing, accessories, manners, skin care, hair care, and more.

Since — for better or for worse — we often look to celebrities and entertainment for popular styles and trends, they will be referenced a lot on this site too.

Some petite style celebrity icons that you may recognise include: Kylie Minogue, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Eva Longoria Parker, and Lucy Liu.