Petite Clothing

GIVe stores are the latest fashion shops from designer, George Davies. First launched in October 2009, this new brand is expected to follow in the success of Mr Davies’ previous brands. Those brands, as if you needed reminding, are Next, George at Asda and Per Una at M&S. We understand that several of the original Per Una design team are... [Read more of this review]

Petite

The word petite has become very well absorbed into the English language in recent years, used in its original French term to mean something that is small or neat. It is often - and originally - used to refer to a woman with a neat and trim figure, but increasingly its usage has widened to describe small and neat items in general. It's interesting how words such as petite - which would have once sounded a little affected when dropped into conversation - are now commonly accepted everyday parlance, joining other European and foreign words in our everyday language, and perhaps reflecting how our society and resulting language is becoming more globalised and influenced by international culture.

Petite In Everyday Language

The word petite can now be found in a myriad of contexts. For example, we see ranges of petite clothing for women, particularly made for women who are shorter than the standard five foot four inches of mainstream ranges. We might see the word petite used to describe a desirable new gadget such as a mobile phone or headset, suggesting that it is neat, beautiful to look at and without any wasteful excess. The word even crops up in other phrases, such as petits-fours which describe little tiny cakes and treats to enjoy around a meal - again suggesting something that is sweet, miniature and delicious. It's generally a very chic word - petite would never describe anything that was oversized, ugly or unattractive to look at - it suggests a certain look, a particular style and a strong visual aesthetic.

Petite In Celebrity Culture

The word petite also suggests a certain look for women and their fashions - think of celebrity fashion and the current look for extreme slim and lean models and actresses and you'll see the current vogue for petite. Once the word might have simply meant someone short in stature and small in size, but increasingly it becomes the mode for women of all heights to aspire to - thin and defined physiques, petite in clothing sizes.

Celebrities everywhere are becoming increasingly petite, as tiny sized model looks are no longer confined to the haute couture fashion runways, but are adopted by the Hollywood elite. Famous petite celebrities include Kylie Minogue - perhaps the original petite superstar who is still looking amazing and fitting into the tiniest of showgirl costumes now even into her forties, her sister Danni Minogue - also barely above five foot in height and a tiny size 6, Cheryl Cole from Girls Aloud - both petite in height and frame, and Rhys Witherspoon who combines petite chic with her cute and peppy image. It's interesting to see in these celebrities how the word petite also definitely means something beautiful and lovely to look at.

Being Petite - The Plus Points

If you are described as petite when out shopping for clothes, then as a woman you should be rather pleased. The word suggests neatness and prettiness, and if you are short in height, you are likely to be slim and trim if you fit the pleasant category of petite. The benefits of this are that clothes are likely to look fabulous on you, and even high street stores now have great ranges of high fashion for the petite lady. No longer do you have to take up all your trouser or jacket hems or wear clothes designed for teenagers to avoid being swamped!

You will also find that you tend to remain in high fashion and are able to wear more daring styles of clothing due to your small frame. Be advised though that as a chic petite, you must be careful when buying one-size accessories - large tote bags, bold prints or large costume jewellery items can easily swamp a petite frame. One other great advantage of being a petite lady, however, is that even the shortest of men are still taller than you! Fantastic for those gorgeous dates that your taller sisters feel they have to reject for being shorter than them!

The Downsides Of Being Petite

Of course even the most chic states of being have their downsides and being petite is no exception. If you yourself are a petite woman, you may find the practicalities of being small a little wearing - not always being able to reach, finding that car seats need to be adjusted or that you get knocked out of the way in queues! For this reason petites should always consider wearing the highest heels they can muster! It's sometimes a little hard watching your Amazonian sisters easily collecting drinks orders at the bar with imperious waves of their long leaned arms - but remember that cute little petites can easily charm their way in any situation and bring out the protective sides of bigger males in particular! Why not play up to being a petite and find the positives in being a diminutive cutie!

Pros And Cons Of The Petite Aesthetic In Product Design

Similarly, if you are considering the upsides of petite styling with accessories - then think of this scenario: Tiny mobile phones and tiny clutch bags - see how perfectly it works? The joy of the petite aesthetic is that everything fits into the most fashionable of tiny bags - ideal for glamourous nights out on the town! But again, there is of course a minor downside - trying to find your tiny little mobiles or punch in text messages on petite handsets after a couple of non-petite cocktails brings about a certain amount of trouble!

In Conclusion..

It seems clear that petite as something desirable and lovely on the eye is a look that's here to stay and increasingly we will desire this neat, waste-free styling in all of our products and services - and possibly our own figures! So put down that cream bun and vive la petite, forever!