With lockdown restrictions easing and non-essential shops reopening, I’m psyching myself up to go clothes shopping again, although, that’s not as easy as it sounds.
I’m small. Blown away by a strong wind small; can’t reach things in my own fridge small; elbowed in the face in a crowd small, so finding clothes that fit can be a nightmare. I’m that winning combination of short and thin with all the womanly curves of a 10-year-old boy, so there’s some items of clothing that are just not for me. Some of the main ones include maxi dresses because I refuse to pay for an extra foot of fabric that I don’t need, v-neck or plunging tops because puberty forgot to give me boobs, and cute bralettes that are supposed to end at the ribs but come down to my belly button because I have the shortest torso you’ve ever seen.
“By far the most frustrating thing about clothes shopping is picking up a nice item that looks like it should fit but it is in fact just a bit off.”
People love to say how great it must be to be able to shop in the kids’ section and don’t get me wrong, sometimes it is, if I want a casual jumper or t-shirt for half the price, why wouldn’t I buy from the kids’ section? However, there’s some things the kids’ section can’t provide, particularly more formal occasion wear. Recently, I was shopping for an outfit for an interview and I went in hoping to come out feeling like a boss ass bitch, looking professional, wearing a suit with a blazer and heels because that’s what you wear to an interview, right? Wrong, that’s what everyone else wears. After trying on many of the classic pieces like button down shirts, trouser suits and blazers I realised this wasn’t going to happen for me, so I set about assembling the most professional outfit I could to fit my frame. In case you were wondering, this consisted of a pencil skirt so tight I could carry my phone in the waistband and a lacy top with a ‘peter pan’ collar that I could only hope was formal enough for the occasion.
By far the most frustrating thing about clothes shopping is picking up a nice item that looks like it should fit but it is in fact just a bit off. There’s nothing more infuriating than falling in love with an item of clothing to have it just not look quite right on you. Skirts are probably the worst for this; miniskirts become knee length, midi skirts hit at an awkward part of the leg that creates the illusion of stumpy calves and maxi skirts are frankly a health and safety hazard. Some other common problems include cropped things not being cropped, bagginess around the boobs and shoulders, and waistbands falling in the wrong place.
Accessories can be equally problematic. Belts always need to be made of something you can put extra holes in and if you’re small, you probably have thin wrists and fingers too which means rings and bracelets are basically not an option. Think necklaces are a safe bet? Think again. If I buy a necklace with a nice charm on it, the chances are no one will be able to see it as it’s probably lost way down my top, through all the spare boob space, settling just above the sunken waistband of my ill-fitting jeans.
“Surely the time is drawing near for designers to start catering more to smaller people.”
While shopping can be tricky enough already, the shop assistants aren’t always helpful either. I’ve been told a number of times that they just don’t have anything small enough for me which can be a problem, especially when it comes to things that really need to fit, like bras. For other things, it’s not such a big deal, I don’t mind wearing a jumper or a t-shirt that’s a little oversized, although I do sometimes feel that instead of achieving that cute, petite woman in her boyfriend’s hoodie look, I look more like a little girl wearing hand-me-downs that she’s yet to grow into.
Whilst these are all quite trivial examples, there is a serious point to be made here. The fashion industry is constantly evolving and becoming increasingly diverse and inclusive, and rightly so. Surely the time is drawing near for designers to start catering more to smaller people. I appreciate that many high street retailers do have petite sections nowadays, however, these are often still lacking, with the majority focussing on height rather than overall frame, meaning that if you’re not just short, but of small build too, even the petite section can be too big for you. We need more options. We need to be able to find flattering clothes for all occasions, we need to be able to dress like stylish grown women rather than being resigned to looking like a child, and to be honest, it’d be nice to be able to shop online, confident that everything would fit.
Louisa Merrick-White
Featured image courtesy of @camorin13 via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.