Nieves Lavi is perfect for the hot L.A. weather. And, as it so happens, shopbop.com has a great selection for petite gals to consider. I love the colors and bold patterns, and all of the 0 sizing fits my 00P frame. Revolve Clothing also has a good selection for your online shopping enjoyment.
Girls, have you been longing for those classic staple pieces for your wardrobe but can never find them because you are a 00 and under 5’2”? Well you can sit back and relax because Below Zero Petites founder Debbiann has just made your life a whole lot easier.
I spoke with Debbiann about her first line this week.
Below Zero Petites is a new company that caters to the small-framed petite woman less than 5’ 2” who happens to have some curves. They differ from other petite lines as they cut in smaller proportions than the average 0 and 00.
Below Zero Petites offers four classic, sophisticated pieces necessary for every woman’s wardrobe: a suit, wrap dress, cocktail dress and elegant nightgown. Understandably, when you’re small its exceedingly difficult to find proper pieces that don’t need to be taken to a tailor.
“We provide a line of clothing that will proportionately dress you like the beautiful woman you are. We specialize in smaller than petite size clothing to fit the small stature women – Our first line of clothing will present the basics that every sophisticated, working or stay-at-home mom should have in her closet.”
Their garments are not vanity sized. The dimensions of the line will continue to be consistent with every piece of clothing that they design and cut.
Debbieann went on to say, “I would love to say that I am a size zero, but the truth of the matter is that I cannot find a size zero that accurately fits my small frame. I am a small -framed petite woman who has a plus size personality who loves clothes.”
“The lack of small framed petite clothing in the apparel industry is what got me motivated by the void in the industry to design clothes that respectfully, empower, the small-framed petite professional women to feel successful and powerful and to be taken seriously.”
“Below Zero Petites came to conception out of my own personal frustration as an educator who could not find professional clothes that fit my small framed petite body. I created my line of clothing– after years of exhausting myself from trying to find a name brand that didn’t vanity size a size zero. Below Zero Petites is a clothing line that is true to its name and sizes. Our XS petite starts out with a 29 bust/ 22 waist / 27 inseam and our XL petite ends with a 34 bust/ 25 waist/ 28 inseam.”
If you aren’t in the 0 or 00 range rest assured they are offering sizing that runs SP to XLP. Because as you know, being petite doesn’t necessarily mean ‘petite’ – just that you’re short. Questions? Send Debbiann an email or check out her sizing chart.
Lunch last week took me to the Fashion District, where I lunched with Lynn Colclough, designer of the new petite clothing line Balzac over sushi at the ever-bustling California Mart. She introduced me to her line and her thoughts on petite sizing.
As a petite woman herself, Lynn is all too familiar with the struggle to find well-fitted clothing—not just for the short woman, but also for the petite woman with curves. It is this passion for quality and style that inspired the idea of Balzac Clothing.
The newly launched site of BalzacClothing.com fulfills the need of petite women to have trendy, fashionable clothing without compromise. This isn’t your Ann Taylor or J.Crew run-of-the-mill collection. Its debut, 2008 Spring/Summer line is replete with sexy and comfortable designs for after work.
Everything about Balzac is lovely and feminine. Colorful prints, comfy cotton and designs that accentuate all the right places. Lynn met me in her Joanny dress, and she rocked it.
“We strive to push a bit beyond the basic and hope to enhance the petite woman’s wardrobe. We believe that the petite woman should have many options for any occasion. So whether you’re a size 0 or 10, the petite woman should be able to express her special style without sacrificing fit, or creativity. Our style of clothes is yours to represent the best of you and how you want to be seen.”
We talked endlessly about petite sizing, the denotation of the word ‘petite’ and how we dislike it. As you know, 40% of American women are 5′4″ or less in height. Yet, the clothing manufacturers have neglected the petite clothing market. Many department stores have either eliminated their petite department or their petite presence seems to lack variety and a contemporary approach to style. Even the upscale boutiques do not carry women’s petite clothing. Balzac Clothing hopes to bridge that gap and provide contemporary petite women’s clothing. Which, as you know, is a huge gaping hole.
Balzac Clothing’s goal is to become a leading brand of contemporary fashion for petite women worldwide. Future plans for expansion includes a petite maternity and active wear line for petite women. The company also plans to be in clothing boutiques in the U.S. and around the world.
Until then, you can purchase Lynn’s petite designs on her Web site. I’ll be sure to keep you in-the-know on her debut in local boutiques. Oh, and I must mention her line is made in L.A. Wait there’s more! She writes a petite fashion blog. Yet another reason to check out Balzac!
I had the pleasure to chat with Catherine Bui, designer of the line Lovelina about her designs this week. Her new line is filled with beautiful, feminine dresses, tops and skirts all in eco friendly materials that are sized quite small. So not only will they fit you, but you’ll also feel great about wearing them!
Tell me about your line. What is your inspiration?
Lovelina is a socially and ecologically ethical line that is elegant, feminine and is designed to make a woman feel beautiful and sophisticated. When I’m designing my pieces, I keep romantic, bygone eras in mind in order to blend unique, vintage looks with modern, wearable style. I am currently utilizing a lot of inspiration from the Victorian era and the glamorous 1930’s.
Do you have a favorite piece this season?
For the upcoming Fall/Winter season, there’s this capelet-silhouette jacket I’ve designed that I absolutely adore. It’s a beautiful, versatile piece with modern Victorian flair. What’s more, these jackets are made from gorgeous vintage wools so the fabrications are unique and few of a kind. This really gives the design even more of an old world sophistication.
What size/ height are you?
I am 5′0″ and wear a size 2.
What is the sizing of your line?
Most of my pieces run XS thru L, which is roughly 0/2 thru 8/10. I’d say that Lovelina runs pretty true to size, but because of the way my pieces are cut and designed, they’ll look flattering regardless if you’re small or tall.
Why a petite clothing line?
I don’t know if I would exactly classify my clothing line as “petite”, although I would definitely say that it’s “petite-friendly”. In general, I don’t like categorizing Lovelina at all. I’d like to think that women in a range of heights and sizes would look fabulous in my pieces. However, I do design for myself and I am petite, therefore my clothing naturally looks fantastic on less-than-tall girls. Lovelina was partly a result of my being frustrated with the inability to find pieces that would look flattering on my small frame.
Tell me about the fabrics you are working with? What makes your line eco friendly?
I’m currently working with a lot of organic cotton/soybean jerseys. Soybean has a really soft, luxurious feel and a beautiful drape. It is a sustainable and biodegradable fabric source. I’m also going to be incorporating bamboo and hemp to future collections, which also have the same ecological qualities of bamboo.
When I use the term ethical fashion, I refer to socially and ecologically conscious practices in design and manufacturing. For me, to be socially conscious means to use local manufacturing contractors who implement fair labor practices as opposed to sweatshop labor outsourced overseas. This way, since production is done nearby, I have more control over quality and can say for a fact that the employees that assemble my pieces are paid fairly and work reasonable hours in a positive environment. Of course, this makes the prices of my collection a little higher than your run-of-the-mill clothing line, but I believe that feeling good about where your clothes come from is worth the extra cost.
In terms of being an ecologically conscious clothing line, I do my best to make sure that Lovelina has as little negative effect on the environment as possible. I try to do that by utilizing fabrications that are organic, sustainable, and biodegradable. I also incorporate vintage and leftover fabrics in my pieces instead of ordering brand new fabrics made from scratch in an effort to reduce the amount of waste.
Another type of fabrication that I utilize is manufacturer surplus fabrics. Basically, these are leftover fabrics that large, mass-manufacture clothing companies discard. Instead of purchasing fabrics that need to be made from scratch and often require extra energy while producing waste, I make use of these leftover fabrics to eliminate that.
Where is your line carried? Boutiques and online?
Off the top of my head, in California, I’m sold at Mingle, R.A.G., and Ruby, all located in San Francisco. And of course at the Lovelina Salon and Showroom located in Berkeley, California. Cliché in Minneapolis, Minnesota sells my clothing as well as LA Funk in Wylie, Texas. Online I’m sold at www.saboraclothing.com, www.indieshopper.com, and at my own e-commerce site www.lovelina.com. I frequently get orders from Canada, Australia, and Singapore, but have yet to be stocked in any boutiques in those locations. Hopefully it’s just a matter of time before Lovelina will be available at international locations.
Tell me about your trip to Asia and the difference in US/Asian sizing.
When I traveled to Southeast Asia to observe fashion and design trends I was really impressed by the styles that were popular among the women there. They weren’t afraid to dress really frilly and girly, wearing colorful items with details such as prints, sequins, beading, ruffles, and lace. Also, since Asian women are generally slight in stature by nature, most of the sizing was more or less suited to the petite. When I was shopping in Vietnam, the largest sizes they had in stock were a medium or a size 6. In the lingerie department, the largest bra size available was a 34B.
Shopping in Asia was a lot of fun mostly because a lot of the items that I tried on were a good fit with no alterations necessary! I especially liked the way that coats, jackets, and dress pants fit because, for the most part, these pieces were tailor-made for women between the sizes of 00 thru 4 and under 5′4″.
In Vietnam, the required supermodel height is only 5′6″, much different from the requirement in the USA to be at least 5′8″ or 5′9″. Asians have always been a race of slighter stature in general and I found that the fashion in Asia suited my body type. Another great thing about shopping in Asia (sewing and fashion being one of the continent’s central industries) is that if a boutique doesn’t have something in your size available, it will have the in-house seamstress sew up a custom-made version of the item that you wanted to your exact measurements at no additional cost and will have it ready in a week or less. How cool is that?!
What is the next step for your line?
I think I’d like to raise more awareness among the general public about ethical fashion. I think that a lot of people are under the misconception that eco-friendly and sweatshop-free design tends to be ugly, hippie, or avant-garde. That’s not always the case. It is possible to shop guilt-free while remaining stylish if you purchase items from Lovelina and other designers of the like.
Another thing that I’m looking at, in the nearest future possible, is to set up a system in which a percentage of Lovelina’s profits are donated to ecological and humane charities.
Anything you’d like to share with my readers?
I just want everybody to know that I appreciate their taking the time to look at my collection and read about what I have to say in regards to it. I’d like to think that Lovelina isn’t just another clothing line, but rather one of a number of collections that’s geared towards a fashion revolution. Lovelina provides fabulous, petite-friendly style that is also socially and ecologically conscious. For me, as a designer as well as an avid shopper, fashion doesn’t get any better than that! I hope that there are others out there that agree.
Last question, if you could meet any designer who would it be? Why?
I have quite a few designers that I respect, but at this exact moment it would make my day to have tea with Betsey Johnson. Why? Because I admire her fearlessness as a fashion designer. She is unafraid to consistently create over-the-top frilly, frothy, feminine pieces that scream: “I’M A GIRL!” to the world. I think women are afraid to dress ultra-feminine because they feel that dressing like a girl runs the risk of making them appear weak. I believe there’s great strength in the ability to express yourself any way you wish without thinking twice about how others may perceive you. Betsey embodies that for me. She’s so talented and is a such a defined individual. I love the fact that she doesn’t hold back on the ruffles, lace, swingy silhouettes, and candy colors. I think it would be cool to be able to pick her brain and get some good advice from her.
Us petite California gals are lucky. We have a bevy of great, petite fashion designers, entrepreneurs and trendsetters in our fair state. And I must say, it’s incredible how we’ve surfaced and spoken out — and the fashion industry answering with collections designed especially for our smaller frames.
In honor of us and the niche industry we’ve helped shape, I’d like to give all of my petite golden-state sistas a special shout out! I’m thrilled with the wealth of petite-everything out there, so I’ve giving them their own serafina page.
I’ve started the list, but I need your help. Am I missing anyone? Anyone new I should know about? Email me: info AT serafinablog DOT com or leave a comment!
Ellen Shing
Lula Lu Petite Lingerie
San Mateo
Emily Lau
The Little Bra Company
Los Angeles
Fernanda Carniero
Fernanda Carniero Designs
Los Angeles
Liz Dutra
My Sweet Petites
San Diego
Peggy Li
Peggy Li Creations
San Francisco
Lynn Colclough
Balzac
Irvine
Michele Scholnick
Branch Jewelry
Santa Monica
Sunny Suppa
5’2”
San Francisco
Sheen and Pam Borja
Tamiece
San Francisco
Catherine Bui
Lovelina
Berkeley
Us petites, we know a thing or three about a tailored fit, and how it’s near impossible to find it off the rack. So we all deserve to know about Moi Meme, Dawn Verbrigghe’s oh-so-appropriate personal tailoring service. Dawn is serafina’s guest editor for May. Take it away Dawn!
Like you — and most American women — I have a hard time finding off-the-rack clothing that fits. It all started when I moved to NYC from California a few years ago and realized the skirt suits I wore in California were too lightweight to get me through a New York winter. I spent months shopping for a smart, stylish pant suit (my legs are too long for most pants). To no avail. So I began thinking about custom apparel.
Last year, I launched my own custom fashion business, Moi-Meme Attire. We design two collections each year, and tailor our garments made-to-measure for our customers. We meet customers by appointment only at our showroom in the Garment District.
My mission with the business is to help women find stylish and great-fitting, custom-designed clothing — regardless of their size — at an affordable price. And we work with many petites. As I began writing this entry for serafina, I searched my database and discovered that fully 44% of my customers have a natural waist measurement of 28” or smaller. Our petite customers look to us for contemporary professional attire, which is more difficult to find in petite departments.
Our petite bestsellers include the Reykjavik jacket, Cairns pencil skirt and Cape Town pant. The Reykjavik jacket is new for spring/summer, and we designed it with petites in mind. The waistband is perfectly flattering and the fabric below the waistband is symmetrical with the fabric above the waistband (to the top button), so it evens out a petite’s proportions.
The Cape Town pant is simply a great fit. Because everything is custom, the rise will be the correct length and the waistband rests wherever you prefer on the body. Hemming, of course, is included.
Also new for s/s and great for petites: the Singapore shift dress. The waistband features a topstitch detail that matches that of the Reykjavik jacket, so they go well together. In a vertical stripe fabric (with a horizontal stripe waistband), you petites look long and lean.
As for shipping internationally, the answer is “yes,” but with the same caveat as any out-of-NYC order: measurements must still be taken by a trained Moi-Même Style Consultant and we are not responsible for alterations made outside our showroom (naturally).
Questions for Dawn? Leave a comment for a response!
Some Odd Rubies is an inventive and brilliant line that recycles vintage fabric and designs to create wholly original, fresh and modern fashions. Each re-constructed piece is one-of-a-kind, making each of your purchases an absolutely original and a truly modern vintage find. Scouring estate sales, flea markets, church bazaars (and a bevy of “secret” locales), their team of designers comb the best of the best from sources worldwide.
Without compromising the authenticity of the original piece, Some Odd Rubies will reconstruct the novel design by utilizing unusual vintage appliqués in tandem with a little slicin’, a little dicin’, and a whole lot of flair to keep the designs up to date and form fitting for today’s petite gal. Their clever use of straps, elastics, and pin-tucking keep the creative outcome both flattering and modern.
They have a lovely location on Hillhurst Avenue in Silver Lake where you’ll not only find their fantastic re-imaginings, but also contemporary and period jewelry, as well as vintage shoes and clutches.
I stopped in the other afternoon for a leisurely perusal and, I must say, I’m delightfully impressed. There are fantastic designs at every turn, including a wonderful selection of dresses — with exquisitely paired vintage necklaces and earrings — that are just perfect for summer.
If you’re up for something chic and love vintage, Some Odd Rubies is a grand new discovery. Every design is splendid and is – for the most part — cut small; however, not everything is petite. I highly suggest stopping by and trying on a few things — their collection rotates rather often and each visit unveils a new selection of treasures.
Some Odd Rubies shops are located in NYC, Boston, and Los Angeles.
There are perks to being a petite fashion blogger. Among them, the opportunity to keep up with gals like Peggy Li, a fellow petite and jewelry designer in San Francisco. Another perk? The opportunity to win one of her beautiful creations — one lucky serafina reader will win Peggy’s handmade Soaring Seagull silver necklace.
For over six years, Peggy has been creating handmade jewelry that has caught the attention of TV’s Grey’s Anatomy, Without a Trace, Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and publications such as Oprah Magazine and Lucky.
To win, simply write a brief paragraph explaining what you like about Peggy Li’s jewelry. Is it a particular stone or metal? A bigger fan of her earrings or necklaces? Anything goes, ladies.
Send your answer along with your mailing address to info AT serafinablog DOT com by midnight EST May 30th. And please subject your email with “Peggy Li Giveaway”. We’ll announce the winner on June 2nd.
Did I mention this is Peggy’s first-ever giveaway? serafina is thrilled to be part of it! And if that isn’t enough, Peggy is offering our readers 20% of all merchandise on her site — Enter coupon code serafina at checkout for the discount. Thanks, Peggy!
I’ve have found that some of the hippest and most unique collections come from petite designers. I guess all that frustration with trying to find stylish clothes for smaller frames becomes a rich source of inspiration. Newcomer Teresa Le is one such designer.
TLE Designs, pronounced “T-Lay,” features dresses and tops with a contemporary, colorful vibe. Teresa’s designs are handmade to complement petite frames, and her production is limited, making each piece as unique as the lucky gal who dons it.
In addition to dresses and tops, TLE Designs also features a vibrant array of headbands and fabric belts for the modern fashionista.
Her collection is carried by boutiques in Chattanooga, TN, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Atlanta, and online.
It’s about time you were introduced to gorjana Jewelry. This collection of fine and fashion jewelry is sold in over 400 boutiques and online, including Henri Bendel, Fred Segal and shopbop.com. Her designs are amazing — I’m in love.
And, lucky for me, I had the opportunity to chat with gorjana about her line.
Tell me about your line. When did you start it?
I had always wanted to start my own business, so I started the line in the summer of 2004. I saw a gap in the jewelry industry for a well-priced, simple, everyday collection that was easy to wear. Our main collection is sterling silver and 14k gold vermeil and we just launched our fine jewelry collection this past fall.
Tell me about your inspiration this season.
Currently, I am getting ready for summer, focusing on statement pieces mixed with turquoise. The combination of the two is so flattering on most everyone, especially after a day in the sun.
What drives your design?
I get a lot of my design ideas just by observing people and their style. I look at what is influencing clothing and wonder what piece of jewelry would make a perfect accessory to an outfit. My goal has always been to stay current, without being too trend focused.
What is your favorite metal or stone to work with and why?
I work predominantly with silver because it is such a versatile metal. It can be worn casual or dressy and goes beautifully with every color palette.
I usually obsess over a few pieces every season and wear them constantly. I have two favorites right now, the Poppy Wrap and Bali Grand Bangle. The wrap is a great delicate piece that goes with everything, while the bangle is a great statement piece.
What’s the most popular piece?
We recently upgraded the e-commerce SHOP section of our Web site. We really wanted to offer our customers a wider selection of our main collection, add our fine jewelry, and simplify the shopping experience.
Newcomer Fernanda Carneiro is debuting her spring/summer ready-to-wear line this month. Fortunately — for both me and my wardrobe — I had the opportunity to meet with her at her studio last week for a sneak peek at her new collection.
Two words: delicate and lovely. Fernanda’s line features colorful short dresses that fall just above the knee, each well-tailored of fine silk and charming details that will stand out in the boutiques. This line is a sure success with tasteful and elegant designs that are perfect for weddings and other springtime events. Her contemporary pricing is much like what you’ll find on 3rd Street or Robertson. And, more importantly, they’re designed to fit.
Tell me about your spring/summer line.
I’ve designed a petite line of dresses for women 5’4” with a wider hip. I’ve designed it with 100% silk, twill, jersey and charmeuse.
In particular, my line is designed to accentuate a woman’s curves with a modern, feminine, and sophisticated take on vintage dress designs. I have seventeen dresses for spring/summer.
A few of my dresses feature my own print designs. The point was to make designs that were totally unique, so I wasn’t keen on using materials that were available to everyone.
What is your favorite fabric to work with and why?
I really like silks, which is why I used them for my current collection. My fall collection will have silk blends, plus a bit of cotton and wool.
What is the sizing of your line?
My knits sizing is XS – L, and woven sizing is 0-12, all true to size. And, I do plan to include XXS and 00 in future lines.
Do you have a favorite dress in your spring/summer collection?
I love the cut and color of the ivory and black dress, as well as the raspberry dress — both are sophisticated designs with a bit more detail. I plan to make a full set of dresses for myself! I also love these dresses because the bead accents take the place of an accessory-jewelry. The accessorizing is done for you! Another dress that I love is the all black dress with the pleated grosgrain ribbon detail. I think this is the perfect “little black dress” that can be dressed up or down and can be worn for years without going out of style. In general, I feel these three dresses represent the concept of my spring/summer collection.
I find inspiration in everything, so I can’t say I have a particular designer that I look to repeatedly. That’s not to say I don’t admire many designers. My favorites include Carolina Hererra, Temperley, Oscar De La Renta, Marchesa, Badgley Mischka, and Valentino. I prefer a more classic design.
My designs are also inspired by frustrated shopping trips – the ones where I leave a store empty-handed, with a perfect design in mind. And I lean a lot on my Brazilian heritage – I am greatly influenced by Brazilian art and culture.
So what drives your design?
I’ve long dreamt of becoming a fashion designer. My drive has always been to design clothing that truly fit a woman’s body. So I’ve set out to fill a niche in U.S. fashion. Rather than designing basic apparel with a wider audience, I wanted to design lines that start with petite sizing. I feel that petites deserve to have designer clothing too!
In the future, I’ll expand my lines with regular sizing to appeal to all women. But petite sizing will always exist.
Where are you being sold?
This season, my collection is being sold in California, Florida, and Texas, with delivery expected near the beginning of April.
California
House of Petro Zillia on 3rd Street in LA
Scarlett in Pinecrest
Texas
Kacky & Carl in Dallas
As for tradeshows, my line was recently featured in Atlanta at the Americasmart Premiere, and I hope to present at Designers & Agents in New York, and, of course, Los Angeles.
Is your collection available online?
No, but I expect to sell to an online shop in the near future. In the meantime, please visit http://www.fernandacarneiro.com and e-mail me to get in touch. I will be adding an e-mail list to the site soon. I’ll let you know when my collection is available online and notify you of any future events.
How do you feel about US sizing?
Returning to Brazil is always inspiring because I find clothing that actually fits! U.S. sizing is much less friendly to petite women, and the quality is lesser.
Of U.S. designer collections, the fit is even more difficult. Everything features a straight cut, particularly the higher end lines. It’s important to remember that most women have curves and we require lines that accentuate them. My line provides just that.
Furthermore, the U.S. grading system is outdated. What is true is that Americans are getting larger, but not taller. When I researched U.S. sizing, I discovered that the average height of women in the U.S. is 5’4”. The shortest fit model is 5’7”. I think it’s time we moved away from this sizing standard.
What do you love about being a designer based in Los Angeles? What don’t you like?
LA is a great place to work on design. It’s certainly less competitive than New York, but on the other hand, it’s harder to find the right people for production and sewing. But I do love LA. The city’s design constantly evolves and grows, and it’s only getting better.
What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
It’s a tough business! Don’t get discouraged, and remember that anything is possible. Find the people that are willing to help, and stick with them. And, you have to really, really want it to succeed.
What am I missing? Anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
Look for my designs in boutiques at the beginning of April. I’ll be available online in the future as well. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me through my Web site.
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