Since I’m 5”2, I explored petit versus regular sizing for this exercise. I chose The Bay department store as my venue because they carry a wide breadth of brands and styles.
I avoid certain silhouettes (even with the option to alter and hem garments) because they generally don’t fit my frame as they’re intended. This includes silhouettes such as jogger pants, shift dresses, and oversized tops. I thought it would be interesting to see if I could find petit versions of these styles that fit, i.e. didn’t require severe alterations.
I tried on four sizes of each item to compare:
Petit: Small
Petit: Medium
Small
Medium
Peasant tops are one of the oversized top styles I avoid so I focused on this one. While the small was ok, the petit/small fit me best. These images show the difference between the peasant top in the petit/small versus regular small. Notice the arm and hem lengths and placement of the print look much more intentional in the petit/small size on my 5”2 frame.
Right: Petit/Small, Left: Regular: Small
Considering the industry tolerance of 1/2 inch variance in sizing, it solidified the argument that it’s best for shoppers who are picky about fit to go to a physical retail store versus shopping online. This way, the shopper has the luxury of trying on multiple units of the same style/colour/size before making their decision.