Interview with Sindy of The Odd Slipper!

Hi everyone! First of all, I want to say sorry for going somewhat MIA these past couple of weeks...what with a rather impromptu visit from a close friend (from London, no less!) and then a much less welcome visit from a vicious bout of the common cold, I haven't had time for much at all. 

But today, I wanted to share with you a conversation I had with the lovely Sindy, founder of the online petite shoe store The Odd Slipper (and fellow petite herself, at 4'10'')! I discussed the concept behind The Odd Slipper briefly in this post, but wanted to really find out how Sindy was inspired, and what her plans for The Odd Slipper were for the future.

Sindy and me!

Why were you inspired to create a shoe site targeted towards the petite market in particular? 

It comes from not having a place anymore. I did try shopping at Nordstrom, but it didn't do it for me - they've gotten pricier, and that doesn't help women that want to spend in the range of $65 to a $150. It comes from that frustration.  

Reviews...Petite-Friendly Finds in the Zara Fitting Room

Yesterday, I took advantage of my downtime at work to head over to Zara and see what I could find. Their items, including those from their TRF "juniors" line, tend to run pretty big on me (as I've mentioned before) but I can occasionally get lucky and find an item or two that has a more petite-friendly fit.

I didn't end up purchasing anything, but I did find some really great items that I wanted to share with you all! Apologies in advance for the grainy quality of the photographs, however - these were all taken on my Blackberry, since my point-and-shoot was unfortunately out of battery at this point. I tried editing as much as I could to save detail, but...a Blackberry camera is no iPhone camera! I know what I'm putting on my wishlist for Christmas.

There were some amazing blazers on the racks - a few of which were actually on sale. This one in particular, the "Blazer with Zips" on sale now for 69.99, caught my eye. The one I tried on was an XS, and it actually fit pretty well:

Reviews...Ann Taylor

So excited today! Yesterday, I finally received my Ann Taylor shipment from when they had their $25 off $50 sale - which was at the same time they were having 50% off sale items and free shipping. Basically, I spent about $15 per item - such insane bargains! 

I wanted to share with you all what I bought and how everything fits! But before I do, I want you all to preemptively excuse both my horrendously monotonous expressions and my terrible hair in these photos...unfortunately, I a) don't know how to pose for self-timed photos and b) my hair just doesn't like to cooperate with my hairbrush after a day at work/running errands. So you'll have to excuse me for looking like Le Petite Swamp Monster, thanks in advance, all!

First up was the Striped Tiered 3/4 Sleeve Top in XXS Vanilla Creme (not petite, which was unfortunately sold out). Originally for $68, I purchased this for $13.64.

Nautical stripes and sleeveless knits.

Wow, things have been hectic this week! I've had to spend my lunch hours holiday shopping - since doing so on the weekends in the NYC neighborhood I live in would just be insanity - and a lot of my time after work has been divided between family obligations, friends, more Christmas shopping (I am so broke now!) and decorating my apartment. I love the holidays, but they really are the busiest time of the year.

I've had this sleeveless knit lying around my closet for ages. It was a "hand-me-down" from my cousin, who I remember had given to me it saying, "I never could figure out how to wear this." And you know, she was right; this sort of sweater is super confusing to style. It's long, it's chunky, it's a sweater, but it has no sleeves. What do you pair it with? How do you use it to theoretically keep you warm? What season is it even made for?!

But confusing as it is, at least it isn't this thing. (Seriously though, what?) I honestly adore the nautical theme of this sweater, with its metallic buttons and epaulets. I was determined to figure out a way to wear it in a way that was practical (i.e., I wouldn't freeze) but also cute. Do you think it worked?

Shopping for the impossible: the office holiday party.

It's that time of year! Christmas lights blinking, carolers singing, store sales tempting, and its all leading to...the office holiday party! And lately, I've been hearing a lot of concern from my friends about what to wear (and maybe more importantly, what not to wear) to these events.

Work social events are inevitably awkward, something I've learned quickly since starting my first job. Not only are you trying to make small talk with the higher-ups for extended periods of time, but you're doing so while imbibing alcohol. Now, I don't know about you, but alcohol + me can make for awkward situations at the best of times, so the idea of that formula  working its magic in a professional environment is all kinds of terrifying.

From discussing work parties with friends, I know that finding dresses for such events is difficult for mostly everyone - so finding something that's conservative and cocktail-appropriate and also petite-friendly is almost nigh impossible. And, since I recently got my own invitation to our firm's annual holiday party, hunting down the perfect work-appropriate cocktail dress has been weighing heavily on my mind. A few other bloggers have posted about similar topics (namely, Jean from Extra Petite here and here, and Khatu here) but I thought I'd go ahead and share my own finds with you! I've ordered a few of these, and will hopefully be able to do a more comprehensive review soon.

Cobalt blue and H&M coat review!

Happy Cyber Monday and belated Thanksgiving, everyone! Did you buy anything during this sale-heavy weekend? I definitely did - maybe a few too many things, but that's when a good return policy comes in handy, right? 

Please forgive me for the crazy range in my photo quality! My mother just "gifted" me with her old Nikon Coolpix DSLR, and I'm still not quite comfortable with all the options...in other words, I have no clue what I'm doing yet! But nevertheless, I'm very excited to have such a quality camera - I can't stop playing around with it. Does anyone have any tips or websites they can direct me to on how to take and edit pictures with a DSLR? I'd be forever grateful!

One of my favorite colors of the season is the cobalt blue that's been everywhere. Unfortunately, I think it's a little too bright for my workplace - or maybe I'm just personally not daring enough to try it! The only piece I think I would even chance at the office is this lovely Ann Taylor ponte skirt (see on Extra Petite, Really Petite and Petite Little Girl), but unfortunately I wasn't able to snag it in my size when it went on sale. 

Boucle skirt and sky-high pumps.

This post has been a long time in coming, so please excuse the mishmash of topics! Life has been very hectic lately, so I haven't had a chance to write about a lot of petite fashion-related things that are on my mind...

Such as a more comprehensive review of the H&M items that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, for which I finally got around to taking proper photos and measurements. I'm actually obsessed with this boucle skirt, both because of the quality (it's fully lined, and the material is nice and thick - perfect for winter!) and the pretty color. Since it isn't a solid red, but instead has flecks of other colors such as green and blue, it's so very easy to match with. It goes great with neutrals, but also works with brighter hues!

Teal and orange.

I've had this outfit floating around in my head for ages - inspired by the color trends for autumn (teal! orange! so much love!). But life has just been very busy lately, since I was caught up in a flurry of birthday celebrations, long hours at work and, most happily, moving preparations. Everything is finally slowing down again, though, as I'm now settled into my new apartment and have a lot more free time.

But enough about my life - boring, yawn, I know! 

Neutral hues and red shoes.

Just because summer's come to an end doesn't mean one of my favorite summer trends has -- colorblocking is definitely still on point, and that makes me oh so happy. This past weekend, sunshine-filled as it was, seemed like a perfect day to don an outfit that recalled summer, but with an added layer or two to protect against that autumn bite!

Maxi skirts and cropped shirts.

So basically, maxi skirts are one of the it items for fall - and for good reason! The look is generally chic, easy to put together, and oh so comfortable (loose and flowy skirts mean having the flexibility to do pretty much anything, bar possibly going for a quick jaunt on your horse). So of course, I've been on the hunt for the perfect maxi skirt to add to my own fall closet - there's nothing to lose with adding such a versatile item to my sartorial repertoire, right?

Except, of course, I tend to look a hot mess in the majority of maxi skirts I've managed to find. The problem has to do, as it always does, with my body proportions. Most maxi skirts tend to sit lower on the hips which, when you have short legs like I do, tends to emphasize just how short they really are. Of course, wedges and/or higher heels help balance out the issue (and honestly, you should always wear high heels with a maxi dress/skirt) but not enough to really make me happy with how I look in them.

So what's a pocket sized girl to do, abandon the trend altogether? I think not. Instead, I made the trend my own by going the faux-maxi skirt look - in other words, by wearing a maxi dress with a crop top. This totally works! Since the crop top hits higher up, the visual is more lengthening as a whole. 

Lusting after...the ideal LBD.

Entering the quote-unquote real world means that acquiring the perfect little black (business) dress for my closet is definitely more necessary than ever before. And while I have tons of LBDs, none of them are the LBD. You know what I mean, right? I'm talking the ideal little black dress, the one that can transition from a day at work to a dinner with family to a night out with friends. Of course, I've seen a ton that could work in theory, but as soon as I put them on, it's more like I'm wearing a three year old playing dress up in mom's closet than a 22 year old gearing up for a day in New York. Sigh.

But that's why I'm currently lusting after this dress (shown below in red, but which also comes in black) from the ASOS Petite line. Although my experience with ASOS has taught me that the quality may not necessarily be worth the price - this dress, for example, is a cool $73 and change - I've also learned that finding a dress that fits you off-the-rack is priceless. And ASOS Petite is one of the only lines I've found where "Petite" actually means petite; it fits me well, both at the hem and at the waist. Shocking!

I love the neckline and sleeveless cut - it's not so low that it would be unprofessional for the office, but the detailing definitely keeps it interesting enough for nights out, too. I want to buy this so badly, but since I'm currently trying to save up for an apartment (I'm moving into the city at long last) I think I'll have to wait for a sale. Fingers crossed that they're still a US Size 2 when one rolls around...

For those of you that can afford to splurge a little, there's also some more good news: ASOS has a 20% off sale on all items in their new collection - but it ends today! So go, go now!

High-waists and vests of lace!

Where did summer disappear to?! The weather's been absolutely horrendous lately -- I had so many petite-friendly outfit ideas I wanted to post about, but what with work in the city (and the hour-long commute home), I can't ever catch enough daylight during the week and the weekends just haven't been sunny enough either. Luckily, this past weekend was fairly perfect, autumn temperature aside. Which got me pretty excited!

Venturing into the world of petite fashion.

Hi! This site, as I’m sure you can tell by the title, is a fashion blog targeted towards, and for, petite women.

After recently graduating from college, I’ve been noticing more and more just how difficult it is to find classy, appropriate clothes that actually fit – Abercrombie & Fitch Kids doesn’t work for the workplace, but alternatively, there aren’t many other stores that work at all. Although of course, if you’re here and reading this, chances are that you have first-hand experience with exactly this.

While petite women come in all shapes and sizes (“petite” really is such a broad term!) I stand on the smaller end of the spectrum. In other words, I'm 4’10 and 89 pounds. My measurements are 31, 23, 32. And it is downright impossible to find clothes in my size!

I used to think I was the only one, but the internet has informed me otherwise – there’s a ton of terrific petite fashion bloggers out there, such as AlterationsNeeded and ReallyPetite, who have managed to be amazingly fashionable despite their “pocket-sized” stature. Reading their blogs, I’ve been inspired to start one of my own in very much the same thread.

My job doesn’t offer much of an artistic outlet, and since two of my main loves are writing and shopping, this really does seem the perfect way to unleash my creative energy! So that’s that, really – ultimately, this blog is simply an endeavor in cataloging the petite-friendly clothing I find, attempting to make it work (just because we’re small doesn’t mean Tim Gunn’s immortal words don’t apply!), and the occasional fashion tip for petite women along the way.

I hope you’ll stick with me!

- JJ, Pocket Sized Fashion