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Affordable elevated capsule wardrobes for petite women.

Petite Revue, home

Series

In development

The Proportion Series

Where hems, waistbands, sleeves and shoes land, and why those few inches decide everything.

4 of 7 parts published

Started
Last updated
Start with part one
The same knit and skirt shown on two display stands of different heights, with the shoulder, waist and hem of each marked so the same clothes fall at different points on the two frames.

The argument

What this series claims

Every outfit is a set of horizontal lines drawn across a vertical space. On a shorter frame there is less space to absorb them, so the same garments that read as considered at 5’9″ read as borrowed at 5’2″. This series treats that as geometry rather than taste: reduce the number of visible breaks, or push the remaining breaks further apart.

Reading order

The parts

Published in order. Each part assumes the ones before it, so reading them in sequence is worth more than picking one out.

  1. How to Layer Without Losing Four Inches9 min readAutumn is the hardest season to dress at 5’4″ and under. Three rules keep the extra fabric from shortening the frame it sits on.
  2. Knitwear Scale: Chunky Without the Bulk6 min readHeavy knits are not off-limits at 5’2″. Gauge, body length and neckline depth decide whether they add warmth or add width.
  3. Hem Lengths: The Four Decisions That Matter6 min readSkirts and dresses offer a continuous range of lengths. Only four points on it behave predictably on a shorter frame.
  4. Shoe Shapes That Keep the Line Long5 min readHeel height is the least important variable. Vamp height, toe shape and tonal continuity do most of the work.
  5. 3 further parts in preparationAnnounced rather than written. The series is published in order, so this slot stays empty until the part behind it is finished.

Other series

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    Building a small wardrobe that covers a real month, one decision at a time.

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    Brand Investigation

    Reading what brands publish about their petite blocks, and what the gaps reveal.

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