Fighting against height discrimination and for more equality for short people.
As inclusivity has increasingly become trendy in the fashion world, we’ve seen designers look to diversify the models showing their clothes. The runway has become more inclusive over the past number of years, featuring plus-sized models, disabled and differently-abled models, more models of different ethnic backgrounds, transgender models, senior citizen models… but the one thing… Read More Why are there no petite models?
I haven’t posted much to this blog since the start of the COVID19 crisis. Like most of you, I’ve retreated into my bubble of panic and loss during these unprecedented events. We’ve been struggling with job losses, income losses, health issues, and deep anxiety and despair about the future. Yes, it’s likely that mass retailer… Read More When heightism is deadly: PPE putting petite female healthcare workers at risk
Hands up if you’ve heard this one before: “Doesn’t petite just mean small?” Or how about this one: “The petite body type is very small, slim and delicate.” Well, no. Petite sizes are not just small sizes. They’re sizes for shorter women. And shorter women come in all shapes and sizes, just like taller ones… Read More Yes, you can be petite and plus sized
The Guardian had an article out this week about how life as a woman in a world built and designed for men can often range from frustrating to dangerous: These silences, these gaps, have consequences. They impact on women’s lives, every day. The impact can be relatively minor – struggling to reach a top shelf… Read More A world built for men
The world of fit modelling is a mystery to most people outside the industry. Today, I wanted to talk a little bit about it, and what it means for petites trying to find clothing in our size. First, what is a fit model, anyway? Designers love to showcase their clothes on glamorous, tall, thin runway… Read More Fit model proportions: Who are clothes made for?
It never fails: Every single article, blog, vlog, or style recommendation will start off the same way: “7 secrets to look longer and leaner.” Okay, I’m exaggerating. They don’t all start quite the same way. Sometimes there aren’t 7 secrets. Sometimes there are 6, or 10. But you get the idea. Imagine if we spoke… Read More Rant: Stop telling petites how to look “long and lean”
Once upon a time — like, fifteen or twenty years ago — petite sections were everywhere. But in the last ten years, they have been steadily disappearing, as more and more retailers have shrunk, reduced, or relegated their petites section to online only. And yet, women statistically aren’t getting any taller, at least, not by… Read More Rant: The ever-shrinking petites section
It’s no secret that Barbie, the world’s best selling doll, has long been anatomically unrealistic and way out of proportion. If she were real, she’d tip over. Well, Mattel has heard the criticism and is giving Barbie a makeover. In an attempt to take steps to address diversity, the toy company is releasing 3 new… Read More Barbie finally comes in a petite version
An article published last week in The Atlantic examined the relationship between height and money. Specifically, it found that in Western countries, a jump from the 25th percentile of height to the 75th—about four or five inches—is associated with an increase in salary between 9 and 15 percent. Put another way, tall people make hundreds… Read More Short women make less money: Being petite in the workplace
Dear fashion industry: I am short. Yes, short. Not “petite” — I’m also a very average women’s size 10 or 12, not a model-skinny double-zero, and saying it in French doesn’t make me any taller. Not “vertically challenged” — it’s not an obstacle course, and there’s no prize for winning. Just short. More specifically, I’m… Read More Fashion industry rant: Being short