Rants, frustrations and other aspects of living life as a short person in a tall world.
Travel is my passion. I’ve been lucky enough to have set foot in over 50 countries, and I can tell you that one of the best things about travel is that anyone can do it. Tall, short, fat, thin, young, old; it doesn’t matter as long as you’re out there in the world, exploring and… Read More 10 travel tips for petites
We short people face discrimination in virtually every walk of life, from employment to shopping to dating. But, in this era of shrinking seats, airline travel is generally assumed to be the one shining exception. Unlike tall passengers, who are crammed into tiny seats with their knees up to their elbows, we petites can luxuriate… Read More Flying while petite: Is it really an advantage?
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
The disappearing petites section Of all the frustrations I have with being short in a tall person’s world, clothes shopping is probably the worst one. With so many retailers getting rid of their petites sections in recent years, it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s harder than ever for us shorter women to find clothes… Read More Why being petite in Canada is so frustrating
Being Canadian in North America means constantly having your face pressed against the glass, teased with prices, products and selection that you can’t actually access. It means being a small fish in a big pond, and being aware that you’re shut out of most of the cool stuff available just south of the border. Well,… Read More Petite doesn’t mean small: The challenges of being short in Quebec
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
There’s a lot of negativity on this blog. Some of it is just because I tend to blog when I’m feeling particularly frustrated. Some of it is legitimate, due to the sometimes not-so-fun aspects of being short in a world tailored for tall people. But it’s not all bad news. There are some pretty awesome… Read More 10 things to love about being petite
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