BY DONNA FUJII  

"Petite" is a classification for the merchandising of fashions for adult women who are 5 feet 4 inches and under. There are more than 20 million women in America who fit into this classification, which was introduced less than 20 years ago. In this era of 6-foot tall female models, it is a little-known fact that the average American woman is 5 feet 4 inches tall, which would qualify her as a petite.

"It is now recognized that most petite woman can wear almost any style as long as the fit is proportioned to her figure."

Over the past several years, I have criss-crossed the country as a guest speaker at petites fashion seminars for a number of major department stores. So, if you happen to be 5 feet 4 inches or less, I have a few fashion and style tips that could do wonders for your image.

Before petites were recognized by designers and merchandisers as a distinct group of consumers with specific requirements, the petite woman had to settle for styles that were unsuitable for her body dimensions, or spend much more to have her clothes custom-tailored. Now, almost every major department store, including Macy's, Nordstrom, Nieman Marcus, and Sak's has a petites department featuring styles designed for petites in special petites sizes ranging from size 2 to 14.

Garments in a petites department typically are the same color and style as the regular missy mechandise but they have been tailored for the smaller dimensions of the petite body. For example, their armholes are raised a bit, their lapels are slightly slimmer, their patch pockets are smaller, and their shoulders are narrower, so that the petite outfit looks and fits exactly like its larger counterpart.

In the past, stylists uniformly advised petites to avoid horizontal stripes and patterns, black and white, color mixing, oversized clothing, gathered skirts, mid-calf lengths, large earrings and other styles that tend to make them appear shorter. This advice became necessary largely due to the unavailability at that time of styles that flatter the petite-sized woman.

It is now recognized that most petite woman can wear almost any style as long as the fit is proportioned to her figure and details (such as pockets, trims, buttons) on the garment have been scaled down.

Petite women who are overweight have to be doubly careful in their style selections. They should avoid heavy weight fabrics, bold block patterns, and designs or patterns that draw the eye to the waist or hip area. The clothes should not fit tightly. Jackets that are longer than the hips tend to be more flattering.

Small-framed petites who are under 5 feet tall should not wear large, bold patterns in strong contrasting colors and should pay extra attention to scale and proportion. The clothes must fit very well, especially at the sleeves and shoulders. Shorter length jackets are an excellent style choice.

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