the return

Wow. It's been about 10 months since my last post! For shame, for shame. So much has happened since my then. I rehabbed my reconstructed ACL, got a new job and apartment in Washington, DC, and got engaged! All of this seems no excuse for my blog-neglect, but it's all I've got. So I'm back in the saddle again, and hope to post regularly (at least 3 times a week)!

I wanted to start by posting a few petite-friendly wedding gowns that I've found. I already bought mine, but I won't post it here until after the wedding :-)

The first one is a beautiful, simple, and classic gown by Anne Barge. The pockets make it unique and a bit sassy. I actually tried this on and loved it, although it didn't end up being 'the one'. It flattered my petite frame and was 'princess-ey' without swallowing me whole.

Another option is going short, but is it really an option? I am not completely traditional, but still would feel a bit TOO avant-garde/disrespectful wearing a short wedding dress. In addition, a lot of them are tea length, which is not so flattering for us shorties. And the ones that aren't tea length are sometimes a bit silly looking in my opinion, like this Priscilla of Boston:

I think a good option for us petite brides is a more sheathe-like shape. I was looking for something other than strapless, and I imagined getting something like this one:

Suit Yourself

So I've had the same suit since my first year out of college. This, shockingly, was 5 years ago! I love my little Tahari petite skirt suit. But I don't feel that (even after tailoring) it suits me as well as it could(bad pun intended). I am thinking of purchasing a new suit, and am really curious about the pant suit vs. skirt suit debate. I know that skirt suits are considered more conservative and professional, and personally, I like feeling a bit feminine, especially when those manly shoulder pads are involved with the top part. However, I want to make sure I look like someone who is in command, and I am starting to think the pant suit actually communicates that message a little bit more than the skirt suit.

Thoughts, ladies?

Lace to the Top

Ok, I'm allowed the lame blog post title because I'm a teacher, ok? And if you don't eagerly follow education, Race to the Top is the education initiative (competition for money) to push states to reform...wait, this blog is supposed to be about FASHION and being petite...let's get to it.

I recently bought this gorgeous BB Dakota skirt:
Cute, right? What I love about it is the length. It's short, yes, but just the right short. It's not so short that your skeevy older cousin is going to ask 'how much for her?", but not the frumpy length that some 'mini' skirts end up being on me. Another HUGE plus is the shape of the skirt. It is not a-line. Rejoice! I have fairly small hips, so a-line skirts never actually sit on my hips, creating a weird, tent-y look. This skirt gracefully hugs my hips without being tight or pulling anywhere.
(Oh, and this pic is not of my backside...and I'm actually glad not to have those spray-tanned, awkwardly-muscular-at-random-parts legs!)
Hooray for BB Dakota! This is the first time I've ever purchased something from that line--maybe I'll have to add it to the Petite Hot List I'm creating! Stay tuned...

In the Heights

Ah, shoe shopping. I have a love-hate relationship with it. On one hand, I do love shoes. On the other, it seems like when I'm looking for shoes, I think I like various pair of shoes, and then when I have them up close and on my feet, I overanalyze the way they look and end up hating them.

That being said, I own way too many pairs of shoes, so I obviously seem to find plenty I DO like!
On top of the aestheics of the shoe, there's the height to consider. of course.

My preference is to wear high heels. I love the added height, the way they make my legs look, the way I walk--no, sashay--when I'm wearing them.

When it comes to flats (cause a girl can't ONLY wear high heels), I find that pointy toe flats are more flattering (pardon the pun) on a shorter body. I don't have any good insight as to why, it just seems that way! I had one pair that I thought of as my 'cheating' shoes. No, not because I cheated on tests (or guys) while wearing them, but because in my mind, it appeared as if I was wearing high heels when I wore them with jeans.

I recently bought three pairs of shoes online, each at a different height. It's only my second time ever purchasing shoes online, so we'll see how this goes. Here's what I bought:

One pair of high heels (Joan and David 2 Cape Patent Leather) that aren't even that high:


One pair of medium height wedges (Kelly&Katie Chloe Sandal):


One pair of (flat) white Keds! This is my 'kind of risky, I think it's gonna be trendy and i can picture myself wearing them with cute shorts this summer' shoe):

So now I can be whatever height I want (short, 5'2 me, slightly taller, or practically average height)!

Oh and by the way, "In the Heights" is an amazing Broadway musical. It has nothing to do with shoes, or short people.

The Long and Short of It

I went to see Alice in Wonderland last night (pretty good, very trippy movie). I had very vivid dreams that night, and part of it included me running around in a long dress (other parts involved a talking dog, but I digress).

This got me thinking about dress length. I typically avoid long dresses and skirts like the plague. As a petite person, I think long dresses make me look even shorter (sometimes the word 'stumpy' comes to mind) and swallow up my frame. I tried to think if I had ever worn a long dress that looked good, and i did think of two instances:

1. My senior prom dress. It was a "Laundry by Shelli Segal" dress: simple, column style, strapless, and a flattering shade of lavender.

2. The dress I wore to the Inaugural Ball last January. It was black, column style, with a unique strap that went diagonally across my chest.

But those are both formal dresses. I don't think I have ever worn a 'maxi dress' or any other longer dress or skirt in a casual setting. Do I want to? Well, I have to admit, some of them look pretty in stores and on the hangers. I haven't even tried one on though, and I think the amount of material really will just overwhelm me!

Backpack Search

Apparently today I'm in a mood to disclose. Why, you might ask, would I be searching for a backpack? Didn't those go out of style in 1998? Remember MINI-backpacks? Wow. Well, I tore my ACL and will be getting surgery in a little more than a month. After the surgery, I'll have to be on crutches for 4 weeks. One thing I learned after being on crutches for a short time once before, is that it's utterly impossible to carry a purse and walk with any sense of grace or dignity on crutches. Well, maybe you can never walk with grace or dignity while on crutches, but a shoulder purse just makes it that much harder.

So begins my search for a backpack. I can't really decided what kind/style I want. Do I want something plain and simple (i.e. black)? Really cute? Sporty? Ladylike and stylish? Can I get all of the above, combined? Here are some I'm considering. Opinions welcome.

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From the top down: Lesportsac (cute), Jane Marvel (stylish?), Nuo Chloe Dao (different), Jansport (sporty).

What Would Petite Shoppers Do Without It?

I'm referring, of course, to the internet. While still not the same as actually touching, feeling, seeing and, yeah, even sometimes smelling (you know you've done it) an item of clothing in person (and on your body), the internet is a savior for the smaller-framed girl.

It allowed me to get that Disney t-shirt I

was lamenting about....and will allow you to learn a little bit more about me, Half-Pint. The t-shirt is this:

This shirt would probably be considered SO lame, except that it fits so well with what I do in life (besides searching for cute clothes!). I teach sixth grade. Now read the shirt again. Yeah, that's me. So I found the shirt online, realized it is sold at Newbury Comics, and although I haven't set foot in a Newbury Comics since my teenybopper days, I now am the proud owner of a size S of this little tshirt!

So thanks, internet, for saving me from the "they don't have it in my size" blues. Now I have to get back to some grading...