Petite Plus and More- Hot Tips from the Continuum Community
A favorite pair of petite plus pants.
One year after our launch, Continuum, the membership exclusively for Poplin clients continues to flourish. We’ll be opening up this private community to clients not currently enrolled next month. Whether or not you are a Poplin client, you can get some hot tips from the membership as a thank you for being a part of the Poplin Community.
This month, were focused on leveraging the 16 Fall Color Trends expanding our wardrobes and experimenting with monochromatic and color blocked outfits. The RSVPs for this month’s Virtual Live Style Studio happened to have 100% women with petite plus figures. So, I streamlined the session with their needs in mind. In the end, more members were able to join last minute and whether or not they had the same body type, the conversation was a fruitful one. Who doesn’t love to learn more about the best pants for her figure or tailoring fixes? Here are some key takeaways.
We kick off most Live Style Studios by pairing up members in an effort to help them connect with one another. This, in addition to the conversations in our private online community and the live in person events (Group Tailoring and a Continuum Brunch) have helped the group become truly connected. Even better, new members are welcomed and embraced with a focus on creating a sense of belonging and fun. If you love to chat about clothes, experiment with your outfits, ask advice and connect with fascinating, supportive women, this is the place for you.
This month’s ice breakers
What’s your biggest struggle when shopping for pants or jeans?
Answers included:
Struggles with the rise, “when something fits my stomach, it’s too loose on the backside,” and another chimed in with the opposite conundrum, “in order to fit my backside, the stomach isn’t right.”
Finding the right fit for my petite frame. It’s not just hemming! The rise and where the knee hits are often wrong.
Gaping at the waist. In order to acommodate my hips and thighs, the waist is always too big.
Think of one pair of pants in your closet that makes you feel the most effortless and put-together. This pant is also comfortable and flattering. What makes them so glorious?
(Petite Plus Triangle): The Colette from Maeve. The wide leg is flattering. I carry my weight in my backside and these give me great coverage.
(Diamond): Uniqlo pants after tailoring- I love the straight leg and elastic waist. After we tailored them to adjust the rise to acommodate my stomach, they are ideal.
(Diamond): The Stephanie from Universal Standard and shorts from Good American. Both fit well. I carry my weight in my stomach and have a flat backside and these make me look and feel great.
(Petite Diamond/ Hourglass depending on my weight): The Pace Pant from Roucha. These are super flattering, comfortable and very cool. They also come in short, which is incredible.
Pssst. Fun Fact: I own the Collettes and the Pace pants, too. I’m a Triangle and love them.
What’s the best thing a tailor has ever done for you?
(Petite Diamond/ Hourglass depending on my weight): This sounds crazy, but I don’t have much on my backside and many years ago, the Poplin tailor added ruching down the crack of a bathing suit. Typically, I feel like it looks like a big block and is not my favorite feature, but this fix made it look great!
(Diamond): The Poplin tailor added a zipper on the side of my pants and it changed everything. They became more flattering and easy to put on. They also fit my stomach perfectly after the fix.
(Petite Plus Triangle): The Poplin tailor brought in the shoulders of my leather jacket and it was amazing. Now the jacket fits me perfectly and does not feel oversized or boxy. I buy a larger size to fit my waist but then usually have an oversized shoulder that I don’t care for.
Fit Tips
We had a quick deck to share some insights. Here are my slides:) Of course, we had a jam packed discussion on this topic. As you may know, all Poplin packages include time with a Master Tailor and me. Collaborating with a tailor for the past decade or so has taught me a LOT about fit and potential tailoring fixes.
Those came up in our conversation as we addressed the issues folks have with fit.
Adjusting the RISE
(Applicable to a wide range of sizes, heights and body types)
First, rise is key and can change everything. Fun Fact: A tailor can adjust the rise so that it is higher in the back than the front or higher in the front than in the back. This small change has a profound impact on how pants fit. It helps to accommodate weight in the stomach or in the backside.
Taking in the waist
(Applicable to women with small waists in proportion to their hips/ backside. Triangles and Hourglass figures love this fix.)
Another great fix, taking in the waist. This is an easy and typically affordable way to address gaping at the waist. You can also opt for pants with an elastic waist or those with an invisible elastic or adjustable waist inside.
Adjusting Pants for Petites
(Applicable for women who are 5’4 and below as well as long waisted women of various heights who may have shorter legs.)
Remember that petite doesn’t just mean shorter at the legs. Be sure that when you purchase regular length pants and are petite (or long waisted so you have shorter legs), your tailor addresses the rise and the length. This will ensure that your proportions are correct and the knee hits at the proper location.
Taking in the Shoulders
(Applicable for women with smaller shoulders, especially Triangle or Diamond shaped figures.)
And shoulders are key. Not every tailor has the skill to alter shoulders, leather, knits and so on. Fortunately, our Master Tailor does have these skills, so we’re able to transform new pieces and also items that exist in a clients closet but aren’t currently working for her figure or her style.
New Retailers to Try
Again, I focused on Petite Plus options. Whether or not that’s your body type, you might enjoy investigating these brands. Some are certainly higher quality than others, but it’s nice to have multiple avenues.
Check out the slides above for options that carry Petite Plus- that means plus size options for women 5’4” and below.
And there you have it!
This month we also devoted 5 minutes to answering a style question from one of our members. Each month members have the option to sign up for styling time. I chime in with suggestions and so do other members. It’s fluid and sometimes sessions include tips and training, sometimes they don’t. Either way, the Live Sessions are a lovely way to spend some time together after work, unwind, then get excited about getting dressed again. I’m grateful to share a little of the magical insight with you. Enjoy!
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