Best Sweaters For Petites To Stay Cozy and Look Great

Sweater season or cozy season? How do you describe the time of year we pull out our sweaters and favorite pieces to stay warm? Either way is a great way. There is just something about putting on something cozy when there is crispness in the air. Well, now is an excellent time to start thinking about your sweater collection and the best sweaters for petites so that you are ready when the first chilly morning arrives.

There’s more to a sweater than what meets the eye at first glance. Sure, it can keep us warm but it can also say something about our style. We always want to give the best impression so we want to make sure that we are wearing the best styles of sweaters for our unique petite bodies. So I’m going to talk about fit, styles, and more when it comes to the best sweaters for petites. At the end, you will find where I find some of the best petite sweaters.

Before we talk about getting ready for sweater season here are a few other petite fashion posts I have written you might like to read.

• Petite Clothing Tips When You Can’t Buy Petite Sizing
• Best Petites Jeans: Where To Find The Perfect Pair
• Best Boots For Petites: How To Find THE Ones For Your Short Legs
• How To Wear A Long Cardigan Sweater With Confidence When Petite
• Fall Wardrobe Classics: Pieces That Never Go Out Of Style For Petite Women

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Best Sweaters For Petites

The best petite sweater for you is one that you love and feel that you look great in. That being said, here are a few things to look for when shopping for a sweater that will make your sweater collection include sweaters that you will wear season after season.

• Shop petite sizing when possible (in some brands regular sizing might work but petite sizing usually fits better).
• Avoid dolman sleeves. Way too much fabric that will add bulk.
• Stick with thinner knits that don’t add bulk.
• Choose a flattering neckline. V-necks are a petite woman’s best friend to make us look taller. Boatnecks are also a great option.

How A Sweater Should Fit Our Petite Bodies

Sweaters and knitwear are not easy to alter that is what makes sweaters so challenging for petites. If you are like me, you are always having things altered. In some sweater styles, you can hem the sleeves, but that is pretty much it. So you need to know what to look for in a good-fitting sweater. Here are some great fit points for when you are trying on sweaters.

• The shoulder seam should be in line with your shoulders
• The sleeves should end right at your wrist bone. You don’t want to have to cuff them too much.
• Lengths are dependent upon the style. Cropped will sit at your natural waist. Traditional sweaters will hit at about the middle of your fly.
• The body of the sweater should hug your body or your undershirt. You don’t want it too tight or too loose.

Best Lengths Of Sweaters For Petites To Wear

We can have a variety of sweater lengths and wear them well. How and what you style them with is key. You have to wear what you are comfortable with. Just because a particular style of sweater or anything for that matter is trending doesn’t mean you have to wear it if you don’t like the way it looks on your body.

Cropped sweaters (hits at your hip bones or higher)look great on petites when paired with high-waisted bottoms. Longer/oversized sweaters look best with slim pants, leggings, or skinny jeans. You have to wear what you feel good in. Personally, I like to tuck sweaters into my bottoms so that I define my waistline more.

My Go-To Brands For Petite Sweaters

These brands always have a good selection of sweaters season after season. You can count on them to have the petite fit down so that our sweaters are not too long, the sleeves aren’t down to our fingertips and the shoulders line up with our shoulders. Sweaters for petites that truly are cut for petite frames make getting dressed during sweater season a breeze.

Ann Taylor

Ann Taylor is always a store that you can depend upon to have great basic sweaters that are office-appropriate. They will coordinate with all of your favorite pants to wear to the office. This houndstooth sweater is a winner in my opinion. Great with all of your black or grey bottoms. The neckline on this shawl collar sweater is perfect for petites as well. The texture of this sweater is great and it is one that you can easily dress up or down.

Talbots

Talbots is a brand that you can rely on to always have great classic pieces. If you are a sweater set gal, then this is the store that will usually have them for you. Just want a good cardigan, they will have those too. They will always be in the “it” colors of the season. I personally find their fit to be a little generous. So when I do purchase from Talbots I always look for more fitted pieces.

I must say that I am really liking the clementine color that they are doing this season. This sweater would be great with leggings or skinny jeans. This is just a great layering piece to have to wear under cardigans or blazers this fall. One can never have too many black or ivory layering options.

White House Black Market

White House Black Market is always a place to look for something that is a little more modern in styling. I like that they make some longer cardigans in petite sizing. That way they are not too long on our shorter frames. The sleeveless cardigan that I am wearing above is a great layering piece for my southern winters. Here I am wearing it with leggings, but I would also pair it with skinny jeans.

This sweater is a great layering piece from them. The cashmere blend is very soft and not too heavy. It is available in more color options in regular sizing and I find that I can wear the regular sizing in my usual size. I will say that if you are chesty, it can make you look chestier so you may have to play with the bra that you wear underneath it. I really like this V-neck sweater. Perfect style and neckline to flatter petite bodies.

Petite Studio NYC

Petite Studio NYC is a great resource if you are looking for on-trend sweaters and petite pieces for your wardrobe. Each season they make a curated collection of pieces that are made in small batches. This line is female-founded and located in New York City. Their designers are also petite women so they truly make all of their pieces for the petite woman.

The Lexi wool sweater is one I have from last season and love wearing it with casual pants or jeans. I can tell the Meredith sweater is going to be a new favorite this season. This fun Rowen black and ivory sweater is also a fun take on classic black and white.

I wear an XXS in all of their sweaters and top. In pants, I wear an XS. You can also see me in the Kennedy Tweed Jacket here, wearing an XXS.

Brands That Fit My Petite Body That Aren’t Petite Sizing

I do like to shop in the regular-sized sweater section from time to time. As we all know, there are a lot more options there than in the petite sizing. This can be a hit or miss, but I do find some sweaters that I love from these brands. I just look for sweaters that are cropped or shorter so that the length works for my body better. As long as the shoulders fit and I don’t have to cuff them too much, then they get to stay. Here are some styles by these brands that have worked for me.

J. Crew

J. Crew will have some sweaters that fit me each season. I look for cropped sweaters and shorter sleeved sweaters if possible. The other thing that I look for is sweaters that are not bulky or cabled. Those just add extra bulk and don’t help to create a balance on petite frames.

The Halle sweater I am wearing in this post is a great sweat that you could even wear under a blazer. I am wearing it in an XS and I can easily turn back the cuff without it being too bulky. I also have the same sweater in black from last season. This cashmere tshirt and this silk blend sweater are both great elevated basics for layers and work for petites as well.

The long cardigan that I love is the Juliette. I have it in the grey and the camel. I wear it in an XXS and you can see me in it here.

Aqua Cashmere by Bloomingdale’s

Bloomingdale’s Aqua cashmere line is always one that I look to every season. I find that many of their styles are able to work on my petite body. Again, the cashmere is not too bulky and for some reason I do not find their sleeves to be too long on my body. I usually have to cuff them back. Since they are not too think it looks fine.

Aqua also has some other sweaters that are not cashmere that work for petites as well. This tweed cardigan would be a great sweater to wear as a jacket with a tee underneath.

I take my usual size XS in their sweaters. Here are some that I have my eye on for this season.

Tips for Styling Your Petite Sweaters

You have your own unique style. However, there are a few things that I like to keep in mind when I wear sweaters. One thing for sure is the last thing that we want to do is look shorter and bulkier in the cooler months.

It’s All About Proportions

As a petite, this is something that we have to think about every day. Yes, 365 days a year. We have to create balance with our outfits. Creating the illusion of height is always a priority. So always make the legs look as long as possible. Wearing high-waisted bottoms, shoes with a bit of a heel, and tucking in your top are simple ways to balance out your outfits. Just play around in front of the mirror before leaving home.

Downplay the Accessories

Don’t get me wrong. I love accessories, but in the cooler months, I wear fewer bracelets and statement earrings. They can easily snag your sweaters especially when you are taking them off or putting them on.

Sometimes your seamstress can darn them and then other times the sweater is a loss. I just prefer to keep it simple. If you feel you need an accessory to add some interest, then try a small scarf.

Find an Undershirt That You Like

Many of us don’t like the “itch factor” of sweater fabrications. Find a great fitting undershirt that you like and get it in black and white. Maybe grey if it is offered. You will want to make sure that they are very fitted so that they do not add extra bulk.

Thanks, Let’s Stay In Touch

Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope that this post helped you in your quest to find the best petite sweaters for your body. It’s always great to discover a new place to shop when you are petite.

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