Petite Studio NYC Review: A Need to Know Slow Fashion Brand for Petites

Petite Studio NYC Review: A Need to Know Slow Fashion Brand for Petites

Items were gifted to me for this review. All opinions are my own.

One issue that I have had with the fashion industry for years is that it tends to forget about petite women. I am not talking about just being short. Short and small women have difficulty finding clothing that fits without a lot of alterations. Trust me, there are plenty of petite women out there who appreciate fashionable, great-fitting petite clothing. Enter Petite Studio NYC. This brand is a need-to-know for all petite women who appreciate slow fashion and sustainability.

A Petite Studio NYC team member reached out to me this fall. They asked if I would try and write about some of their signature pieces. Cute, fashionable clothing made for petite bodies. What 5′ 1/2″ size 0-2 woman wouldn’t want to try a brand that says they design for that type of body?

Who Is Petite Studio NYC

Petite Studio NYC is a clothing company that designs clothing for petite women by petite women. In 2016 Jenny Wang-Howell set out to build a brand whose focus was to create fashionable clothing for petite women sustainably. She describes herself as a 5’2″ wannabe fashionista and prides herself on starting the first real petite shop offering women trendy, stylish petite clothing.

Together Jenny and her husband Matt run the company. Jenny heads up the creative side of the business while her husband Matt runs the business end. The company’s design studio is located in Soho.

What Sets Them Apart

The company makes small-run curated collections. They source fabrics their fabrics from the same mills as many top high-end luxury brands. You will find beautiful wools for the fall and winter collections. Silks and premium cotton for the spring and summer collections.

Jenny and her husband use an exclusive factory for their production. That factory is located in Jenny’s hometown of Jiangshan, China. The employees behind the production of the clothing are from that town and go home to their families at the end of every day. Most of the factory employees have been there for many years and enjoy good working conditions and fair wages. Something that not all companies in China ensure.

Signature Pieces

Each season Jenny and her team of petite designers come up with a full line of choices for petite women. That’s right. Not only are her designers women, but they are also petite. So they understand who they are designing for.

You can find pieces to wear to work, casually, or somewhere in between. They have several iconic pieces that they make season after season and they will offer them in different colorways. Here are the signature pieces that I have been wearing and enjoying.

Buvette Blouse and Buvette Pants

First, what a great classic look with just enough twist to make it very fashionable for the season. The Buvette blouse in ivory is truly a classic. The slightly relaxed fit can be tucked in or left out. Also, the design is done in such a way that it is not too boxy. Therefore, you don’t feel as if you are wearing a sack. Furthermore, there is a shape to it and the length is not too long. The fabric is 100% viscose and is medium-weight. It is thick enough to be worn on its own, yet not too thick to wear under a jacket for more of a tailored work style.

The Buvette pants are an on-trend pant style that is hard for petite women to find with a proper fit. They are made of a soft and stretchy high-quality polyester fabric. You can move easily in them and they offer a slimming silhouette. They are high-waisted pants that hit just the right spot. This is because they have accounted for the fact that petite women do not need as high of a rise.

Oversized Wool Jane Blazer

Finally a “boyfriend” blazer that I can wear and not look like I went shopping in my husband’s closet. The oversized grey and black plaid blazer is designed in such a way that it is oversized. Most importantly, it does not overwhelm a petite woman. The shoulder pads give the jacket the shape that it needs without making it too wide at the shoulders.

The wool blend fabric is soft to the touch and not too heavy. Therefore, it is perfect for fall layers. Trust me, it is a jacket you will reach for many times season after season.

Lexi Wool Sweater

This sweater is perfect for a relaxed-fit sweater for a petite woman. I am a sweater lover thru and thru and a fit like this that fits is hard to come by. In this design, the proportions are perfect. Most importantly, it is roomy and yet does not overwhelm the body.

The Lexi is made of a soft merino wool. It is not too heavy which is perfect for fall when you just can’t wait to get your sweaters out for the season.

My Thoughts on Petite Studio NYC Pieces

What I appreciate is the fact that they are truly making clothing for petite women, not just shortening the lengths of garments. Moreover, they pride themselves on fitting their garments to differently shaped petite women. That is evident in their descriptions and the way that the garments fit my body.

Shopping online and via my measurements is a way of life for me. I have even written about the fact that my tape measure is my shopping BFF here. The measuring tape and a good seamstress are two things that I swear by.

The one negative about Petite Studio NYC’s website is that all of their measurements are in the metric system. It had been a VERY long time since I had tried to convert from inches to centimeters. Needless to say, that made it a little more time-consuming for me.

Their Fit to My Body Type

Again, I am 5’1/2″ and weigh 102. Also, my body type is an hourglass with a very defined waist. I will also mention that my legs are on the muscular side because I do lift weights regularly.

Once I figured out the sizes to order, it turned out that they were my normal size. XXS in all of the tops and XS in the pants. Amazingly, every piece is perfectly proportioned to my body. I did not have to have the waistline taken in on the pants. That is usually a given for me. The waistband is configured in such a way that the pants are a perfect fit.

Future Purchases

There are multiple reasons that I will purchase from Petite Studio NYC in the future:

• They are a sustainable brand.
• They are a female founded and run business.
• Since they make smaller runs you don’t see yourself coming and going in their pieces.
• I didn’t have one alteration bill with four pieces of clothing. That is nothing short of a miracle.

Take a moment and look at their press page. You will see that season after season they receive accolades about their collections and why you should check them out if you are a petite woman.

Pieces from Their Current Collection That Caught My Eye

Here are some other pieces from their collection that really caught my eye. There is just something special about so many of their designs for petite women’s bodies.

THANKS

I appreciate you taking the time to read down to the bottom of this review. Hopefully, you will give this U.S.-based, female-led company a try if you are petite. They truly have some special designs. In conclusion, I will say that their quality and price point are very much so in alignment.

Hugs,