Does anyone else ever get in a shopping rut? Lately, I’ve been wondering where else to shop for petite clothing. Generally I stick to the same brands that have worked for me in the past, but recently I haven’t been feeling as excited when I’ve gone shopping or looked online.

So I decided to order from a few new brands I had never tried before to see if there was anything good I was missing out on. The four brands that I ordered from were: Fashion Union, Petite Studio NYC, Monteau and Love Scarlett.

• Fashion Union – Overall I thought the brand had some cute designs. Quality was definitely a little lacking and the fit was kind of awkward for a few pieces. However, if you’re looking for trend-focused petite clothing on a budget, this brand definitely fits the bill.

• Petite Studio NYC – Can’t believe I waited so long to try out this brand. They have a modern, polished aesthetic. Their clothes were a nice quality. Overall, their fit was mostly good. I only noticed a couple of small things that were off slightly fit-wise for me. However, I appreciate that they try to offer a good amount of fit guidance with their size chart and True Fit chart.

• Monteau – I’d describe this brand as classic silhouettes with a twist. They also have lots of fun/bold prints. For example, the wrap dress I tried on from them had a unique fabric and cut-out sleeves. Overall, I felt their pieces were different than what I already had in my closet.

• Love Scarlett – I love the unique sweater dress styles this brand carries. Also their tops and dresses have interesting design details that add something new to your closet.

MY MEASUREMENTS

Bust = 33’’

Waist = 27.5’’

Stomach = 31’’

Hip = 38.5’’

Thigh = 22’’

Calf = 12.25’’

Inseam = 27’’

Bicep = 9.5’’

FASHION UNION

Fashion Union Petite High Neck Long Sleeve Blouse –  Size 6 Petite

What I loved…

• High Neck – I’m a huge fan of high neckline blouses. I find them flattering for petite pears because they emphasize the smallness of the upper body relative to the hips.

What could have been better…

• Fabric – The fabric seemed a little bit see-through, but it’s probably because it’s a white top.

• Length – Ok so this is legit the opposite problem that I normally have with tops. This one was actually a little bit too short and was like a true crop top where my stomach and back were exposed. (Center front measurement = 15’’) Generally, I pair tops like this back to high-waisted jeans (pictured), but this top was shorter than I would have like since my back was exposed.

Garment measurements:

Bust = 16.5’’

Center front = 15’’

Sleeve length = 29.75’’

Verdict: Don’t buy, shop around.

Fashion Union Petite Sweater With Fitted Rib  –  Size 6 Petite

What I loved…

• Fitted rib hem – My favorite feature of this sweater was the ribbed hem because it hugged my waist and wasn’t tight around my hips like sweaters normally are.

• Just the right length – This sweater sat right around my waist, which was great since I have a short torso. Often I find sweaters are too long for me but this one was petite friendly.

What could have been better…

• Sleeves too long  – The sleeves were way too long for me. (Sleeve length = 32’’) If you have shorter arms like me, I’d recommend folding up the sleeves. Problem solved!

Garment measurements:

Center front = 20’’

Bust = 30.5’’

Sleeve length = 32’’

Center back = 21.75’’

Verdict: Buy!

Fashion Union Petite Mini Skirt –  Size 8 Petite

What I loved…

• Length – If you’re petite, mini skirts are a great way to show off your legs and make yourself look taller 🙂

What could have been better…

• Should have ordered a size down – Since there wasn’t a size 6 available online, I ordered a size up, but it ended up being too big for me in the waist.

• Thin fabric – The fabric was a little too thin for my taste, especially since it’s a mini skirt.

Garment measurements:

Waist = 15.25’’

Center front = 15.25’’

Bottom opening = 22.25’’

Verdict: Don’t buy, shop around.

Fashion Union Petite Square Neck Tea Dress – Size 6 Petite

What I loved…

• Neckline – I really loved this sort of sweetheart neckline. I will say the fit was a little funky, but not a total deal breaker. Would recommend wearing with a strapless bra.

• Defined waistline – I love this feature of this dress because it emphasizes my pear curves.

What could have been better…

• Little roomy in the bust – As I mentioned above, I wish this dress was more fitted in the bust because it was a little loose on me. However, I didn’t find it too noticeable.

Garment measurements:

Bust = 34’’

Waist = 27.5’’

Hips = 38.5’’

Center front skirt = 19.25’’

Verdict: Buy!

MONTEAU

Monteau Petite Striped Split-Sleeve Faux-Wrap Dress – Size Petite S (Link to Similar)

What I loved…

• Wrap dress silhouette – This is another favorite silhouette of mine because I love the way it complements my curves.

• Print – I love the berry-tone stripes! Super fun for fall.

What could have been better…

• A little roomy in bust area – I felt like this dress was a little roomy in the bust area, however it wasn’t extremely noticeable.

Garment measurements:

Bust = 34’’

Waist = 26’’

Center front = 36.25’’

Center back = 35.5’’

Verdict: Buy!

Monteau Petite Scalloped Fit & Flare Dress – Size Petite M

What I loved…

• Fit and flare – This is one of my go-to dress silhouettes as a pear-shaped lady because it highlights my waist (narrowest part of my body).

• Scalloped neckline – I love this detail because it makes the dress a little more exciting than your standard fit & flare dress.

What could have been better…

• Too big in bust – I used the True Fit recommendation on Macy’s and ordered the medium size, however it was too big in the bust area. I probably should have ordered the small instead because I think that would likely fix the issue.

Garment measurements:

Waist = 30’’

Bust = 32’’

Center front = 32.25’’

Center back = 31.5’’

Verdict: Buy, but size down.

PETITE STUDIO NYC

Petite Studio Aria Top – Size Petite M

What I loved…

• Fabric – Love the silky, shiny fabric!

• Petite friendly length – Since I have a short torso, tops are often too long on me. However, this one was a nice length. (Center front measurement = 23.25’’)

What could have been better…

• Sleeves slightly long – You can see in the front picture that the sleeves are a little bit long. (Sleeve length measurement = 29.25’’)

Garment measurements:

Center front = 23.25’’

Center front neck drop = 6.75’’

Bust = 40’’

Sleeve length = 29.25’’

Center back = 23.88’’

Verdict: Don’t buy, shop around.

Petite Studio Rococo Dress – Size Petite M

What I loved…

• Fabric – It’s such a classic pattern, and a great staple to have in your closet.

• Belted – One of my favorite features of this shirt dress is the belt. It helps emphasize my waist and shows off my shape.

What could have been better…

• Slightly long – I wish this dress fell a little bit higher above my knees (maybe like 1-2 inches above where it is now). Since it’s a heavier looking fabric, I think the length makes me look a bit short.

Garment measurements:

Center front = 34.25’’

Bust = 41’’

Hips = 43.5’’

Center back = 39’’

Verdict: Buy!

Petite Studio Aurora Midi Skirt – Size Petite M

What I loved…

• Length – Just because you’re petite doesn’t mean that you can’t pull off a midi skirt. All you have to do is just find one that’s petite size so the length is right 🙂

• Plaid – This fabric is perfect fall!

What could have better…

• Slightly big in waist – I think I needed to go a size down in this skirt because it was a little roomy in the waist area. If the waist measurement was smaller then I think it would have sat higher up on my true waist.

Garment measurements:

Waist = 29’’

Hips = 38.5’’

Center front = 25.25’’

Center back = 25.38’’

Verdict: Buy!

LOVE SCARLETT

Love Scarlett Petite Bow-Detail Sweater Dress – Size Petite S

What I loved…

• Fit & flare silhouette – This is a wonderful silhouette for petite pears because it emphasizes our curves and shape.

• Color – I love the dark green color of this dress because it compliments my hair and skin tone.

• Asymmetrical hemline – Another feature I love about this dress is the hemline. It adds a little more excitement to a fit & flare dress.

Garment measurements:

Bust = 30’’

Waist = 27.5’’

Center front = 31.75’’

Center back = 31.75’’

Verdict: Buy!

Love Scarlett Petite Lattice-Sleeve Sweater Dress  – Size Petite M

What I loved…

• Lattice sleeves  – I loved this unique feature of the dress. It makes it not your average sweater dress.

• Color – Such a great color for fall!

What could have been better…

• Too big in hip area – This dress looked like a bubble around my hips.  I used the TrueFit feature on Macys.com and it told me to order a Medium so that’s what I did.  However, I think actually needed to go a size down because it was a little too big.

Garment measurements:

Center front = 35’’

Bust = 38’’

Waist = 34’’

Hips = 40’’

Bottom opening = 36.5’’

Sleeve length = 29.25’’

Verdict: Buy, but size down.

Love Scarlett Petite Draped Open Cardigan  – Size Petite S

What I loved…

• Length – The length is this cardigan sweater was just right and didn’t overwhelm by petite frame.

What could have been better…

• Silhouette – I really liked how this cardigan looked in the pictures online. However, I wasn’t as big of fan once I tried it on in person – just not my personal style. The fit was ok though.

Garment measurements:

Center back = 22.75’’

Bust = 39’’

Center front = 22’’

Sleeve length = 28.5’’

Verdict: Don’t buy, shop around.