Standing Up To Intimidation

Dealing with intimidating personalities, overly assertive individuals and threatening characters is difficult for any one.  However, being of a “petite frame” does not mean you have to be dominated, coerced, excluded, humiliated, controlled or, taken advantage of.  Frightening?  It most definitely can be depending on the situation and the individual you’re standing toe-to-toe with.

Are there ways to contend with a person whose physique is as intimidating as their mindset?  Sadly petite women are easy targets.  The first step is recognizing whether or not you are in an abusive situation or one of those noted above.  In an abusive situation (not just a relationship) power and control are repeatedly misused by an abuser. Visit this link http://www.womenshealth.gov/violence  and check out the Power and Control Wheel under Publications.  If you feel you fall into one of those categories, this is a wonderful site where phone numbers and assistance can be found.

Listed below are a few suggestions that may help.

-  Owning your power is a very good start.  Showing that you are a confident person and not easily intimidated without appearing threatening is one way of getting your point across.  Fear is an emotion that backs you into a corner.  Humor is a great diffuser if given in an assertive tone.  “I may be short but, I’m no pushover.”   

- In today’s environment, women regardless of their stature should know the basics of self defense.  Because you are petite, the likelihood of encountering an aggressive individual more than once in your life time is highly likely.  Knowledge brought Goliath to his knees, not brute force.  Check your community college, church, local gym, adult education center or YWCA for classes.  Gather together a committed list of 30 women and ask your local police department to give demonstrations for free.

- Honest communication is the best policy and gaining respect is sometimes just as simple as demanding it.  Shift the dynamic by looking them in the eye, relay in a calm yet, intense manner that their actions are not appreciated and will not be tolerated.  In most situations a person is controlling because you allow it.

Eyeglass Frames For Petite Faces

When small heads fit on top of small bodies eyeglasses can pose a problem like every thing else our petite frames do not fit into.  Do your glasses slip off your nose?  Do they not tuck properly behind your ears?  And most important of all, are the frames flattering, chic and fashionable?

There is nothing wrong with wanting reading or permanent eye glasses that offer all of the above as well as flatter the shape of your petite face.  Not to worry.  We found some fabulous providers who know what a petite woman wants.  But before we give the providers there is some tips to jot down somewhere when shopping for next new frames.

Because our faces are smaller, the width of the lens should fall somewhere between 46mm to 48mm.  The majority of us have smaller bridges as well and to attain a comfortable fit it should fall in the range of 13 to 15mm, especially if your PD (pupillary distance) is small. If you want nose pads, go a point or two larger to adjust for fit.

Those brands that have a generous range of petite sizes are Kate Spade, Prada, Anne Klein, Lafont, Nine West, Skechers, Candies and Peachtree.

Itty-Bitty Living

We thought you would get a kick out of some "petite" living lifestyles we came upon just recently. 

This particular owner had this incredibly compact home when they realized they were sick of "stuff." Now they managed to fit everything needed in just 89 square feet, and sells the itty-bitty houses through their company, Tumbleweed Tiny House Co. Because these structures are on wheels, they are considered travel trailers and don't require a building permit. The homes aren't large enough to meet the minimum standards for houses with a foundation but can be built as sheds on a foundation if the kitchen is left out.

Could you live in a home that's 400 square feet? How about less than 200 square feet?

Greg Johnson does. His house in Iowa City, Iowa, is 140 square feet -- a mere 7 feet by 10 feet.  It's just large enough for a little kitchen on one side, across from a desk where Johnson can work and eat. Upstairs is a loft that fits a queen-sized bed and is "just big enough to crawl upstairs and go to sleep.

This tiny prefab dream house is a one-bedroom home in Tucson, Arizona that is full of creative ideas for small space living.  The eco-conscious Rocio Romero prefab is only 625 square feet.

In Japan, where undeveloped urban land is scarce, some people are turning plots that once held parking spaces or garden sheds into home sites.

Rather than try to shoehorn conventional residences into these tiny spaces, architects specializing in ultra-compact homes are creating abodes that are as visually striking as they are efficient.  Check these out all of which are less than 700square feet.

Named for its shape, this house, designed by architecture firm Atelier Tekuto, occupies a 322-square-foot lot in Tokyo. The three-story house has a living and work space on the top floor with windows spanning the width of the building. It has a bathroom and bedroom on the second floor and a music room on the main floor.
The house has 899 square feet of interior floor space, but the glass walls and high ceilings can make the small house appear larger.

Perched on the steep slope of a retaining wall in Kobe, Japan, this dramatic, wedge-shaped house makes the most of its triangular plot of land overlooking Osaka Bay.  The design by Osaka-based architect Shuhei Endo features a roof of metal shingle board that is folded down over the front of the two-story house to create a striking façade. A section of the stone retaining wall behind the structure frames the back patio.

Fitting a home on the site was the hard part. At its widest point, the long and narrow property is just more than 10 feet across. Local ordinances required an additional setback, which meant the building would have to be narrow enough to fit in a standard U.S. parking space.


These unusual Itty Bitty Living spaces were found at  http://realestate.msn.com

The Petite Hour Glass Figure

If you’ve been blessed with an hour glass shape … girlfriend you are one of the lucky ones!  Why do designers consider your body type that of a goddess?  Well, the answer is simply you are as well proportioned on the bottom as on the top and you’ve been graced with a well defined waistline. 

However, being petite does not make this a glorious stance to be in.  It takes a little more know how to create a longer and leaner illusion that will truly flatter your body.

Actress Salma Hayek is a perfect example of a petite with an hour glass figure.  Most of the styles she wears are solid in color, v-necklines to create height, material that flows gracefully over her figure and a style that flatters her waistline.  It’s all about creating the illusions of more and less – more height and less bulk. Next time you’re dressing for your job or to go out on the town, work some magic and create your own illusions.

Dress all in one color from your top to your shoes.  Don’t forget to match your tights or stockings to your outfit too. In the winter, dark colors slim, so try black, navy, charcoal, burgundy, deep green, or purple.

Our Spring & Summer Line Is Here

Check out our slide show here on our blog featuring our new Spring & Summer line.  You can view the entire catalog on line by clicking HERE

Maternity Fashion Woes

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Maternity styles have gone from ill-fitting and boxy to rather chic and fashionable over the years.

The whole dynamic changes dramatically when a woman is expecting and happens to be 5’4” and under.  So many times we hear the words “vertically challenged” referenced when talking about petite women.  In the fashion industry the word Petite does not mean a woman is small but rather 5’4” tall and under.

It’s more of a challenge, however, finding something chic and stylish to wear when your midriff is expanding.   Designers have finally recognized the fact that 70% of women are Petite and the majority, not the minority any more.  Now all we have to do is get them to expand those designs to a maternity line.  

Stores in larger cities or metros generally carry a petite line, which leaves others having to shop online. Before you hit the submit button on an order make sure they have flexible exchange policies. Most websites have detailed specifications and don’t forget to check whether the shipping cost on returns is extra.

Stick with monochromatic colors as they’ll make you look taller and slimmer.  You're probably asking yourself what that means.  It's a blending of the same hues in a color.  See the photo here to the right as a sample where different shades of burgundy/pink blend together.  Boat necks, rounded ‘V’ and high necks accentuate the shoulders.  Stay away from anything with horizontal striping.  Fashionistas advise not to wear geometric and/or floral prints. It’s best to use smaller and subtler prints and cotton is the best fabric as it allows the skin to breathe and does not irritate it.

Listed below are some sites that carry smaller sizes (it’s noted whether the style is petite for shorter frames or not). 

isabellaoliver.com - size 0 up - not petite sizing

oldnavy.com - xs up - not petite sizing

seraphine.com - size 2 up - not petite sizing

lee.com - petite jeans - not maternity styles but can buy larger size to suit

anntaylorloft.com - small sizes from 0 up

maternity-clothing-fashions.com - petite styling - somewhat pricy

gapmaternity.com - limited selection

motherwearclothing.com..uk - small sizes but not petite sizing

funmum.com - petite jeans and trousers

jcpenny.com - limited petite styles

beautifulyoumaternity.com - petite - somewhat pricey 

motherhood.com - xs starts at size 0 - not petite sizing