Prev
Next

The short end of the fashion stick

Bonnie Ashley

by Bonnie Ashley

29 Oct 05:53am

Must Reads

Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it - this is a caption

Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it

180

Our special forces don’t always need special treatment - this is a caption

Our special forces don’t always need special treatment

27

A good holiday is about unrest, not rest - this is a caption

A good holiday is about unrest, not rest

3

Filed under: Australias Next Top Model, Body Image, Clothing Size, Fashion, Women

167 comments

With the average size of Australians increasing, there is continuous call for runways to incorporate “real” body types.

Dwarf among models, giant among Aussie women. Photo: AFP.

With plus sized models now being included in some fashion shows it seems that things are beginning to change.

However there still remains one group completely forgotten by the fashion industry and it’s time to give them a voice.

With spring fashion week having recently been and gone, Australia’s Next Top Model having come to a controversial end and with spring carnival fashion shows just around the corner, once again the body image debate is being drawn out of the woodwork.

The latest debate seems to have been sparked by the lingerie brand Lovable using Jennifer Hawkins as their poster girl whilst claiming on their webpage to be “dedicated to changing the culture surrounding eating disorders and body image”.

Whilst body image crusaders hound the industry to include plus sized models in their shows and in advertising, I would like to draw your attention to a group that is regularly forgotten by the fashion world – short people.

A recent study by University of Adelaide found that the average height of an Australian woman is 162cm, which is about 5’ 3”. I am this exact height and although I am considered the average by this study, I have always been teasingly labelled “short” by many people. And as other height deficient individuals will tell you, shopping for clothes always presents a challenge.

There isn’t a pair of pants that I buy that don’t have to be taken up because they’re too long. To us, shorts are ¾ lengths and ¾ lengths are ankle-bashing pants. Long skirts have to be hiked up way above the waist just to stop them from dragging on the ground. Fashion, it would seem, is geared toward the leggy, no matter what size your waistline is.

This lack of representation isn’t just evident on the clothes rack but also on the runway. Waifish girls who teeter about on their long pins as they sashay down the runway are the all too familiar archetype of a fashion model. One of the shortest models in the industry is Devon Aoki who stands at 5’6” tall, which is still 3 inches taller than the average Australian woman.

And there is something like hypocrisy behind the agencies that are pushing for plus sized models to be included in fashion shows. If you visit one of these plus sized modeling agency’s websites you can find a list of prerequisites needed before being considered as a plus sized model.

Take for example, the Australian agency, BGM Models. Aside from having a certain facial structure, clean skin and white teeth, models are also required to be a minimum of 171cm, which is about 5’7”. So these so called champions for body image are practicing their own form of body type discrimination.

Outside the world of fashion the vertically challenged also face difficulties. Research by the University of Florida done back in 2003, found that the taller you were, the more you would earn throughout your career and the greater your chances of a promotion would be. Another study found that shorter people are also more likely to be bullied and shorter men are less likely to land a date.

From fashion to dating, short people have been overlooked for too long and it’s time we had some pint-sized pioneers on the runway.

At the end of the day, if you are going to have a debate about “real” bodies you have to make sure you open the door to every side of the argument. Plus, it would just be nice to be able to buy some jeans without having to take to them with a pair of scissors.

Don’t miss: Get The Punch in your inbox every day

Get The Punch on Facebook

Most commented

431Australia, you have nothing to fear but fear itself
390There's no one Thomson won't burn to save his skin
336Animal experiments won't cure me from cancer
313Thomson didn't answer the question everyone is asking
266Who murdered the Arts degree?
231Craig Thomson speaks. Meanwhile, in Australia...
231South Australia. It's the middle bottom bit.
223The world puzzles over Australia's Prime Minister

167 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • bk says:

      05:58am | 29/10/10

      I cannot believe that in 2010 we are over-protecting the feelings of women to this extent. Its only half a step up from thinking they are un able to open a door.

      Reply

    • Andrew says:

      11:57am | 29/10/10

      CAn they open a door?

    • Susan says:

      03:49pm | 29/10/10

      Hey Andrew, if you explain how to me, and give me permission to, I am sure I can - with YOUR help.
      wink

    • Bec says:

      06:12am | 29/10/10

      At 170cm, I’d give anything for pants that fit. I have a size 8 leg length, size 14 hips and a size 8 waist. Aside from the conversations with astonished retail workers, it makes it difficult to wear anything bar A-line skirts that need serious alteration. Thanks, lipoedema, for making pants an impossibility :(((((

      Reply

    • Richard says:

      12:28pm | 29/10/10

      Yeah I feel sorry for you Bec, its not fun when it seems like you have no control over your body. May I suggest you investigate alternative medicine solutions, which take a more holistic view of the body and its shape?

      The tendency to gain weight on hips and thighs while still having a skinny upper body is due to Spleen Qi Deficiency in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is an exceedingly common condition in Australia. The best treatment plan possible would be a combination of some appropriate herbal decoctions, acupuncture and massage, daily qi gong or tai chi practice and a comprehensive nutritional re-alignment of your diet.

      Some general tips to help you though is to always eat your meals at the same time of the clock each day. Never skip breakfast, but only eat a light dinner. Avoid excessive intake of fatty, fried, greasy, cold, damp and sweet foods. Incorporating strength training with weights into you excercise regime is one other way to tonify your system’s Spleen Qi and reduce fatty deposits accumulating on your legs and hips.

    • Nik says:

      02:29pm | 29/10/10

      Maybe they should make all pants with short legs. Those with longer legs can simply cut the legs longer. Alteration works that way, doesn’t it?

    • Ryan says:

      04:23pm | 29/10/10

      @ Richard

      Surely you are taking the piss?

    • anna says:

      12:40pm | 30/10/10

      I find it difficult to find tops that will fit. It always falls down and you can see my breasts probably a good look for some but not for me. That’s why I’m agreeing with you here. I am such a shorty.

    • Peter Garrett Sold His Soul says:

      02:29pm | 30/10/10

      Ya think Ryan?  Sheez, I don’t know why women comment on this site!

    • Jess says:

      08:34pm | 30/10/10

      Nik your sarcasm is well noted and yet there are many different types of clothing where you also cannot alter them to make them shorter.

      I wish for example that i could buy things in like . . . a size 8 short and a taller person could buy the same size but longer.

    • Tani says:

      06:20am | 29/10/10

      I’m 159cm.  I am sick of taking up pants.  I am also sick of pants made for women without hips (i am only 8-10 but I do still have hips and thighs you know!).
      I would have to say that being short has it’s advantages though.  There has never been a tall bloke knock back helping a short chick! Not for anyway.  I also have my own tricks for reaching things. smile

      Reply

    • Smidgeling says:

      08:12am | 29/10/10

      Yeah, short girls are cute. I like the tall ones too, but for different reasons.

    • Ish says:

      08:50am | 29/10/10

      I wish I was 159cm! I’m 150cm and I would like to say the absolute worse thing about being my height…is that I am at most people’s armpit level, and on a packed train on a 30 degree day this is not fun.

      I’m with bk, I’m not overly excited about being so short but I’m not that precious about it, at least I’m not overweight or obese!

    • Smidgeling says:

      10:38am | 29/10/10

      Ish- Why aren’t you happy with it? It’s the medium height girls that lose out because they don’t stand out.

    • over it says:

      12:25pm | 29/10/10

      bs, smidgeling. from my experience guys want girls that look exactly the same. or maybe i just know the wrong guys.

    • Smidgeling says:

      01:15pm | 29/10/10

      Overit- Guys still want a good looking girl, but height is a variable that differentiates women without affecting their attractiveness.

      What I’m hearing is that you’ve had bad luck with guys. perhaps even because you’re not attractive to these “wrong guys”.

      Or maybe you know douchebags.

    • Ish says:

      02:52pm | 29/10/10

      But I don’t stand out…I’m the one hidden behing that average height chick lol

    • mzd says:

      03:11pm | 29/10/10

      Or maybe we just need to find clothes that fit. I am the same measurements as you, Tani, and finding a half decent outfit that a) doesn’t have ill-fitting armholes b) is too tight around the hips (a normal waist) or c) doesn’t have to be taken up in any way, is nigh on a miracle.

    • mumof3 says:

      03:46pm | 29/10/10

      I have given up on women’s pants. I now go straight for the men’s section when shopping for jeans. They’re still too long, but at least they allow for hips, thighs and weirdly even a comparatively narrow waist and don’t end halfway up my butt cheeks.

    • Cat says:

      06:47am | 29/10/10

      As someone who has spent her life trying to find trousers that reach her ankles I say to you - at least you CAN take them up. Try letting DOWN a pair of jeans. Impossible. The Australian size range caters for the general average, do what I do and buy online from the US, they seem to cater for a wider range of sizes and shapes. No more men’s jeans for me!

      Reply

    • Alessia says:

      08:39am | 29/10/10

      Cat, I couldn’t agree more! I’d love to have the opportunity to have my clothes altered! I’m only 176cm - hardly a giant - but always struggle to find jeans/pants that are long enough. And maxi-dresses? Impossible! Nothing looks good when it barely grazes the ankle!

    • Josie says:

      09:11am | 29/10/10

      It’s actually more difficult than just taking up the bottoms - the waist and bum of the pants don’t sit in the right spot, the shape is all out of kilter. With skirts they always “flare” at exactly the wrong spot to make you look extra short and extra dumpy.

    • Jo says:

      11:34am | 29/10/10

      Cat, I agree completely! Ok, so models are tall, but the average model couldn’t walk into a shop and buy something off the rack as it is actually made for “average” height people. Being tall, I buy online also, Jeanswest have the best extra long jeans (38” inseam).

    • The Amazon says:

      03:02pm | 29/10/10

      Cat, I totally agree.  At 178cm it has been a constant source of angst for me, I hate buying pants/jeans.  My Mum always jokingly offered to sew a frill on the bottom of all my jeans!  Living in the country makes it even more difficult with so few options when it comes to buying clothes anyway.

    • Tall Birdie says:

      04:04pm | 29/10/10

      Cat, Bec, I hear you both.
      As a 174cm woman (athletic size 8-10) I turned to sewing my own clothes four years ago, and now have a wardrobe of perfectly fitting and LONG dresses, pants, skirts, and tops.
      Many women who sew are (very) petite and, as Cat points out, is is not simply a matter of hemming-up clothing to fit petites- the proportions are all wrong! 
      For example, when you sew your own pants, you can simply shorten/lengthen the rise, mid-thigh and mid-calf to ensure that the waist, ass, and knee are where they are supposed to be, and ensure a flattering, perfect fit every time.
      Honestly, I will never go back to Ready-To-Wear.

    • kate says:

      05:26pm | 29/10/10

      Completely agree too. I am 175cm and I have had one pair of black trousers for the past 5 years only because I have not been able to any since that are long enough. I have trouble finding jeans that are lengthy enough and the last ones I bought because “they were close to long” and “didn’t look too Oliver Twist”. I would much prefer to be short and have the option of taking them up. No take down the hem option for us tallies.

    • Phoebe says:

      05:52pm | 29/10/10

      Im 180cm and I buy my jeans from country road. The length is perfect.

    • Sophie says:

      06:45pm | 29/10/10

      I completely agree Cat! I understand the fashion shows argument but at 6 feet tall with a normal, non-waif figure they simply don’t make off the rack pants to fit me. I am so sick of shorter people complaining about having to do alterations. As Jo mentioned, the only feasible option I’ve found is to go online especially Jeanswest extra long jeans - which aren’t even hemmed so the alteration factor goes both ways people!

    • Sophie says:

      06:48pm | 29/10/10

      one more tip - no need to tell tall people that they are tall - they already know!

    • Shorty says:

      07:19am | 30/10/10

      Taking up jeans is one thing (gets costly though) but you cant buy any dress or skirt unless it has a plain hemline because anything else is lost if its taken up. I’ve got a friend who is 5ft 10 and most, but not all dresses are the perfect length for her.

    • Mandle says:

      07:43am | 29/10/10

      The fashion industry is not aimed at the average. It is aimed at the elite. This is simple marketing.

      If you portray yourself as average then you can’t attract a premium for your goods.

      Also, the average is skewed because so many people are getting fatter these days. That is not something to merely accept portray as normal.

      Reply

    • Nicole says:

      08:40am | 29/10/10

      But surely the average HEIGHT isn’t anything to do with people being fatter. I’m a size 8 because I watch what I eat and exercise regularly, and it’s annoying to be made to feel like your body still isn’t what it’s ‘supposed’ to be (I’m only 5’2, positively midget-sized according to the fashion world) because of something I can’t help.

    • OddCreature says:

      09:03am | 29/10/10

      It just wouldn’t be an article about fashion unless someone said that the nation is getting fatter…. sorry to break it to you but this article is about height, not weight. And losing/gaining weight doesn’t make you taller or shorter.

      As for your “simple marketing” theory…. simple marketing is that you make a product that solves a problem or fills a need. Making clothes that only fit tall people only fills a need for a small segment of the population. It’s actually pretty dumb when you think about it.

    • Romli065 says:

      10:05am | 29/10/10

      Mandle you are spot on!  The fashion industry doesn’t care about average, it’s all about fantasy and the impossibly unatainable for 99% of people on the planet.  I agree that if it all became a bit average, it would become boring and lose that glamor factor, and nobody would pay the stupid exorbitent prices that designers put on their clothes.

    • Mandle says:

      11:32am | 29/10/10

      You can’t manufacture garments that will fit everyone so you target a specific group OR manufacture something where you can target a premium market, ie the aspirationals.

    • mzd says:

      03:13pm | 29/10/10

      what, so short people can’t be aspirational? Or are they just aspiring to height?

      I just want some damn pants that a) don’t have an elasticised waist and b) fit.

    • Bob H says:

      07:54am | 29/10/10

      As we are getter more obese, it makes sense to flesh out the models a bit. The super skinny models that we apparently desire to be have not exactly stop us all stuffing our faces.

      Reply

    • Clare says:

      08:07am | 29/10/10

      Try being short and fat and trying to get clothes that dont make you look like your grandmother!!!! Being 155cm and size 16 its just impossible to find anything that is fashionable that doesnt have to be altered.

      Reply

    • Kerri says:

      09:39am | 29/10/10

      Oh I so agree with you ... I’m 5’2” and 82kg ... I’ve gone looking for something name-brandish for a special occasion and been told they don’t cater for size 16+ ...so embarrassing, it’s like “we don’t want freaks like you making our clothes look bad”. Very disappointing and depressing.

    • stephen says:

      09:49am | 29/10/10

      Whadabout a tent ?

    • AdamC says:

      11:41am | 29/10/10

      I know I shouldn’t have laughed at that ...

    • Dave says:

      01:58pm | 29/10/10

      That is the point.  They design clothes for a certain look.  At that size you are not in that certain look.  Maybe a fashion label needs to start a brand for the oversized girls.

    • Sandra says:

      02:24pm | 29/10/10

      Clare you need to start shopping online at the American department stores - it is the misses range which caters for 14+ and height. Its the pluz sized petite height clothing. Try JC Penneys or Nordstroms.

    • ReneeG says:

      05:24pm | 31/10/10

      AdamC and Stephen….Grow up!

    • Andrew says:

      08:08am | 29/10/10

      Don’t forget Kylie.

      Reply

    • yeah says:

      08:09am | 29/10/10

      order your clothes from the U.S.  they offer a wider range of lengths for both men and women.

      Reply

    • Hard done by says:

      08:16am | 29/10/10

      I’m a 175cm tall, which isn’t that tall. I can’t find shoes that fit, pants that are long enough or dresses that are the right length. I don’t think short people are the only ones descriminated against.

      Reply

    • Mel says:

      11:10am | 29/10/10

      I agree, I am 172cm and a size 10-12 and constantly find that dress are are too short.  They look nice on the manequin, but not on me!  I always thought that fashion was geared towards shorter people.  I don’t consider myslef that tall but just about everything I try on is too short.

    • Lorraine says:

      04:31pm | 29/10/10

      Do you know that an American Size 12 is a size 18 in Australia.
      Stop worrying about size… the thing that counts is fit. Does it fit you?
      Bonnie is on to something when she talks about the long and short of it… that’s FIT not Size.

    • emmgee says:

      08:22am | 29/10/10

      Short and fat, what’s next, ugly, spotty, blotchy?

      Reply

    • Bianca says:

      09:48am | 29/10/10

      I think that was half the point of the article - that you can’t start opening the door to plus sized models without opening the floodgates to every other body type. Plus have you actually looked at the faces of some of the models out there? I would guess that they already are including those last 3 things you said…ever heard of make up?

    • Heather says:

      08:27am | 29/10/10

      It’s always seemed bizarre to me that the fashion industry designs clothes, including the models used to show them, for such a microscopic percentage of the market. Many many moons ago, I was considered rather attractive, yet at 55kg and 1.64m was told by model agencies that I was a) too short and b) too fat!!!! My rather un PC theory is that the vast majority of fashion designers are, er, not that into women, so choose models who most resemble teenage boys.

      Reply

    • lucy says:

      09:03am | 29/10/10

      Couldn’t agree more with your comment. Healthy these days is not considered beautiful in the fashion world. 6ft tall size 6. 45 kg models are not healthy as far as BMI index goes however that is what is considered beautiful…to look like a teenage boy with no curves or thighs - that resembles an actual woman’s body shape.

    • Ian says:

      01:04pm | 29/10/10

      Your un PC theory is bang on!! Why arent there more regular women designing clothes and who annoited overtly homosexual males as the bastions of the rag trade??

    • Budz says:

      08:36am | 29/10/10

      I’m a guy and I have the same issue with jeans. I have to get them all taken up a good 10cms minimum. It changes the look of the jeans too. Getting shirts I have the same issue too, the sleaves are way too long and the neck is way too small. The answer, buying custom shirts on the net! Good material and workmanship and having a custom fit is great. And prices range from $40-$100 delivered!
      Jeans are a bit more of a struggle, might have to wait until I go to Asia.

      Reply

    • Schmavo says:

      08:37am | 29/10/10

      Perhaps you would get some comfort by listening to Randy Newmans song ‘Short ‘People’..........maybe not.

      Anyway, in this day and age surely everyone can afford a personal tailor.

      Reply

    • Amanda says:

      08:41am | 29/10/10

      I’m 150cm tall and haven’t had a pair of pants that I haven’t had to take up. (But I don’t really mind. I feel sorry for the tall people that can’t find jeans for their height as I just have to cut pants… they have to either let them down or get a massive size) 3/4 pants are full length for me and I don’t really mind. And I never see the point in buying maxi-dresses as I would always have to cut about half off so what’s the point? raspberry Shoes are a big problem for me too. I’m a size 5 and constantly get disappointed because barely any stores have my shoe size. It’s either go to the kids section or I have no shoes! :(

      Reply

    • bigfoot says:

      09:37am | 29/10/10

      lol Amanda,

      To be honest, at least you can go to the kids section.  I need size 12 shoes in womens sizing.  Unfortunately, there are hardly any options for me in shoes - Big W or Kmart certainly do not stock this size, and Williams rarely do.  Thank goodness I live on the Gold Coast and can wear Havianas for the most part.  Otherwise, most pairs are priced well over $100.

    • Lara says:

      09:52am | 29/10/10

      I’m the size height as you and have the same shoe size. I now buy the majority of my shoes online or go to outlet shops when i go to the city. I bought my running shoes from a sports shop and had to get them from the kids section but I’m not complaining. They are the same as the adult sizes but half the price!

    • Colt says:

      10:50am | 29/10/10

      I’m 152cm (5 feet tall) and generally a size 10 but yes, like you, I have the same problem with lengths of pants and with shoe size.

      I used to go to the kids section for some of my clothes (like trackpants), when I was a size 8 but of course there’s not exactly the same choices in children’s clothing or shoes either.

      Finding size 5 shoes are near impossible and when you do find a store that sells size 5 shoes, generally the choice is very limited or something my great grandmother might have worn.

      Somehow, in all of that, I have managed to have one son who is almost 6 feet tall! He can wear anything and it works on him! Drives me mad!

    • Erin says:

      12:02pm | 29/10/10

      Ladies there is a store in Parramatta called Longline shoes - they cater for womens sizes ten and up.

    • OddCreature says:

      12:53pm | 29/10/10

      I have size 11 feet and buying shoes is so frustrating.

      But what I don’t get is that models are so tall and so in proportion… just from looking at them you’ve got to figure that heaps of them would have size 11 or 12 feet. So why can’t we get shoes?

    • Tegan says:

      08:55am | 29/10/10

      what a silly argument this is. seriously, clothes are made in all different shapes and sizes, which is why you shop around to find something that fits. i Am 171cms tall and i struggle to find pants that are long enough for me! and when i do, i stick with them! My sister is about 160cms tall and i know she finds pants that are to long, or just right, i mean seriously, Not all clothes are the same!
      a bit like people really

      Reply

    • Kt says:

      08:57am | 29/10/10

      I’m with Kat. I have never had a pair of pants that reach my ankles and maxi dresses just look ridiculous when they only reach midway down your calf! I’d rather have the option to take clothes up to fit. I’m over buying online and sewing! I think the problem is that they make clothes to fit the mannequins, and not women.

      Reply

    • mw says:

      09:00am | 29/10/10

      Models are tall because clothes look better on tall people… if I was trying to show off how pimpin my latest deigner range of whatever was I’d sure as hell want to show it off in a manner that accentuates how awsome it is…

      And I’m not sure where this “study” took place (and lets face it averages tend to be misleading), but in the real world 5’3” is short… deal with it…

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      09:52am | 29/10/10

      Clothes only look good on tallies when they walk.
      So that means any short-ass like me who wants ter look good should get a job at Telstra, so’s they can sit on their backsides all day and disconnect !

    • M says:

      09:02am | 29/10/10

      When will people realise that to ‘luck out’ means to have good luck, not bad luck?

      Reply

    • ladybuglauren says:

      01:15pm | 29/10/10

      Actually it’s different depending on American or British definitions, which is pretty confusing..

    • Shifter says:

      03:11pm | 29/10/10

      Depends if you’re from the US or UK. Same idiom, opposite meaning. Australians generally tend to take their phrases and idioms from the UK, hence the more common usage is for bad luck.

    • HB says:

      09:05am | 29/10/10

      I am so glad someone has finally stood up (pardon the pun) for us vertically challenged!!  I am 5’2” and find it annoying when they talk about ‘real’ women on the catwalks and out walks a curvy woman who is 5’10” - 6’ - of course she looks wonderful - her height carries that weight beautifully!  I am a size 8-10 and I have a butt and thighs, so finding pants, skirts or dresses that fit is difficult as many manufacturers (in China) believe that this size is tall with NO butt and slim thighs.  If the Fashion Industry is really serious about ‘real’ women then all types need to be represented - short, tall, skinny and curvy.  This will end the battle over what is considered as ‘ideal’ and show that there is no ideal, there is a beautiful diversity.

      Reply

    • Josie says:

      09:10am | 29/10/10

      If only it were as easy as just taking up a pair of pants or a skirt! The whole thing doesn’t fit properly. The bum in your pants comes somewhere around your thighs (nice), and if you’re wearing a dress then the waist will circle your backside, several inches south of where it should be. To get clothes to fit properly you either have to find “petites” (which are usually daggy, to be honest) or have your clothes tailored. I often look at teeny celebs (like Eva Longoria) and wonder where they get their fabulous outfits and how many thousands they must cost.

      Something else that irks me about being short - every extra kilo stands out like dogs’ nuts. My 5’9” friend can put on 5kg without evening noticing.

      But, bitching aside, to quote Alanis Morrisette: “I’m short, but I’m healthy yeah”. Could be worse.

      Reply

    • sigh says:

      09:15am | 29/10/10

      this article is a bit far off.. all the clothes in the stores are designed for short people…. im 175cm and dresses are shirts to us taller ones. They are just too darn short. Clothes shopping is frustrating. So what if shorter people have to occassionaly take things up.. you cant let a dress ‘down’!!!!!!!

      Reply

    • Joan says:

      09:19am | 29/10/10

      I really don’t understand what the fuss is. Clothes are just a product to be sold and designers, producers, want their product to be seen at its best… fat or short isn’t the best way to sell it…. simple. If you want to sell nail polish ....you don’t display your product on shortl bittendown nails with stumpy fingers and knuckles like some boxer. If your shape doesn’t fit the average then you have the choice, adjust, make your own, or get a dress maker to make the perfect fit for you. It is silly to expect manufacturers to make dresses off the rack suitable for every quirky shape.- it`s an impossiblity.

      Reply

    • mzd says:

      03:18pm | 29/10/10

      You’re missing the point. It’s not hard to make the same shirt, dress or pair of pants but in a shorter style. American and UK stores have been doing this for ages. There are a few stores in a Australia that offer jeans in regular, tall and petite sizes.
      I could give a crap HOW companies sell the product - use ten billion amazons for all I care - I just want to be able to BUY the product.

    • Ripper Rita says:

      09:26am | 29/10/10

      AH yes us shorties, I stand 5’ ½”. When I was younger I fitted perfectly into a child’s size 12, no adjustments needed. Now size 12 slacks cut off about 6”, size 14/16 tops. Doesn’t help that the industry screwed around with sizes a few years ago. In a month I went from size 10 to size 12 and no I didn’t eat my way there.
      Now middle age spread has appeared and due to health reasons I can only do limited gentle exercise. I have turned into my mother eeekkk.
      Yes I do get lots of help in supermarkets etc to reach high shelves or I just climb up them.

      Reply

    • Reguba says:

      09:27am | 29/10/10

      Being tall ain’t all beer and skittles either!

      As per previous posts, maxi dresses are never quite maxi enough when you’re 177cm tall…....
      I like the comment in the story as well about short people more likely to be bullied. Correct me if I’m wrong, but being called a ‘behemoth’ or a ‘big girl’ is not exactly desirable as a female. Name one female who wants the word ‘big’ being used to describe them?!
      I would love to be 10cm shorter, just to feel a bit more feminine and not like a total freak towering over everyone in the room.
      That being said, disguising a few kilos in weight gain is a lot easier when you’re taller…............I guess that is one big plus smile

      Reply

    • Ally says:

      11:31am | 29/10/10

      Agree!!!


      i can never find a maxi dress that is maxi. Never find pants that dont sit at my ankles. Ball dress shopping, years ago, was horrible trying to find something flattering for a gangly tall girl that covered the ankles.

      And the names. I remember them all.

    • M says:

      09:34am | 29/10/10

      My issue is that I’m short and petite, but have large… er… boobs. Nothing fits. This year I bought t-shirts from the mens section because they fit better than anything I tried on in the womens. I can’t buy dresses because I’m a 14-16 up top, but a 10 on the bottom and 155cm tall. Dresses make me look like I’m wearing a sack if I find something that covers my chest appropriately. I wish they made clothing with cup sizes like they do with bras.

      Pants are always too long and I have to ensure that I get a style that will look ok after I take them up about 4 inches. Shoes are also an issue as I have square feet - anything with open toes is out which is usually everything except for boots. I recently discovered that I can buy thongs (flipflops) from the boys department and they last twice as long as womens shoes too.

      Basically clothes shopping in general fills me with frustration and anger. I hate it. If I find something that actually fits I try to buy enough to last a few seasons.

      To the person that suggested ordering from the US… I can’t… I have to try on everything to ensure it will actually fit and cover appropriately.

      Reply

    • Ally says:

      11:08am | 29/10/10

      M, I agree… I’m 170cm and a size 12 but I have 12DD cups. I actually had to buy a size 16 dress the other day just so the top fit! Needless to say it floats everywhere else but the boobs!

      I’m sure they make size 8 to 14 dresses for women with A to B cups.

    • Erin says:

      12:10pm | 29/10/10

      Yeah me too - THe rest of me is a size twelve but my boobs are size 14 so I also struggle to find things that fit well - for really special occasions I tend to buy the 14 then pay to have it taken in where required.

      I think no matter what size or shape you are, you will struggle in one area.  I have a stupidly long torso, meaning most 1 piece swimsuits barely cover my boobs.  I am only about 170, so given that they make clothes for the glamazons you would think it would reach, but no.

      I guess realistically, they make clothes based on averages, but very few of us is average - everyone is slightly different and has their varying struggles.

      So on that note, lets all just get nekked.

    • Ally says:

      12:27pm | 29/10/10

      Erin… don’t get me started on buying swimsuits… my worst nightmare!

      Thankfully they have invented tankinis!

    • Kate says:

      04:17pm | 29/10/10

      @Ally - my large breasted friends have so much trouble dress shopping and I sympathise. As a B cup, I’m okay with dresses, but tops are difficult. My problem is that anything that is designed to be loose swamps my chest, so I look like I’ve not hit puberty yet in pretty much everything that isn’t skin tight, unless I’m wearing a major push-up bra.

      For those who have problems with bathers - places like Swimwear Galore offer the option of purchasing a separate size top and bottom, which is a godsend! I wear a size eight bikini top and a 10-12 bottom - my boobs never grew but my hips and butt sure did. Mixing and matching bathers sizes seems to be essential for heaps of women.

    • pokkeme says:

      07:14am | 11/11/10

      M, Ally - I’m hearing you! At 165 cm, size 10 hips, 14DD boobs - (not perky ones, either, worse luck) I fronted up for the annual tog-trauma tear-fest only yesterday and worked my way through around 20 bikini tops, finally settling on a bandeau style in size 10! Why? Because the size 12 and 14 tops assume you have a mega-back and with no adjustment options, fell down - just the look I was after. I ended up with a size 10 top -  it strapped those puppies down like a pressure bandage. Can’t really breathe, but am considering wearing it inside out so the size shows - it’s the first 10 top I’ve had since I was about 14. Thank god for separates!

    • Stella says:

      09:41am | 29/10/10

      I’m 152cm AND massively pregnant. Might just buy a bedsheet and cut a hole for my head.

      Reply

    • Erin says:

      12:15pm | 29/10/10

      Lol Stella.  You should market that as the “Summer Snuggie”.

    • stephen says:

      07:15pm | 30/10/10

      Why not ? Maggie Taberer’s bin makin’ a living out of it fer years.

    • Linda says:

      09:50am | 29/10/10

      Not just short, small women in general…  I’m 5 ft nothing, weighing 50kgs with hips, waist, bum and boobs and can’t find clothes that fit me. I usually get my work clothes from Target. However, they seems to have stopped stocking size 6 pants and tops, and their size 8s seem to have increased in size. I Suspect their size 8s are really a 10…..  I’ve always had to take pants up. That I can handle. I just wish i could find clothes that fit me. And if i do find something that’s small enough, like at Supre, it’s made for prepubescent girls with no hips and bum or thighs…. oh hum. Prehaps I should put my sewing machine and overlocker to good use finally….LOL

      Reply

    • Raven says:

      09:59am | 29/10/10

      Yep - learn to alter clothes. It’s a godsend and saves lots of $$$$

    • helen says:

      11:23am | 29/10/10

      yeah, rockmans too, their size 8s are HUGE, at least the old size 12! i don’t want to have to buy expensive clothes or children’s clothes, why can’t i get cheap small clothes, I mean, they are all made in Asia anyway, where the women are tiny. i’m 5.3 and 56kg and was told in Vietnam, ‘no no no, no fit jeans, you too big!’

    • Mel says:

      05:10pm | 29/10/10

      Yep, I’ve started a pattern making class because I’m tired of looking stumpy - and yes, Helen, if you want to feel tall, go to Vietnam. At 5ft3ins and 56kgs as well, I had to look for extra large clothes - if you’re taller or wider than me, then don’t think of going there and doing any clothes shopping. On the other hand, The Netherlands is land of the giants - everyone is about 6ft, men and women.
      One thing I do like short and that’s men - husband is 5ft7ins, bingo!

    • Raven says:

      09:54am | 29/10/10

      Do what I do - at 5"1 with size 16D boobs and 58kgs - LEARN TO SEW!!! I alter my clothes all the time. It’s cheaper and easier smile

      Reply

    • Jemima says:

      10:01am | 29/10/10

      As a 6 foot tall female, I can tell you that it is much easier to have pants taken up than to magically add extra material to the legs of pants to make them cover your ankles. Maxi dresses arent so maxi. Shorts are hot pants. And shoes… I cannot buy shoes my size in my state. I usually have to shop online at overseas outlets. If a shoe store did consider selling one pair of nice size 12 shoes, it would be like seagulls fighting over a chip to get them as us tall girls fight to the death. Oh and expect to pay dearly - that extra length is costly.

      As for dating, short people may be overlooked, but at least they get looked at. Tall women are intimidating to men in my experience. When I walk into a pub or social event and see one man taller than me, I know its going to be a boring evening on the man front. Not that I am “heightist” and discriminate against the short men, but they pay me no interest so I try not to bother either… As for my “average” 5"3 girlfriends - 6 foot tall boyfriends all of them.

      Tall women may get all the glory on the modelling front, but tall women are subject to just as much pain in day to day life.

      Reply

    • Emma says:

      10:55am | 29/10/10

      I so agree!! I am 186cm and find it so difficult to find pants that are long enough! I have started ordering jeans online from Jeans West as they have 38” inseam! But I can never find a maxi dress that reaches the floor, and mini dresses are just tops! And don’t get me started on the sleeves of jackets and tops, you can’t let them down when their too short!

      And I agree with the height on the boyfriend front completely!

    • R says:

      12:32pm | 29/10/10

      As a 6’1 female I don’t feel much sympathy at all for the position advanced by the author. I have seen plenty of Petites sections in stores but not one anywhere for those of us over 5’9. As others have said, short women can have pants/skirts taken up, clothes are generally tailored more to their proportions and they have nowhere near the difficulty in getting shoes that those of us who are taller have.

    • daniel says:

      10:02am | 29/10/10

      I love the fact that my girlfriends short, most guys like short girls, so it’s not all bad for you.
      She doesn’t really have a problem fitting into clothes, I don’t really understand why there’s so much complaining about clothes fitting.
      1. Clothes are (generally) made for healthy average people. (average meaning a normal person, not the average that our obesity epidemic has pushed us into)
      2. Not all clothes are going to fit, there is so much variety in peoples figures, especially girls. Rcial differences are massive. Compare generally smaller people from asia with generally larger people from africa, you’re never going to satisfy both groups.
      Find the brands that fit you best, and stick with them, keep trying new stuff, and stop complaining. If you’re overweight, work on it. There shouldn’t be plus sized models, promoting obesity is never a good thing. Just have beautiful models, interesting models, fit and healthy models.

      Reply

    • LittlePainter says:

      10:32am | 29/10/10

      Wow I wish I lived in your world!

      I’m 5 feet 1. When I buy trousers and take them up they are completely unfaltering because I just cut off all the style. My weighst is a size 8, where-as my hips are a 10-12, so I have big bulges of fabric sitting around my waist with a belt or else pants will fall down. My arms are short, my shoulders are narrow and my boobs are 10E. I have to go to the ‘specialty’ bras, can’t wear jackets as they are too big or too small for my chest, dresses are out because straps are too long and in 99% of cases can’t be shortened, shirts always gape on me so can’t wear them in public and tops generally mean cleavage which is not appropriate at work. I am left with A-line skirts - which i have to buy in a size 6 so that I can wear them higher on my waist to be not too short.

      I’m sorry, but it’s not a case of finding labels that work - there are none! I have a curvy, short, petite figure - I don’t know about you, but I’m yet to find that label!

      And also, plus size models usually means a size 10 - so if you think that is promoting obesity - get the F*!@ out.

    • mw says:

      10:54am | 29/10/10

      The term plus size should not be used to describe models… the models the term is used to reference would be better described as curvy, womanly, normal, or perhaps just ‘non borderline anorex’...

      In the real world plus size refers to women who are indeed bigger than the norm… using the term to refer to a size 10 model understandbly causes some confusion…

    • Judi says:

      07:02am | 30/10/10

      “Find the brands that fit you best, and stick with them,” - sorry, that often doesn’t work. I’ve found time & again that I can pick up 4 items from the same brand, & they will all fit differently - too big, too small, wrong cut, etc. Underwear in particular. Even in 2 articles of clothing that are exactly the same except for colour, there can often be a difference in size. There seems to be no consistency in sizing anywhere.

      Anyway, I’m heading towards getting a pattern designing program & going back to making all my own clothes. I get tired of trying to find clothes that fit.

    • petite and proud says:

      10:09am | 29/10/10

      bloody oath! i bought a pair of pants from the petite range at david jones and they still drag on the ground. and finding jeans that fit are a nightmare.

      Reply

    • ibast says:

      10:57am | 29/10/10

      It’s your own fault.  When women start walking away when clothes don’t fit properly or a just poorly made, then retailers will start stocking better items.  At the moment women will buy a $1 item even if it costs $10, so long as they were told it was discounted from $20.  Walk away is the tip.

      Reply

    • Elizabeth says:

      10:58am | 29/10/10

      My daughter is 6ft 3ins, skinny as they come and wears a size 13 shoe. Can you begin to imagine what it is like for her to shop for clothes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Reply

    • get over it says:

      11:01am | 29/10/10

      Harden Up! Tall people suffer the same issues! I stand at 185cm which for a girl is massive! this silly woman is complaining about being teased for being short… i have copped it for being massive my while life and you dont see me writing an article! and to say she has to cut her jeans etc… lucky you to find some that fit! i struggle to find casual dresses and skirts because they are so short they dont ever cover my arse! and jeans! i have to buy too big around the waist to to ensure i dont end up with 3/4 pants instead of full length jeans! so how about you grow a pair and realise you short people are not the only ones discriminated against!

      Reply

    • S says:

      11:06am | 29/10/10

      I’d do anything to be able to wear a dress. I love pretty dresses, but most are far too short for me. I’m 5’7” and not that tall I always thought, but its impossible for me to find dresses at a good (work friendly) length. That coupled with the fact that most don’t fit around my chest (if you think being short is a curse, try having a large bust that doesn’t fit your body shape, i’m a size 12 with an E bust naturally).

      I just want to wear pretty dresses :(

      Reply

    • Erin says:

      12:13pm | 29/10/10

      Try target they have a great range of work appropriate but feminine and pretty dresses… p.s I dont work for target but if they want to give me freebies for the plug I will shamelessly accept!

      Also K Mart tends to have varying pant lengths and Big W has a Peter Morrissey range of dresses at appropriate lengths.

    • Hethah says:

      11:10am | 29/10/10

      Since when was five three the average? I have read in many different places that it is five six for women and six two for men….off to check statistics I think….five three CAN’T be right. My nine year old is five two….

      Reply

    • Steve says:

      11:20am | 29/10/10

      I’m short for a man (170cm) and I can never buy pants that don’t need a lot of length taken off them. My wife gets a double whammy though. Not only is she ‘short’ (about the same height as the author of the article), she also has a very large bust. I’m not talking plus sized in terms of waistline. Just in the chest area. At the moment she’s a little over weight but when she was a trim size D - DD she still had a hard time finding fashions that accomodated large breasts. She gets incredibly frustrated at the tendency of the fashion industry to cater for flat chested women.
      Personally I find shorter women sexy and I also find curvier women sexy. The fashion industry seems to prefer tall and flat. Probably not surprising. I have a gay friend in the fashion industry and he was joking that the reason the fashion industry is so out of touch is that it’s dominated by gay men. Naturally gay men have a different idea of what’s an attractive woman.

      Reply

    • em says:

      11:24am | 29/10/10

      have you redefined the term “lucked out”? a quick survey of my professional work colleagues and we all understood that if you “lucked out” you were randomly very lucky and not unlucky as would be implied

      Reply

    • ibast says:

      12:09pm | 29/10/10

      Run out of luck would be my definition.

    • mw says:

      02:03pm | 29/10/10

      and ibast would be wrong

    • Robyn says:

      11:26am | 29/10/10

      I usually wait to travel to the USA as they have dresses, jeans and shirts to suit and fit us shorties (at 152cm) otherwise I have to get a tailor to hem everything up or wait for the mini to return then at least it will be the right length.  Otherwise I shop in Kids wear for the essentials, that do not look to kiddie and I save about $10 - $20 on adult prices.

      Reply

    • jess says:

      12:02pm | 29/10/10

      Your comment:It is annoying that I have to take up every single pair of pants or skirt that I buy (therefore losing the shape/style), but I don’t generally complain about it because I’m sure its much more infuriating to buy clothes.
      What does really bug me though is they don’t seem to make shirts/dresses for women with DD or larger boobs!

      At a healthy weight there are plenty of women with large boobs (naturally not just implants) and all tops/dresses have to be worn with a boob tube underneath. I swear majority of womens clothes are made for a-b cup boobs, even the size 16s!! I’m sure more size 14-16’s have D cups than A cups.

      Reply

    • happy man says:

      12:32pm | 29/10/10

      I had GF back in the 80s who was a size 10 with natural EE cups. She always wore pants and shirts. She also never tried to hide her magnificent assets under a jacket or lose clothing

    • Steve says:

      09:18pm | 30/10/10

      My wife has the same problem. D when we were married. DD (sometimes e) after a couple of kids. Very hard to find fashions that aren’t made for b cup size.

    • short aswell says:

      12:08pm | 29/10/10

      At 159cm tall I also find most pants too long. Just means I have a good excuse to buy killer high heels to wear with them.

      Reply

    • JM says:

      12:10pm | 29/10/10

      At 5’ 1” I’m not a fan of being called ‘short’...
      I prefer “Fun-Size” and I have a t-shirt to say it!!
      FYI: T-shirt was given to my by a 5’ 11” girlfriend.

      Reply

    • Frank says:

      12:39pm | 29/10/10

      Don’t forget about short blokes.
      Good thing about being short is that sometimes you can get away with buying your clothes from the teenager section at greatly cheaper prices. With kids dressing more like adults, it’s getting easier to find cloths for going out and not just aroumd the home cloths. Alot of the over sized fashion is just right for me.

      Reply

    • Von says:

      12:45pm | 29/10/10

      I am 149cm, my shoe size is about 5. Kid’s shoes look like kids shoes. No retailer makes heels for kids but rather pink sparkley laces on sneakers and all. My top is a size 10ish and my bottoms are 8-10. When I say 10, I do not mean Katies 10 raspberry Maxi dresses? Don’t even talk about those. If I want a formalish dress, I have to go with cocktail. If I try on pants, I don’t even bother thinking about the length. As long as the rest “fits” and there is no flare that starts under my ankles. Shoes (heels specifically) are definitely more of an issue for me than clothes. I think I need to do a trip to Asia to get some decent sized clothing and shoes. I’d probably be sized large over there raspberry

      Reply

    • ShortGirlsAreHot says:

      03:12pm | 29/10/10

      My wife is chinese malaysian.  She’s only about 5’1 and a size 8.  When we go over there and she goes clothes shopping (she buys most of her clothes there due the size issues already discussed here), they always tactfully suggest something for the “fuller-figured” lady!

    • Bella says:

      12:55pm | 29/10/10

      Women have always been short and tall and these issues have been around for decades, the differences being that women used to SEW their own clothing and MAKE them fit - stop whining and get yourself some skills to make something to suit, that’s what I do.

      Reply

    • Lynda says:

      12:56pm | 29/10/10

      5’6” and a size 8, never had a problem with clothes. hmmm must be perfect smile Awesome, well I feel better.

      and I don’t beleive that 5’3” is the average, not where I live anyway majority of girls my age (20’s) are the same height if not taller. You know you shrink after you hit 30? Maybe thats when I’ll start getting into trouble, but then again I probably won’t care too much for clothes by then

      Reply

    • Richard says:

      01:04pm | 29/10/10

      Boo Hoo.

      you’re 162cms? I’m 197cms.

      I can only wear jeans from Sweden. Do you know wanna know how much they cost???

      I wear size 17 shoes (when I can find a pair).

      You think fashion designers discriminate against you? I think public transport bus designers discriminate against me.

      But the beauty of capitalism is that, if there is a market for something, some enterprising entrapenuer will come up with a product to satisfy that it.

      Vive la différence! Vive le laissez faire!

      Reply

    • Kate says:

      01:13pm | 29/10/10

      I suppose the one positive for shorter women is that they can get pants taken up, although dresses would be a problem.
      I’m 178cm and a size eleven shoe size - most stores only stock as high as a 10 in shoes and the size elevens are often designed for practicality rather than style. Sexy heels are pretty much out of the question. Dresses that would be mid-thigh or longer on most women are obscenely short on me, and pants can be difficult too, although jeans are usually the right length (just means we can’t do the turned-up-cuffs fashion).
      It’s also harder to find men, as many men seem to be intimidated by the idea of a woman taller than they are and go for the short, petite women. My boyfriend is about an inch taller than me, but I can’t really wear heels around him.

      Also I’ve never seen any of my short friends get bullied - whereas as a woman of above average height I’ve copped Godzilla, Lurch, Stretch, Clownfeet, Daddy Long-Legs, and my personal least favourite, Surfboard (comes from being tall and a B cup). All my short friends get told how ‘cute’ and ‘petite’ they are. It’s quite hard to feel feminine when you’re the tallest girl in the room.

      Reply

    • Dan says:

      01:35am | 30/10/10

      Kate, I love tall women, and I don’t think there is anything about unfeminine about being tall.

    • ClaireK says:

      02:02pm | 29/10/10

      I’m 165cm, and fine that even jackets and dresses don’t fit properly.
      Suit jackets have the waist line sitting in totally the wrong place for me because I am apparently not the ideal height! V. Annoying!

      Why aren’t jeans companies at least making jeans in different lengths? Nothing more annoying than forking out heaps for a nice pair, then having to fork out again to have the legs altered!

      Reply

    • Christan says:

      03:35pm | 29/10/10

      I’m 5’3” and cant buy stockings for small in any department store and was told that the buyers only look at the larger sized people not the small if this isnt discrimination I dont know what you call it.  The Average size stocking has to be folded over on the waist and then they sag at the knees while you are wearing them.  Can someone help.  PLEASE

    • Adam Spence says:

      02:07pm | 29/10/10

      Firstly Bonnie, very nice piece. Congrats.

      Unfortunately, marketing has all too little to do with reality. It has to do with building an ideal (or rather a fantasy) and selling it to the median market, that is, the majority or those in the middle who will make them the most money. Even if a majority of consumers don’t fit that ideal, so long as they are sold on it, marketers will continue to exploit it.

      Reply

    • Alison says:

      02:27pm | 29/10/10

      Australia is SO far behind. I am 150cm tall, have lived here for 6 years and I always end up when I go on a trip back home to the U.K buying tons of clothes. Shops such as Topshop, Miss Selfridges, Newlook and marks and sparks all have a petite range.plenty of other shops too.

      Yes Myer has a petite range which is fine if you 50+ but not if you younger than that.

      Reply

    • DC says:

      03:25pm | 29/10/10

      The other side to the coin, are women who are tall. My wife struggles to find clothes that fit her, being a touch over 6’1”. The pain she goes through to find shops that have clothes in her height that have long enough arm lengths and leg lengths. At least short women can take up pants, you can’t add 2 inches on…....

      Reply

    • Ivy S says:

      03:26pm | 29/10/10

      Basically reading the comments of many people here is that term “real women” is a marketing/advertsising ploy. We all come in different shapes and sizes.  I once was a natural Size 6(no dieting or slaving away at the Gym) I too am 5 ft 1/2 .  Does that mean I and all naturally slender , short women, extremely tall are not “real women”.  I am no longer a 6. I am a 8 for my top, 10 for my bottom and size E boob cup.  It is a horror to go shopping.  Sounds like we all share that pain.  In hindsight I am happier being short as yes I can always get my hems sewn up.

      Reply

    • DEH says:

      03:29pm | 29/10/10

      I’m 152cms or 5’1/2”. So have become an expert at taking things up. But I’m tiered of it. Can someone plz post the web site for buying from the USA online. It would be heaven to be able to wear a new out fit without altering it!

      Reply

    • Birdie says:

      03:53pm | 29/10/10

      I am 178cm tall, and slim but not skinny (athletic size 8-10), and find that some RTW clothes (pants in particular) are too short for me.  I took up sewing a few years ago, and not make most of my own clothes to fit me exactly.
      Many petite women turn to self-seamstressing to have clothes fit them properly. For example, short women can hem RTW pants, but the knee ends up mid-calf. If you make your own, you can shorten the thigh and calf as much as necessary, and the knee will fall right where it is supposed to
      It seems that being above or below the manufacturer’s “average” leads to difficulty, but there are other options!

      Reply

    • A C / Bankstown says:

      03:55pm | 29/10/10

      At least you can take up pants, being 182cm tall i have to buy pant with cuffs and unpick them….which is a rare find…anyways….. i can’t add material to my pants…. you poor baby ..... Come shopping around Bankstown in my area and you will find the majority of pants there will fit your height…... sob sob sob

      Reply

    • hot tub political machine says:

      04:07pm | 29/10/10

      Guys love short women too! At least I figure this would explain the popularity of Shakira

      Reply

    • Loretta says:

      04:18pm | 29/10/10

      It is better to take up pants though then have them too small for you. I am 180 cm and most clothing in stores is not designed for a taller frame. Shirts are too short that my belly will be covered and pants usually hover around the ankles.

      Reply

    • Trude says:

      04:51pm | 29/10/10

      What about plus-sized short people?? All clothes in plus sizes are made bigger in all directions, including sleeve and leg length. Since when does getting fat make your arms grow to orangutan length? It doesn’t, yet clothing manufacturers insist on lengthening the sleeves and legs. If I buy a plus sized jacket I often have to get up to 10 inches taken up on the sleeves, that’s just ridiculous!

      Reply

    • Minerva says:

      05:07pm | 29/10/10

      I’m a little over five foot, a curvy size 10 and frustrated at not being able to find clothes that fit. Not just the length of pants but also body length (the straps on dresses are always too long) and being too wide around the shouders. When I lived in the UK, some of the department stores had a ‘petites’ range for women under 5’4 and the clothes were well cut and fit wonderfully. I haven’t been able to find anything like that here. I tend to import clothes (particularly from Asia) or buy second-hand items that have already been modified. Vintage clothes (especially 50s and 60s) also seem to fit well with regards to body length which makes me wonder if as a nation, we’ve grown taller as well as wider.

      Reply

    • Kelly says:

      05:13pm | 29/10/10

      Let’s face it, the fashion industry doesn’t care about you unless you are perfect!
      I’m only 5ft tall and range between size 10 and 12 depending on the brand. I am NOT built like a 12yo so no I can’t shop in the kids section. They aren’t designed for a mature female shape. Besides, Miley Cyrus motifs aren’t my thing!
      So it doesn’t really matter if you are short or tall, you have some difficulties buying clothes. I hate having to take up pants that aren’t perfectly straight as the cut just doesn’t work. I also hate having to pay the extra cost of alterations. Maxi dresses are also out of the question! Even basic T-shirts are often two long. So called ‘petite’ ranges from Myer etc are even too long. Obviously I need to by in the pygmy section!
      So no, it’s not a case of being easier at either end of the height scale. Just different problems.

      Reply

    • Margot says:

      05:33pm | 29/10/10

      God damn I am getting sick of this modern “acknowledge me” attitude almost everybody seems to have no days.Why do short people,tall people,fat people, ultra skinny people have to be represented in every single bloody thing.Are you all such precious flowers that you must have cloths that are perfect, a celebrated idol with which you identify with or a constant stream of images that look just like you.Do you all need to be told that you are o.k just the way you are by others constantly?What happened to being independent and self reliant?What happened to saying “I’m short so I have to hem my jeans but thats o.k because thats just the way I am” Why the hell do others have to make things especially for you? Everyone and no one is special.Learn to be self reliant and stop blaming others for the way you are naturally.Learn to deal with s*&t people.

      Reply

    • ?? says:

      05:34pm | 29/10/10

      i’m five four, size 6 (10c breast size) and have never had a problem finding clothes to fit. my husband is six five and has major problems with sleeve and pant lengths.

      Reply

    • Norm says:

      06:34pm | 29/10/10

      What are these minority groups complaining about. You know minority groups like short people or people over size 8 or meat eaters. Everyone knows that the vast majority of women are tall, anaemic, anorexic freaks. Why else would the fashion industry spend so much time showing fashions designed for tall,anaemic anorexic freaks?

      Reply

    • Sal says:

      06:38pm | 29/10/10

      Why does everything have to suit everyone?  I’m 170cms, 60kgs, size 8 on top and 10 (or 12 depending where I shop) and only have a small B cup, not to mention I have large shoulders. 
      I’m sick of hearing that ‘real’ women have curves, what does that make me?  I have no curves, does that mean that I’m not real?
      You’re short, so what?  I have huge shoulders and cannot wear strapless dresses, or blazers without looking like a footballer.
      I have small boobs and larger hips, so any dress I buy either doesn’t fit my chest and fits my hips, or fits my torso and doesn’t fit my chest.
      So here’s what I do: buy clothes that are cut well, not the latest trends.  Last longer because they are classic styles and fit because they are have a better shape.

      Reply

    • Lyndal says:

      07:16pm | 29/10/10

      ‘Tis a shame (almost) nobody sews anymore.  The answer to all these problems is just “vote with your feet” and make it yourself.  You can make fantastic, high fashion clothes for a fraction of the cost, that fit perfectly, in exactly the colours and patterns you like, in high quality fabric, and that look absolutely stunning compared to the average off-the-rack, look-a-like rubbish you get in the shops.  Trouble is, who’s got time to do that?  I took a TAFE sewing course because I wanted to look good and was sick of paying designer prices for made-in-sweatshop, ill-fitting clothing.  But it’s been years since I’ve had time to actually sew anything.  That’s what full-time work + family will do to ya….

      Reply

    • Lanky Lizzy says:

      07:38pm | 29/10/10

      Boo hoo! I am 182cm woman, and I cant buy a pair of pants that aren’t ankle freezers! At least you HAVE the option of altering your pants!!

      Reply

    • Nessa says:

      08:57pm | 29/10/10

      I suspect there’d be few people who could walk into any store and get something that fits perfectly.  But I do find I have better luck if (hint hint) I keep my weight down.  And I’d love to be able to buy attractive shoes that fit without needing expenditure in the Scholl section for whatever little astronomically priced shoe accessories are going to allow me to wear a fashion shoe for at least a short time without being in serious pain.

      Reply

    • K says:

      09:23pm | 29/10/10

      Get over your damn self, try being so tall that no pants are long enough (even when taken down) and even modest skirts are skank short on you.
      Cry me a damn river, seriously.

      Reply

    • M says:

      10:02pm | 29/10/10

      Wow. It took me a while to get through the article because all I seemed to be hearing is “whinge, whinge, whinge”.

      Bonnie, have you ventured into any large department store recently where they seem to have an abundance of “petite” sized clothing?
      I don’t know what you are going on about personally.

      As a tall woman (1.85 metres to be exact), I struggle to find things that fit properly. And I am stumped to find many reasonably priced stores that cater for me by having a “tall” section.

      Since I have moved to London, the only store that caters for tall women is Topshop. While I was in Australia, it was certain brands that fitted me well (Diesel etc) that I often had to pay premium price ($300+ for a pair of jeans).

      I went shopping last night for a coat and it was a nightmare. Nothing fitted properly and in most cases the sleeves were way too short.
      Can I go to a tailor and get the sleeves lengthened? In most cases, no, as there was not enough fabric in the lining to do so.

      Dare I say, that as a short woman, it would be much easier for you to get pants taken up than for me to miraculously add extra fabric to the pants?

      I am proud of my height even though shopping can sometimes be a pain. In other cases, I wear certain styles (maxi dresses etc) very well whereas a short woman cannot.

      I am sick of reading articles such as this which asks designers for “change”. If they catered to every whim, they would be making a million different styles / lengths / widths and would still not be able to please everyone out there.

      Each body is different. I suggest you embrace your individuality, find what styles work well for you, stop whinging and go find yourself a good tailor.

      smile

      Reply

    • Soos says:

      10:39pm | 29/10/10

      @ Loretta says:04:18pm | 29/10/10
      It is better to take up pants though “then” have them too small for you…whatever happened to the word “thAn”?

      Reply

    • Mei Mei says:

      10:55pm | 29/10/10

      Wah wah wah. Get over it. VERY FEW people fit off the rack clothes well. I’m at the other end of the scale - I’m 185cm tall - so I make ALL my own dresses as none are ever long enough. Pants usually have to be taken down as well, unless I manage to to get long length and try finding shoes in size 11 ladies that don’t look like they belong to a tranny!

      Reply

    • Zahid says:

      01:02am | 30/10/10

      Short people need to stand up for themselves and be counted.

      Reply

    • MissQ says:

      01:09am | 30/10/10

      At 5"7 and a size 10-ish (sometimes 12) pants are fine, I cant find clothes to fit my bust. makes buying tops and dresses so annoying. It seems to be easier to find clothes for me than other people, my friend is 6ft and has real issues.
      I think even if you are the most average, clothes would still have a problem somewhere?? Tall, Short, Fat. Bum or Boobs?

      Reply

    • Tony says:

      03:22am | 30/10/10

      I’ve yet to find a woman that is satisfied with her appearance. Most men are happy with a short girl

      Reply

    • jimmorris says:

      09:11am | 30/10/10

      What about us dwarves? When will we be seen on the catwalk?

      Reply

    • Short? Pfft... says:

      11:15am | 30/10/10

      Seriously? At least short girls can get their pants taken up!!

      I’m 186 cm, or 6’2 on the old scale, I’m a size 12-14… I’ve never had a pair of jeans long enough for me in my life. I will buy guys jeans but being blessed enough to be curvy as well as tall that usually doesn’t work out. Yes I love my body (how many people get to be tall and curvy?) but I would also really like a pair of jeans or other pants! People tell me how lucky I am to be “model tall” (most models are shorther than me, I have been rejected from plus size modelling for my height) but the reality is I can rarely find pants, long sleeved shirts, or even normal shirts (long body) that fit.

      No one has a body that automatically fits into all clothes.

      Reply

    • Lazer says:

      12:18pm | 30/10/10

      I love being short. I’m 5’4-5’5 and while I recently found out that’s a pretty average height, people still refer to me as short. It may be because my overall size is very small, not just my height. The ONLY downside is that I’m unable to get signed with an agency due to my height. But it’s ok, I’ll stick to modeling as a hobby and take advantage of my shortness - all the guys are taller than me!

      Reply

    • shoppingmakesmeanxious says:

      01:07pm | 30/10/10

      with my build, finding tops and dresses that fit is more of a challenge than pants - I have a “long” torso, wide shoulders, and midget boobs. Finding work shirts that fit without flashing flesh at the top or the bottom…... Also, most of the current fashion make me look like I am playing dress ups in my kid sisters clothes. *sigh*

      Reply

    • LuckyMonkey says:

      01:59pm | 30/10/10

      I’m 163cm and also have to take up all the pants that I purchase. And I have hips. Hipster jeans have been a blessing, as I was finally able to find jeans that fit perfectly around my hips and the legs. Unfortunately I cannot for the life of me find pants to wear at the office, it’s like they’re made for men!

      Reply

    • stephen says:

      07:22pm | 30/10/10

      Where’s all you short tails when I’m out ?
      Last night at the Normanby i get this 6 foot giant pickin’ little black moving things outta me bald patch, and all i wanna talk about is clothes fer little chicks.
      (Bonnie, kin you write an article called ‘no ticks fer chicks’, so’s I don’t havter spend all me money on losers !)

      Reply

    • Anthony Cameron says:

      07:24pm | 30/10/10

      Whinge, whinge, whinge, and when you are tied of doing that, why not start whining? I am a six foot male and haven’t been able to buy pants that didn’t need alteration for more than twenty-five years. If I buy the right leg length, the waist needs taking in. If I buy the right waist size, the legs end at mid-calf.  In the seventies, when fat people more not commonplace, a few sizes sufficed for people of all heights. Now, with so many differing body sizes for each height they can’t provide “of the shelf” fittings. Blame the fat people, they are stuffing everything up.

      Reply

    • John says:

      09:15pm | 30/10/10

      My wife is shortish at 5ft… and a size Aus 6, with shoe size 5. Based on many of the responses my wife should be having terrible trouble. Why then is her wardrobe over-flowing with nice, well fitting clothing? And I joke with her that we need to turn the kid’s bedroom into a shoe and boot wardrobe. Granted she needs to shop around and occasionally gets a dress that needs a nip or a tuck, or a jeans shortened, but she is not having too much problem judging by her wardrobe being full.

      Reply

    • Robert Smissen, rural SA, God's own country says:

      11:29pm | 30/10/10

      Women are NEVER happy, I used to sell made to measure clothing to women at parties & always gaurranteed to fit on delivery. In all the the time I did this job I NEVER EVER met a woman that was happy how she looked no matter how gorgeous she was

      Reply

    • Giant says:

      12:58am | 31/10/10

      This is a very interesting blog post. I’m 190cm (6ft 3’ in the old measurements) and you should try finding clothes long enough for me. Not only do I struggle with pants, dresses and shorts, but also stockings(!!!), shirts (everything sits on my waist) and jumpers (arm sits about 5cm from my wrist). Not only do I have long legs, but also a long torso. Finding ‘normal’ pants long enough is not only my main problem, it’s also finding them high enough so they’re not sitting half way down my butt. I would love to tell the fashion industry that they do need to start catering for those who are shorter and taller. It’s just not fair!!!!

      Reply

    • Shortie says:

      09:30am | 31/10/10

      Wow….....judging by the volume of comments MANY women struggle to find clothes that fit. I am 5ft3 (162cm) and find the shorter length range is still too long. Seems its not just me. What I would like to see is the average length jeans made to fit the average Australian height and then have a genuine taller and shorter range. If 5ft3 is really average (not sure I believe that) then why are the petittes range still too long for me? Anyway will try the US. By the way i can sew but as a single mum (no help from the dad) working full time I have no time to sew!

      Reply

    • Donna R says:

      06:05pm | 31/10/10

      Sob, sob. Thank your lucky stars you’re not taller than average - I’m a size 8-10 and touch 5’10 - I haven’t found a pair of full-length jeans that touch my ankles since I was a teenager. I can’t wear short flippy summer dresses because the hemlines don’t quite cover my bum-cheeks, and the worst thing is, it’s not just that I’m long-legged - I’m long-waisted as well, making it an absolute nightmare to find tops that cover the tops of my pants instead of leaving a couple of inches of (admittedly untoned, and therefore undesirable) midriff. Not to mention the proportion looks all wrong on me as clothing is cut for women with their waists a few inches higher than mine…
      I figure I’d happily trade a few inches of height for the ability to be able to get my hemlines taken up.

      Fact of the matter is, no body is ‘perfect’, we have to find ways and means of making what we have, work for us. Try being the tallest girl in your year at school (yep, us ‘Lurches’ get bullied, too), try finding a boyfriend you can wear heels around when you’re the same height, or taller, than most Aussie men (thank the Lord a mutual friend introduced me to his 6’5 mate as a bit of a laugh because we were both tall - we’ve been married for four years now and have two beautiful little girls together - and I can wear all the 5-inch stilettos I want!). Try having to wear leggings all summer long because you can’t find a single article of clothing that keeps you cool, comfy and covered up!

      It’s really all just a moot point. My body sucks, your body sucks, we all hate ourselves and blame the fashion industry for using ‘sample sizes’ that don’t quite fit us. Why? Because we’re not ‘standard’, and there’s no point designing clothes for ONE specific body shape when the current system works well enough if you have the time to shop around and a thick enough skin to not take it personally when something doesn’t fit quite right.

      Reply

    • Long Legs says:

      12:34pm | 01/11/10

      So what if you have to take your pants up, at least you can!
      I have longer than average legs for my size, and I can’t find pants that are long enough.  Pants you can buy in the shops never have big hems so you cant take them down!

      Reply

    • AstroGirl says:

      06:38pm | 05/11/10

      I couldn’t agree more!

      I’m about 164cm and I always have this problem. It would be great to buy a new pair of pants and be able to go out with them on that night- not have to wait a week for them to be taken up. I got sick of taking my jeans up so now I just cuff them….

      I know some places are trying to cater for shorter people. I had to get a pair of pants for work a while ago. I went to target and they had different lengths : tall, average and short. I was like awesome! Pants I won’t have to take up… or so I thought. They were still too long, just instead of a 3 metre of extra fabric it was only about 1 metres worth…. omg annoying. My mum who is shorter than me seem to have more luck…. places like Millers and other shops that cater to older people seem to have pants that for shorties. Just not the stores I go in.

      And I totally agree about 3/4 length shorts… everyone I know that wears them just looks like they’re cuffed their jeans over.

      Some people were talking about dress sizes.  I really really really want a maxi dress but I can’t be bothered spending all that money on one and then have too spend more to get it taken up. And also why is it either most dress are like uber short mini skirt styles that look as if only an 8 year old can wear them or you’d have to make it a top on yourself?

      It seems stupid complaining about this but ever since I left primary school everything is too long to too short .... I know it would be easier to just alter clothes to fit but why should I have when someone whose taller than me doesn’t? We pay the same price in a store - we should get the same product that fits…. just coz I short I shouldn’t have to fix everything…... I cant help being short?...

      Reply

    • Kit says:

      09:56pm | 13/11/10

      I would say average range for women is around 5’4” to 5’5”, however I see many women over that and many women under that (including myself @5’1”), so really there are a lot of women who don’t fit into that average range.  One thing I don’t like is when a 5’4” woman complains that she’s short, when she isn’t at all.  I think the fashion industry is to blame for that mind set - if you’re not as tall as a model, then you’re short - so anyone under 5’7” is considered short, it’s ridiculous.

      Let me just say that I work in an alterations shop and I get many people each day coming in to get alterations.  Hemming is extremely common as I do believe that only a small percentage of people can actually fit into clothes off the rack.  I’ve had women that are over 5’6” that have needed their pants hemmed, leg length can vary greatly from person to person, despite your height.  I have a 30” inseam, well I’ve known other women taller than me who’ve had the same leg length - it’s not always determined on your height.

      I think the main point that the author is stating is that if plus sized women can be allowed to model, than why not a petite woman?  I don’t mean to offend anyone, but imo people look better when they are slim.  I’ve seen tall women who are overweight that just looked awful and it’s the same with short women.  Slim women look better, I’m not talking about stick figure thin, but a size 6/8 on a short woman and a size 8/10 on a tall woman.

      One thing that annoys me is when I hear someone my height complain about it, I mean they’re offending me in the process when I’d never had a problem with it.  I actually feel more self concious now than I did when I was at school - adults can be worse than children.  My boss who’s around 5’9” considers that “normal” for a woman and consistantly compliments all the tall girls with nice comments, but really looks down on short girls. 

      I think the fact is women are our own worst enemy.  I don’t think most men could care less about how tall their g/f was.  Granted I think most men would prefer someone shorter than themselves, just as I think most women would prefer a man taller than themselves, I don’t see anything wrong with that.  I just think women should stick together and not put each other down.  People only say something bad to you to make them feel good about themselves.  I think everyone has something about themselves that they feel self concious of, but the less of a deal you make it, the less other people will.

      On the talk of clothes, I noticed in Trims with the special Curve range of jeans that they actually come in inch waist and length measurements now - just like they do with the men.  I’ve seen 30”, 32” and 34” inseam measurements hanging in the window - so that would be perfect if they did this with all pants - would make it so much easier for people.

      Reply
 
Comment

Facebook Recommendations

Read all about it

Punch live

Up to the minute Twitter chatter

Anthony Sharwood

antsharwood 28 May 12 12:01AM

#markwebber just wasted petrol faster than everyone else in monaco #f1

Anthony Sharwood

antsharwood 27 May 12 10:49PM

In my sports column on The Punch tomorrow: why Eurovision was easily the best game on the weekend. Mummy bloggers, you'll like this one!

Daniel Piotrowski

drpiotrowski 27 May 12 10:12PM

The Logies could learn a lot from Eurovision #lamethings#sbseurovision

Daniel Piotrowski

drpiotrowski 27 May 12 10:03PM

RT @ellehardytweets: Already despondent about the next fifty one weeks. #sbseurovision

See all tweets

Recent posts

The latest and greatest

Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it

by David Penberthy

180

Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it

An email was sent to almost every politician in Australia this week saying that someone should cut off…

Our special forces don’t always need special treatment

by Paul Toohey

27

Our special forces don’t always need special treatment

We admire them, but we’re not entirely sure why. We allow them to operate in the shadows; we rarely…

A good holiday is about unrest, not rest

by Angela Mollard

3

A good holiday is about unrest, not rest

Like a fat full-stop, it lay in my hand. A small orange – not exactly fresh, but purchased anyway…

Nosebleed Section

choice ringside rantings

From: They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments

Michael S says:

"A teacher at Geelong Grammar had criticised her for using words that were too long, which had left her confused and had made her doubt her ability to write essays. She became ''quite distressed'' when her English marks began to fall." I can sympathise. My scholastic mentors conveyed to me a causal relationship… [read more]

From: Welfare for breeders is a bonus for everyone

Change Up! says:

I have no problem paying my taxes. As a single, childless person on a very decent income, I can afford it and not have my life severely altered. Plus I understand that my taxes paying for things like schools, childcare and infrastructure is ultimately a good thing. A better community is better for me… [read more]

Light weight

Gentle jabs to the ribs

They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments

They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments

A private school girl’s family is sueing her elite, extremely expensive private school for not… Read more

243 comments

Newsletter

Read all about it

Sign up to the free daily Punch newsletter

Subscribe to The Punch RSS feed