What does petite really mean in clothing?

At On A Good Day, we don’t shy away from the word short: it’s something to celebrate! Another reason we use short instead of petite is because there are a lot of misunderstandings about what petite actually means. Let's take a look at those together.

Does petite mean short?

Yes, it's as simple as that! Petite relates to your height, not your body shape.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the word petite is that it’s a way of describing someone’s build. But that’s simply not the case.

In clothing, petite simply refers to women under a certain height. It doesn’t matter what your body type is - if you’re under the height cut-off, you fall into the petite category.

What heights are considered to be petite?

Different fashion brands use different numbers, which adds to the confusion.

• Some brands include women up to 165 cm (5 ft 5) in their petite range.

• Most brands, however, set the cut-off at 160 cm (5 ft 3) or shorter.

At On A Good Day, we design specifically for women up to 160 cm tall.

That might sound like a small detail, but if you’ve ever tried on a pair of pants that pooled around your ankles, or a dress where the waist seam sat somewhere nearer to your hips, you know how much difference those few centimetres can make.

Why are petite clothing options so limited?

If you’ve ever gone shopping as a shorter woman, you already know: options are frustratingly limited!

Most petite collections are offered by big, mainstream fast fashion brands. Even then, they’re usually just a mini-range - a handful of bestsellers from the “regular” collection, tweaked slightly to be shorter. It’s rarely the full range, and often feels like an afterthought.

Why? Because creating petite clothing properly takes time and resources. It’s not as simple as chopping a few centimetres off the hem. To fit a shorter woman’s proportions well, you need:

• New patterns: Not just shorter, but reshaped for torso, rise, sleeve, and leg proportions.

• Dedicated fittings: Testing on shorter bodies, not just scaled-down samples.

• Design adjustments: Details like pocket placement, button positions, and waistlines all need rethinking.

This is why many big brands skip over petites, or only offer a token collection.

What are the alternatives for short women?

For many women, the alternative has tended to mean a compromise of some kind or other:

• Buying regular sizing and paying for alterations
• Buying clothes made for other demographics, e.g. teens, which never makes for an enjoyable shopping experience
• Choosing styles they don't love, just because the proportions work better

What it takes to design clothing for short women

For too long, short women have been treated as an afterthought by the fashion industry, or ignored altogether. As we're sure you agree, we can do better! 

To design clothing for short women, it means every style starts with shorter proportions in mind. Pants have rises and inseams that are designed for women up to 160 cm. Dresses and jumpsuits are cut so that waist seams, hems, and sleeves all sit where they should. Nothing is “shrunk down”: it’s all created intentionally, with your height as the starting point.

The result is clothes that simply fit - can you imagine it?! Without constant tailoring, rolling, or hemming.

Final thoughts

So, what does petite mean? It simply means short in height. Not small, not skinny, not a particular body type... just shorter than the standard sizing assumes.

On A Good Day provides quality pieces designed and made in proportion for short women.