I have noticed many comments directed to the Petite & Tall clothing selection that J.Crew offers (or lack there of). Therefore, it is time for its own dedicated post. :)
The selection for both "Special Sizes" (as J.Crew refers to them) appears to be very limited in terms of the actual number of products offered (when compared to the regular size items). Moreover, J.Crew does not stock the Petite & Talls in their stores (or at least the stores I have been to). This makes it extraordinarily difficult for those who are not "regular" in size to purchase J.Crew's great styles.How do you feel about their Petite & Tall clothes? What, if any, are issues with the selection & offerings? What would you like to see J.Crew to do in the future, in regards to Petite & Tall clothes?
Thanks so much for this topic! I have such a hard time with consistency of sizing. I can be anywhere from a 0P to a 4P. It just BURNS ME UP - especially when the item is final sale, non-returnable. AND I hate when I pay for postage for such an item when it is clearly their control quality that is at fault. But anyhoo, I have found quite a few great dresses this year in the regular sizes, since the shorter lengths are in. I still had to return quite a few items, but with this site, I can try for Free S&P and discounts when available. Thanks, again, for this topic.
ReplyDeleteHi Carol! Thanks for letting us know about your own personal experience. I can imagine how difficult it is to order items without knowing the exact sizing beforehand!
ReplyDeleteDo any of your local J.Crew's offer petite sizing?
Also, Banana Republic use to offer free shipping on petite clothes. Do you know if they still do?
I also found J.Crew's petite guide if anyone is interested (still looking for the "Tall" version):
ReplyDeletePetite Guide
I often feel stuck between regular and petite sizes. I think that I lean more towards petite but since it's arduous to order petite sizes to compare and the stores near me (in CA and when I lived in NC) don't carry petite sizes, I have just given up and gone with regular sizes that I then get tailored. Like Carol, the dresses usually work for me. But capris sometimes drift towards "too-short pants" rather than "cute capris" and pants are always too long.
ReplyDeleteWhat I am interested in is the difference between short and petite sizes. Has anyone had experience with that?
I thought I might mention that you can call J.Crew Customer Service and ask for the specific measurements for each garment...you just give them the item number and then the size you are asking about. I have done this on numerous occasions after ordering garments according to the size chart only to have them not fit at all. It really helps to find the right fit the first time, and that is now really even more of a necessity since they have removed the free shipping codes.
ReplyDeleteI so wish more j.crew pants came in short inseam length (at 30", JCrew's petite inseams are short for me (I'm 5'4") to wear with a heel of any height. So often I want to buy their dress pants but don't b/c it's such a pain to bring them to the tailor's to get shortened.
ReplyDeleteI once tried the alteration service at JCrew and the Sales Associates had no idea how to properly pin or mark the pants to the right length and the pants came out too short.
I'm 5'11." I started shopping at J Crew because of the tall pants options. It would be nice if more of the shirts and jackets were in tall. Whenever I send an email about the limited options, they respond by saying they will forward my request.
ReplyDeleteLike fabulousfloridamommy, I recently learned about calling them for specific sizing, and I recently learned that just because your size is listed as unavailable, doesn't mean that it is unavailable! It could mean low stock.
I do not wear Petite or Tall, but do feel that since they aren't carried in the stores, they should give Free Shipping or AT LEAST Free Returns on these sizes, since you are not able to try them on without making a purchase. I have looked at both sections online and do agree that they need to add more pieces to each collection.
ReplyDeleteHi everyone!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say that the tip about calling in for specific sizing is a great one! :)
Thanks for the compliment about the calling in for specific sizing tip, Alexis...I hope that posting it will help alot of shoppers to be able to make correct fit choices.
ReplyDeleteBTW...if you receive an item that is way off from what the size chart said...you can possibly get the customer service rep to mail you a prepaid return shipping label, since it was essentially their fault for not supplying correct information on which you based your purchase...it worked for me. :)
0P fits me best at J. Crew, but since almost nothing is offered in that size, I usually just have to wear regular sizes. Even when I do order petite sizes however, I still sometimes have to get them altered. For example, I got the Amelia tank in 0P, and when I tried it on, the straps were too long, making the top indecently low cut. One alternation later, it fits great.
ReplyDeleteI also find that in general J. Crew's sizing is weird. An XS or 0 in one top might fit great, or be enormous.
I'm 5'2, so I frequently purchase from the "petite" section.
ReplyDeleteI'm frankly baffled by the sizing. I generally have little trouble with the 0P bottoms (though they still tend to be too loose at the waist), but the tops are just confusing. I wear anywhere between a 0p and a 4p on top (like carol), and the sizing often doesn't follow the measurement size.
I've also noticed that not only are petite tops vertically shorter, but they are also horizontally smaller. A 2P top is about the same size as a 0 regular, only with shorter sleeves and hems.
Auryane- that is so weird about the tops being shorter horizontally as well. I wonder why J.Crew does that.
ReplyDeleteI am 6' and love the lengths on their tall pants. I have found that the chinos still shrink lengthwise on the talls and make the length on the short side. Every other pair keeps the length nicely. Some of their pants have 36" inseam which is fantastic but they are certainly harder to come by.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you can email JCrew with the item number and sizes that you want and they will email you back in a day or two with the garment measurements. I prefer this way unless you need the info. right away.
ReplyDeleteHi, All. Alexis, I don't think any stores around me offer petite sizes - unlike Banana Republic which has a few stores here that do. I think BR has discontinued the free shipping for petites, unless you have their card, which I don't since I try to keep the number of credit cards to a minimum. But I have to say that fabulousfloridamommy's suggestion to call JCrew CS to ask for garment measurements is a great. I will try it next time.
ReplyDeleteWhile I know that probably everyone knows how to sew, I wanted to mention that last summer I got a used sewing machine on ebay and over the winter, I took a series of basic sewing classes - to do my own alternations. It has saved me SO much money and so much time!!
Thanks, jagjag2, as well. Good suggestion to email CS, as I can make a whole list and send it to them. Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteCarol- thanks for the update on the BR situation. I use to order an item from the Petite section to get the free shipping (and then just return it at their store). Too bad they don't offer it anymore. :(
ReplyDeleteI have also started doing my own alterations, just like Carol has mentioned...it has saved me a TON of money not taking them to the tailor.
ReplyDeleteI think doing your own alterations is a great idea. (I wish I was able to do my own like Carol & Fabulousfloridamommy). It would definitely save me a lot of money. :)
ReplyDeleteThe tailor I do use isn't too expensive (but I use sparingly, because it can add up quickly). I once bought a jacket from J.Crew that was a size too big for me (but was on sale). So I bought it and paid less than $15 to get it tailored to my dimensions.
I wear a Tall and I've been incredibly disappointed by the selection, especially in shorts. There are so many cute shorts I'd love to buy but they'd be ridiculously short on me. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI generally have no problem with the JCrew petite sizing, it's more the "does it look good on me?" that gets me. I totally agree with Carol with having to pay JCrew to ship me clothes I want to try on...well, I'd just rather drive to Banana Republic and try their petite clothing on for free. Does JCrew just not get enough sales from the tall/petite sections to warrant carrying them in-store?
ReplyDeleteI generally wear a 4P on top and bottom, but if I get anything from the regular sizes I wear a 2, XS-S. But I rarely buy regular-sized items since I find that they are a little too long in length (shirt/sweater/dress hems are usually 3-4 inches longer on me), sleeves included (3/4-sleeves look like regular length on me, haha!). And yes! I agree with anonymous...their petite pants/inseams are still too long. I don't want to wear 3" heels with my pants or always have to get them altered.
And why are there so few offerings for special sizes? I can understand why big prints may appear overwhelming on petites, but surely they can find other fabrics to substitute. I feel like the tall/petites get the shaft when it comes to new styles. There are always plenty of formal/wedding dresses for petites, but really, who wears that kind of clothing every day?
And why do they have to label us tall/petite? I feel alienated enough being limited to certain stores and websites...Am I too demanding? :o) Now I'm just rambling...
Just in time! I am 5'2 and waver between petite and regular. Most of the time the regular tops are fine for me, but pants and dresses I go with petite, sometimes 0P, others a 2P. I recently purchased online the Deco Dot Zoey-tidepool in 2P because it was sold out in every other size I typically wear and it is a terrible fit. I know it is supposed to be shift-ish, but it does not look anything like the website pictures.. I dont know if anyone else has the Zoey dresses but the only thing petite about it is the length. I'm debating whether to send it back, or have it taken in a bit so its not so square. Any suggestions on the actual fit would be great, so I can reassure myself that its either me being stupid or JCrew. Thanks again for speaking out about P&T
ReplyDeleteJust in time! I am 5'2 and waver between petite and regular. Most of the time the regular tops are fine for me, but pants and dresses I go with petite, sometimes 0P, others a 2P. I recently purchased online the Deco Dot Zoey-tidepool in 2P because it was sold out in every other size I typically wear and it is a terrible fit. I know it is supposed to be shift-ish, but it does not look anything like the website pictures.. I dont know if anyone else has the Zoey dresses but the only thing petite about it is the length. I'm debating whether to send it back, or have it taken in a bit so its not so square. Any suggestions on the actual fit would be great, so I can reassure myself that its either me being stupid or JCrew. Thanks again for speaking out about P&T
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome set of comments. I totally agree with the quality control comments. I am a 2P at Ann Taylor and Banana Republic (I can find clothes that fit without alterations!), but at JCrew, I go anywhere from a regular 0 to a 4P--that goes way beyond "design" variances. I asked at the stores out here in CA, and the two in my area have said that they do not carry petites or talls unless someone else returned them. It's awful that they don't have free shipping anymore like they used to. I really hesitate before buying, but now that I know about requesting measurements, hopefully that will help. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteHi Antigone,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you...would love to see Tall shorts. JCrew did have tall shorts in the summer of 2002 and I bought 6 pair that summer. I still have them. I take super good care of them, wash them inside out, and line dry and they still look great. They even had these tabs on the outside to adjust the waist. I wish they had those again!
It is clear that J.Crew doesn't offer tall/petite sizes in stores, they really should offer free shipping then for those items.
ReplyDeleteI understand why BR may no longer do this (because they have a Petite section in their stores so one can try them on). But J.Crew may want to consider an incentive program to get people to try & buy.
Does anyone know when JCrew started offering petite/tall sizes? I only remember hearing about it when I was in college...probably around 2001 or 2002.
ReplyDeleteIf they started around then, I can understand that they want to continue to monitor online purchases to gauge the profitability of petite/tall sales.
But at some point they'll have to branch out into stores or cut those sections from the website/catalog if they're not profitable. If the sales warrant a test launch, they'll select a few stores in the major markets where they've seen a large number of orders for tall/petite come in. At least that's what the business side of me thinks how it will go. If it's already been 10+ years, I say they need to just do a test launch now. Get those tall/petite clothing in stores, JCrew!
Sue.bee that is a good question. Unfortunately I don't know when they first introduced their petite/tall lines. Hopefully someone else knows. :)
ReplyDeleteMelanie asked: What I am interested in is the difference between short and petite sizes. Has anyone had experience with that?
ReplyDeleteAuryane commented: I've also noticed that not only are petite tops vertically shorter, but they are also horizontally smaller. A 2P top is about the same size as a 0 regular, only with shorter sleeves and hems.
And Chini responds:
Auryane's comment is basically the answer to Melanie's question. Short simply refers to length/inseam. A size 6 (barring differences in quality control) will fit someone who is 5'2, 5'6, or 5'10 the same way at the waist, hips, and butt if they have the same measurements, but the inseam will vary for short, regular, and tall lengths.
Petites, on the other hand, does *NOT* mean "short" in clothing speak. It means proportionally smaller. Arm length, shoulder width, and other measurements will be adjusted to keep the item of clothing in proportion. For people who really are petite (narrow shoulders, short arms, etc), this is a godsend. For people who are merely short in height, not so much. (They should shop at stores like The Limited, which offers lengths but not petites.)
Some stores (J. Crew, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor) explain this in their fit guides, and specify that people can be petite on top, bottom, or both, while others leave it to the shoppers to figure it out. I often hear people complain that petite clothing is too tight across the shoulders or whatever...this means they are not petite...just short.
I feel like jcrew sizes aren't as reliable as they used to be. the petite inseams have gotten longer. a couple years ago, the jeans used to be 28 and 3/4, now 30 inches. that nots petite!! I'm not wearing heels everyday, and even still, the inseam is too long. I can't get jeans from jcrew anymore, the cords are also too long but I am willing to hem those myself. :/
ReplyDeleteI am solidly a 2-4 or xs in petite, but in regular, I am a zero or 2. for the pastille dress, I was confused because I wasn't sure how a sweater/knit dress would fit (never had one), and it was not offered in petite, but in regular + letter sizes. Consulted the size chart, and it looked like I was right in between an xs and a small. I went with small, but I may end up returning it for an xs.
I have size 2p dresses from several years ago that are too big, and more recent 2p dresses that are on the snug size (but still fit). my size small sweaters from 4 or so years ago are huge and boxy, but my xs ones from that last few seasons fit perfectly and are more feminine.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have cords (the bootcut with a little stretch, I think) in both short and petite, 2p and 2s, and oddly enough, the short size fits better all around, but both are still about 2-3 inches too long. for some reason the petite ones are baggier in the crotch. this could be because I've had the 2s longer and have been washed a couple more times, so maybe they've shrunk a bit.
ReplyDeletesue.bee,
ReplyDeleteI feel like I bought some petite stuff when I was in high school, and I graduated in 2000. Then again, I started buying jcrew more regularly after high school. Sometime between 1999-2001 is probably when I first noticed petite sizes (and only select items like coats, jeans and some dresses).
My issue is that I wear a size 16. The number of items offered in this size is very limited, and some of their cutest stuff only goes up to 12. I find this really annoying--I have plenty of money to spend at j.crew and I want to wear the cute stuff too! At the Banana Republic website, they offer every single style in size 16. Also, J. Crew does not offer 16 tall pants at all. (only up to 14 tall). I buy practically all my pants from bananarepublic.com where I can get a 16 long.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous at 2:15PM- That is super annoying to find that J.Crew pant sizes don't come in all sizes. I also found that the tall section doesn't even come in all the sizes like the regular too.
ReplyDeleteSo I sent an e-mail to JCrew earlier this week asking them if the company had any plans to start carrying petite sizes in their stores...just got a response from them.
ReplyDeleteHere are some snippets from the response:
"It will be our pleasure to forward your concerns to our feedback group for review. Our customers are welcome to place orders by using the red
courtesy phone in our retail stores. Shipping/handling does apply to orders that consist of sale price merchandise."
"You can also request the manager
to carry petite merchandise."
It sounds like it's up to individual stores to decide whether or not they want to carry petites? Interesting... So I suppose if you want your local JCrew to carry petite/tall sizes, talk to the manager. Maybe if they receive enough requests, they will start carrying!
Hi Sue.Bee- First, I think it is great that you emailed J.Crew about the petite sizes. I think they should hear from their customers that their tall/petite lines are limited.
ReplyDeleteIt is too bad that the response wasn't a bit more proactive on their part. It sounds like it is still up to the consumer to push J.Crew to carry those lines.
I was just in the Westport store today looking at how Talbots dedicated an entire store to Petites. Clearly there is a market for petites, so why doesn't J.Crew recognize it a bit more than they have?
Thanks Sue.Bee for telling us what J.Crew told you. Hopefully it will motivate others to request the petite/tall lines in their stores. :)
Alexis:
ReplyDeleteYeah, they didn't really give me the response I had hoped to hear. I was a little miffed that they basically said, "It's your problem if you're not happy with how we provide our products." I had told them I found it inconvenient to have to always wait for a free shipping code to stock up on items to try on, wait for the order to arrive, and then have to drive out to the store to return what I didn't like. And from what it sounds like, plenty of others here have to do the same.
I did complement them (in case anyone thinks all I did was bash them in the e-mail I sent) and told them I was willing to go through the inconvenience a few times a year because I like what they have to offer.
I agree that if other clothing stores are offering their petite lines in-store it shows there is a profitable market out there. J. Crew just doesn't seem to be willing to jump on that bandwagon yet.
I do have to say though that it was nice that "Charlene" who replied to my e-mail at least sent a personalize response rather than some canned script. And on a Sunday! J. Crew's working its employees hard!
I just found this blog, and I think it's fabulous! I had to chime in about the new, longer length of J. Crew's petite pants. It's true that they used to have a 28.5" or 29" inseam, which was perfect for me (I'm five-foot 3-and-a-half inches, with long torso and short legs). Their size 2-petite pants and jeans used to fit me like they were custom-made. Their boot-cut jeans in petite were my staple! Now that they've made all of their petites with 30" inseams(and no longer offer jeans in petite at all), I can't buy their pants. I don't want to bother getting them altered, either, because it's not worth the time and expense to me. I'm just so frustrated that they made this change, and I can't order any of my favorite pants from them anymore!
ReplyDeleteThanks for listening to my rant. Keep up the great blogging! :-)
I'm just 5'2" but I haven't ordered petites in years... I Years ago, I used to order JCrew petite pants, but I stopped because they were ALWAYS too short.
ReplyDeleteI hate that the "short" sizes (2S, 4S, 28S, etc) are still too long, but I don't want to spend the time/money to order petites online.
I wish I could try on petites in stores, even if just select stores, like Banana Republic does. (BR petites, after some awkward tweaking of the fit in 2004-05, now fits me PERECTLY, btw.)
I've worn J Crew for years since I'm 5'11" and it's the best tall stuff I've ever found. But they seriously need to expand their tall offerings, particularly in knitwear, and they also need to offer free or reduced shipping because without access to talls in stores, shopping online becomes too risky.
ReplyDeleteI spend an awful lot of money at J. Crew yearly, as I'm sure many of you do, but I never buy pants because they don't come in tall! I'm so sick of it!
ReplyDeleteI know this is an older post, but if we all email J. Crew about their limited in-store size offering, maybe they'll change it!
contactus@jcrew.com
I'm so glad I discovered this blog! I happen to fall into the petite category and am a 0P in Ann Taylor's tops, dresses, and pants, and a 2P in their jeans. The good thing is, I know this. Bad thing is, I have no clue what I am in J. Crew's petites. I bit the bullet and ordered the Lady Day Coat in a 2P Hthr. Majestic Purple (after reading many reviews here and elsewhere). I got the impression it was a more narrow fit. I also ordered the Peacoat in XSP.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little nervous about the Lady Day Coat after getting the dimensions over the phone (after I placed the order, of course!). According to their "dimensions" I don't think I'd even fit a 0P. They just seem too big! Maybe she gave me Regular dimensions by accident, or maybe the coat will fit fine with a sweater and pants under it.
Does anyone have any more input on the Lady Day Coat in Petites?
Thanks so much! Sorry for rambling :-)
Hey, I definitely agree with all of you. The inconsistencies in sizing are related to the quality of their products. Customers need to know what they are purchasing before the items are shipped, since the costs of returning the items are nontrivial. In addition, more than once I have missed an item that I wanted because I ordered the wrong size, and it sold out in the correct size before I discovered the problem.
ReplyDeleteThat cannot be good for business!
Furthermore, although sizing seems to be high variance, it is also trending larger: I can fit into remarkable tiny sizes these days. Of course, I'm not a size zero, but where do all the ACTUAL size zero girls shop?
I can actually fit into size xs tops more than half the time. How is that possible? I'm definitely not the tinyest person I know.
What about all of us just plain short people? We are the ones who really get the shaft! You know those of us who have hips and large busts but are still under 5'5", JCrew and any other clothing companies are you listening???
ReplyDeleteI know JCrew has short jeans but that's about where it ends. I could NEVER fit into a petite top-most of the time I don't even fit into the regular tops with 34FF- and because of that I have to size up, when everywhere but the bust I should be sizing down. Same with dress pants, most of the time I just end up getting regular length shortened, but on occasion I could be petite. So that means when ordering online I need to buy 4 sizes (2 regular, 2 petite) to have some clue of what size I will be- and I need to buy all 4 at once if I'm paying for the shipping and often the pieces are somewhat on sale so will likely be sold out if I wait. It puts me marginally in debt every time I want a pair of pants.
Yes those that are tall/truly petite have hassles, but its really those of us who are curvy and short that have nothing made for us...
I would like to comment that at least when you are petite you can buy regular pants and get them altered but when you require a tall you are stuck. Most stores Tall/Long pants are not long enough for me. I have an awful trouble with sleeve length. I also have an awful time with sizing inconsistency so I hate ordering online. I wear a 2Tall at most places. Sometimes I need the ExtraTall/Long that some places carry. I hate that there is always a smaller selection when you need the specialty sizes. I recently ordered pants from Victora's Secret since they come in 36" inseam but they shrunk in the wash (not even the dryer). I tend to stick with skirts more for work just because you can have it sit an inch or 2 higher and nobody really notices.
ReplyDelete