Recently, I was contacted by the PR rep for Jeetly, based out of the UK.  This is an online-only, petite-exclusive collection that only launched this past fall.  The collection consists of blouses, skirts and dresses, all appropriate for a moderately conservative office.  I was lucky enough to get a discount to purchase two of the dresses from the debut collection, the Davina, a teal peplum dress and the burgundy-coloured Victoria.

Davina:

Gloves: From a swag at an event I attended
Shoes: The Odd Slipper (Addison)
Belt: Nine West (old)

I honestly never thought I’d ever wear a peplum dress – most peplums I’ve tried, save for an Arthur Mendonça top and AIME skirt, have made me look wide (and it’s very hard to make me look wide – LOL).  The material is soft and fairly lightweight, so it can be worn probably 10 months of the year.  I had some issues with the zipper earlier on, but it has since been resolved.  While the dress itself is fairly plain, it can be easily dressed up or down, depending on where you are going.

Victoria:

Shoes: From Banana Republic’s first Mad Men Collection (Fall 2011)
Belt: BCBG (came with a dress)
Clutch: Auslini

This dress is made with a thicker material and is more cool-weather appropriate.  In Toronto weather, it would probably be wearable between late October and mid-April, give or take a few weeks.  Like the Davina, the material is soft, but a bit more stretchy.  In fact, I think it’s a better fit than the Davina.

Overall:

The dresses are fairly conservative.  Skirts fall below the knee, but at a length that still works for many petites (proving that above-the-knee is not a rule for all petites).  Sizing is definitely NOT vanity sized. It starts at a UK 6 (US 2) and fits closer to a US 0 (a real 0, not a Banana Republic/J.Crew 0).  And since the styles are plainer, it can work to the advantage of the wearer.  If she works in a more conservative office, she can add a blazer to make it more formal.  If her company is more casual, add some funky accessories.

Price-wise, they are slightly lower than Banana Republic.  Dresses are 95 GBP (or about $150 US/Canada), blouses and skirts around 45 UK ($80 US/Canada) and blazers around 75 UK ($120 US/Canada), though with shipping and duty, it adds up to be a bit more.  I also like the interaction it has with fans and wearers – concepts are posted online and people can vote and comment on the style (similar to what The Odd Slipper does with shoes).  Styles with negative feedback will not be produced.  Finally, as I noted, the dresses can be very plain worn alone, so definitely accessorize!