I read a lot of style blogs, many of which are based in the US.  I’m sometimes jealous of what these writers can buy, since so many online stores either don’t deliver north of the border (nor do they take Canadian credit cards – looking at you, Ann Taylor and Cole Haan) or charge an arm and a leg due to shipping and duty costs.  Things that I can only buy when I make trips down to the US.  It is getting a bit better, with some brands launching Canadian-based sites (e.g. Gap Inc. brands), but the US sites still have more product.  For example, bananarepublic.ca does not sell XXSP (extra-extra small petite) while the US/international site does.  Bananarepublic.ca has also only begun selling petite sizes a few months ago and at times, has fewer products than at the store itself.  Size 5 shoes are another issue.  When you are a specialty sized person, online shopping is very important.  There’s just more available.

I have often been asked why I just don’t buy from Canadian designers (either in shops or online).  I do.  There are many who make things in my size (e.g. AIME), but oftentimes, pieces are hard to track down because the line is just so small and difficult to find.  You practically have to know the designer to get them.  And even if the pieces are sized smaller, the length is still not truly made for petite women (the petite issue is has been very difficult to communicate for me).  Also, the better-known designers tend to size items for regular-heighted people, which often means that the smallest size is about a quarter to half a size too big.  Alterations can be made, sure, but anyone who reads petite blogs would know that alterations don’t always work.  In fact, alterations can ruin a garment.  Not that buying petite sizes online doesn’t mean that things don’t need to be fixed, but at least the length is shorter.  And of course, there’s the self-confident thing.  I just wish that things were easier!

Image © pagadesign/iStockphoto