XXSP Sweaters at anntaylor.com - A Follow-up

I have struck gold! I have finally found sweaters that actually fit me almost perfectly (note: I don't really ever expect to find anything that fits me perfectly). I am in shock!!! Last week, I discovered that Ann Taylor was offering clothing in 00P and XXSP online. Obviously, I immediately ordered a mixed set to get a general sense of what the label meant by 00 Petite and XXS Petite. Apparently, they meant what I've been hoping they'd mean!

All the items was wrapped up very nicely when the box arrived. Everything was individually wrapped, sometimes with tissue. The jacket was also on a hanger. Yay - a nice new hanger for me. I unwrapped everything and took a look at what I'd ordered.

This is the first time in my life that a twin set has actually fit me. Ever. The shell is usually the problem - but as you can see, if I had a slightly larger bust, it'd be perfect. Someone bigger than me would be fine too - the sweater does stretch, after all, since it's made from silk/nylon. I'm not too enthralled with the cardigan, since the sleeves are too long, but it'll do in a pinch. Luckily, I'm not in a bind, so I'll just wait and see what else they produce before laying down the dough. I'm VERY happy they started producing these XXSP's though - when they finally come up with something I like, I'll be there in a flash.

The silk/cotton ivory shell I got fit decently, although I wouldn't want to actually buy it. Like I said, this was a totally research purpose only batch! I didn't really like the quality of it - maybe I just dislike cotton sweaters? Probably. I got some sort of fiber content issues. That sounds crazy doesn't it? What I mean to say is that I generally hate cotton sweaters and suits.

But crisp cotton shirts are definitely ok. Oops. I realized I forgot to order one somehow, but I got this silk one instead in 00P. Which fit exactly like a silk shirt is supposed to on me (ok, fine, yes, maybe it could be a little tighter since the designer assumes that the buyer has a chest, unlike me). Silk shirts should be worn looser than a cotton shirt. Or rather, if you're the more modest type, a silk button down shouldn't stretch. Yeah, yeah, I know, you can totally see the fold marks. I avoid ironing like the plague because it's all or nothing for me - which means a long ironing session for each piece. And once the iron's hot, I might as well do everything, right?

Thanks to my incredibly detailed-oriented self (shall we say, anal?), all the measurements are below. I'm not a tailor but they seem to do the job of figuring out what would work. I'll be getting to the suit, dress, and skirt soon enough.


Measurements:
Twinset shell: 9" shoulder strap to strap (from the center of the strap), 7" from the shoulder to bottom of the armhole, 27" widest circumference under the arms, 25" waist, 13" from shoulder to waist.
Twinset cardigan: 16" shoulder seam to seam, 30" widest circumference under the arms, 27" waist, 21.5" sleeve length from above, 17.5" sleeve length from armpit.
Cotton shell: 8" shoulder strap to shoulder, 4" from the shoulder to armhole bottom (stretchy straps), 26" widest around arms, 23" waist, 13" shoulder to waist.
Silk shirt: 14.5" shoulder seam to seam, 32" circumference under the arms, 28" waist, 13" from shoulder to waist.

00P and Petite XXS at Ann Taylor and LOFT!

FINALLY! I can only assume that Ann Taylor realized that (1) its sizing runs insanely large, and (2) Banana Republic's 00(P) offerings were briskly selling. I happily also realized that not only was the company creating smaller sizes for regular and petites, it was also expanding its larger sizes up to 18 regular and 16P (XXL and PXL for sweaters) - in both Ann Taylor and Ann Taylor LOFT. Now, that's something that we in the "special sizes" category (hah!) can appreciate!

Perhaps the recent expansion was due to Ann Taylor Stores Corp. doing well during the last few months - tighter control of merchandise and a more focused direction with LOFT helped enormously with profit margins. Flush with increased sales, maybe the company saw an opportunity to capture more of the market by expanding the sizes offered?

What excites me most is the smaller sizing of the sweaters and knits. Admittedly, you technically can get some sweaters altered - but it really strikes me as a bad idea. It's just possibly impossible - and when it isn't, shudderingly expensive. So, what you see in the store is what you're stuck with. Hence, my previous whining about J.Crew's limited sweater options.

I haven't yet stopped by any Ann Taylor stores to see the new sizing in the flesh yet (I'm not even sure if they offer it in stores at all), but I just placed an order for a suit, dress, blouse, and sweaters to see if my pleasure is to be long lasting or just short-lived. Hopefully, its not just another disappointing bout of size inflation! I'll be sure to do a little write up as soon as everything arrives.

From now till August 27, you get 15% or 20% off everything (you get 20% when you order $175+) and free shipping with coupon code 44200002. With that in mind, give it a whirl! Oh, and for you picky shoppers out there (just like me, are you?), the discount is pro-rated for the items you keep when you return just about everything else in your order. So why not order more than $175 and give yourself the extra 5% discount....

Finding Petite Stores - Where Can I Go?

Finding a good petite selection can be a difficult task - especially when you don't live near dense metropolitan areas. Certainly, online selections are much better at giving a broader range of goods - but nothing beats the positive aspects of in-store shopping. Although many department stores carry petite clothing, the selection is highly variable depending on location, and sizing usually begins at 4P for most items. I'll also admit that eBay has been a source that I look to more often than not.

Here's a compiled list, along with short descriptions, of the more accessible stand alones, sans department stores. I'll be adding to this as I find (or remember) more:

Ann Taylor - The tried and true for corporate and casual wear. Think classic rather than trendy. For the dressy stuff, it's sophisticated and safe, not sexy. The casual stuff is definitely geared towards a more matronly audience, but when you need a suit, you can't go wrong here. I have tended to stop shopping here as everything needs to be taken in for me - but if you're slightly bigger than me, you're all set. (link is for expanded petite selection)

Banana Republic - Mainstream trendy and fashionable, their petite selection is pretty good, but certainly not as wide as the regular sizes. It definitely caters to a younger audience - the non-corporate stuff would be appropriate from late teens to thirties up. I am annoyed that their 00P selection is only available online, but they offer free shipping for petites to make up for it. I tend to think their pricing has raced ahead of their quality and/or style.

Brooks Brothers - Definitely corporate and old school classic. Quality is definitely a high point here - and the price reflects it. If you fuss over fabric quality/feel, BB doesn't disappoint. If you don't mind the country club-like image, it's a great place to pick up really nice stuff. It's more pretentious than AT, but hey, you're just looking for stuff to wear. I find that the price point to quality ratio is better than most of the other petite stores. The shirts seem more billowy than fitted - even the ones that claim to be fitted. For online, you have to pay for shipping unless there's a promotion.

J.Crew **- Ok, I have to admit that this is not one of my favorites, as it screams "Prep" to me. Color choices are also a little more outrageous - but a bold color might work well for you. They seem to have fewer petite carrying stores, which makes it a little more difficult. I find that their suiting is of much better quality (relatively speaking) than you'd expect from some of their casual wear - it's comparable or even better than BR. You have to pay for shipping for online orders.

Talbots - The best I can say about this place is that you get a decent value. This is definitely geared toward a matronly set. It caters to the audience that upscale department stores don't like, as noted here. The store is actually cheaper than the others, and when they have sales, prices drop down very, very far. Fit and cut are generous, and the style is frumpy (if you're being very nice about it, conservative). Fashionable, it is not, but it's great when you just need something to fill an essential in your wardroble gap. The thing that turns me off most is that most of the stuff is made from synthetic mixes that are obviously geared towards slashing costs, instead of blending for particular qualities (like stretch or wrinkle-resistance).