Ordering clothes online, just like shopping in retail stores, can sometimes be incredibly frustrating to find the right fit. This is especially true when you are a petite framed individual. Ordering online only seems to intensify the issue. The main reason is it takes us even further away from the physical product.

In the last year I haven’t been shopping in store, but ordering online for obvious reasons. Since my job has me “staying home” my entire wardrobe has shifted to more “comfortable” clothes. This has doubled my shopping online, and with that, doubled all the returns to FedEx and UPS. I have finally said enough, and decided to put together a style guide for myself on how to dress a petite frame like mine.

Instead of continuing on the endless cycle of ordering and returning consistently I started researching if there was a style guide that petites could follow as their fashion bible. Once I started researching it seemed there was a golden rule of fashion that not just petites, but everyone should follow, the rule of thirds.

When you ask google to define the rule of thirds it says, “1/3 to 2/3 ratio is the most aesthetically pleasing division of spaces.” Esthetically pleasing sounds good to me, and on top of that this fashion rule to live by actually goes back to ancient Greece, so I’m thinking there has to be something to it! Ratio’s may not make sense to us initially, but essentially this means if you dress in the correct proportions for your size you won’t look frumpy, stumpy or unflattering. 🙂

Now we know the rule of thirds needs to be our style guide for fashion, now how do we put this into practice?

No problem! We put together a pairing list that will help make it easier to put this rule into practice. While putting this rule into practice can get confusing I kept it as simple as possible.

There are three ways to formulate an outfit in this Style Guide:

1. 1/3 on top & 2/3 on the bottom
   • Cropped or tucked top & high wasted pants Free People Example: Link
   • Cropped or tucked top & high wasted skirt Reformation Example: Link
2. 2/3 on top & 1/3 on the bottom
   • Midi dress-for petites with slit: Link
3. 1/3 on top & 1/3 in the middle Reiss Example: Link
   • Tucked top with skirt-It’s best to leave a separation between the clothing and your shoes.

Style Guide: What to buy as a Petite?

• High Waisted & Cropped Pants by Agolde Here
• Mini Bag by Charles & Keith Here
• Mini Skirt by Free People Here
• Crop Blouses or Tops by Free People on Revolve Here