A while ago I was contacted by Cindy from Grace Designs Edinburgh telling me about her petite wedding dress site and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to get to know more about Cindy and Petite Wedding Dress design. If you want to find out more about getting a wedding gown then contact Cindy via her website.

There’s not many sites out there that specialise in petite wedding dresses, how did you think up Grace Designs?

While shopping I realised that there really were very few people out there offering petite dresses for petite women so I decided to fill the gap in the market. Being a petite women myself I know how difficult it can be to find that perfect dress so I created my site to make it easier for other small women.

Why do you think that most of the high street wedding dress makers like BHS and Berketex Brides don’t cater for the petite lady when the high street fashion stores have fantastic petite ranges?

I think that these big bridal stores cater for the masses and petite women don’t fit into that category. The standard samples dress size in a bridal shop is a UK size 14. Even if you are a petite lady they will put this dress on you and will pin it to fit your body. By the time they have done that the dress looks very different from the one that you saw on the hanger.

What is the best style of wedding dress for petite women?

I actually think that a petite bride can get away with most styles of dresses as long as they are fitted and tailored correctly and she is wearing heels. Women dream most of their lives about wearing the perfect wedding dress and I don’t think petite women should be or are limited to what type of dress they wear just because they are petitier than the average women. In saying that, I would never recommend a petite bride wear a full, puffed ball gown skirt as that really would swallow her up.

What else do you offer? Bridesmaids outfits, mother of the bride?

I offer petite bridesmaid dresses and petite evening dresses. I will be introducing a petite Mother of the Bride range, bridal shoes and handbags towards the end of the year on Grace Designs Edinburgh.

What is your favourite petite shop, and why?

I would have to say Next. They have a pretty good petite range but they also do size 6 in their standard range which I can sometimes get away with.

Go on then, give us your measurements…

Okay, okay! 4′11 and a ½ (us petite girls need our ½’s), 7 1/5 stone, size 6 petite and size 2 in shoes - that’s all your getting!

Related Stuff:

Find out about other petite wedding ranges on our petite wedding dress page.

After being featured on serafina blog last month, I thought it was about time that I returned the favour. Serfina is one of the main petite fashion websites in the US and it’s fantasic to be able to get an insight into the other side of the Atlantic.

So here is what I asked Lisa…

1. I just love catching up on your posts, what gives you the inspiration for your site?

Quite simply, fashion is my daily inspiration. My readers are an extremely close second. People watching in L.A. is always an inspiration. I get loads of ideas just from seeing what the girls in L.A. are wearing.

2. Go on then, give us your numbers… height, size, shoe size?

5′4″ / 00P or a 0P / 6 or 6.5 - it’s all dependant on the line.

3. Where do you shop in the US?

Yikes! Many places! I shop just about everywhere, and I’m always shopping. My favourite boutiques in Los Angeles are Beige, Satine, Trina Turk, Sophea Parros, Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Panty Raid, Billion Dollar Babes, and loads of sample sales.

I’m totally in love with the Grove. It’s an outside mall with great shops like Barney’s Co-op, Anthropologie, Banana Republic Petites, Nordstrom and Marc Jacobs.

I shop on Robertson in Beverly Hills, The Promenade and Main in Santa Monica, Vermont and Hillhurst in Los Feliz, Third and Beverly and Melrose in West Hollywood.

I also like to peruse the malls in Chinatown, Korea Town and Little Tokyo.

When I’m in New York I generally hit up SoHo, and I peruse numerous shops in Chelsea, Flatiron, Union Square, the East Village — you name it. One of my favourite shoe shops is called Sacco, and they’re all over the Manhattan. They carry smart Spanish and Italian leather shoes.

4. What tips would you give to petite girls in the UK when ordering items from the US?

The sizing is different. Be sure to know your measurements in inches and check the site’s size chart to be sure what you are purchasing will fit!

And double-check that return policy. Sometimes you have no more than two weeks for returns.

Also, when returning items, keep the tags on if you are unsure of your purchase, as many shops won’t accept purchases without the tags on the item. And don’t forget that receipt!

Enjoy the weak dollar!

5. What do you think is the best online shop for petites?

Good question. It all depends on your taste. I recommend Zappos, Piperlime and Sacco for small shoes, Lula Lu and The Little Bra Company for lingerie, J.Crew and Banana Republic for inexpensive work clothes. And for hip urban threads, I’d recommend Shopbop.

6. What have you bought recently? Can you send me a link and or image of them?

My newest wardrobe addition is a gorgeous pair of Blue Notch skinny jeans. I especially love the 5% polyurethane in the denim, as well as the metallic soft leather at the top.

I’m also a proud new owner of the Angela bra by The Little Bra Company. It’s comfortable and really adds the extra oomph I need up top. It’s perfect for wearing all day.

7. What item would you buy if money were no object?

You’d think this would be an easy question, but it’s not! I thought about it, and if I had to pick ONE decadent item, it would be a Gucci couture gown tailored by Gucci in Italy to fit perfectly. Stunning!

8. Can you give us an insight into the main trends in the US at the moment?

Safari has been really popular, as well as eco-friendly brands. I’ve also seen many shirt dresses recently. Metallic purses and shoes are still quite popular, and high-waisted bottoms.

Angelenas are way into the gladiator sandal. I see a variation on almost every corner. Designer denim is huge. I see a lot of higher waist denim (jeans, skirts, shorts) on the girls recently. Pair both up with huge sunglasses, a skinny belt and an oversized purse and your ready for the day.

It does however depend on your side of town. East side girls are wearing tons of skinny jeans and flats with funky t-shirts, and you’ll see more designer duds in WeHo to Santa Monica. On the beach it’s way more chill with short shorts and flowing colourful dresses.

Mother Care have a fantastic petite Maternity clothing range and they have just let me know about their great offer code where you can save a whopping 10% on everything you buy.

Save 10% when you spend £120 or more - code: AF8

This might seem like a lot, but when you add on all the little extras you’re going to need for your bundle of joy then it’s easily spent. Plus if you spend another £30 you get free delivery!

Here are some great examples of the fantastic petite maternity wear you can find on Mothercare.com

Do you know of any other great petite maternity sites? Well let us know, add a comment below and help out all the other petite mums to be!

All the best,

Vikki xx

Hi guys,

So I thought I might as well make a list of shops that have a petite clothing range.

Not just some short peices - they actually have to have a whole special petite section. For example I’m sure that some shops might have some short length ranges, but they don’t have a petite section on their site so they can’t be included in this list.

And here they are:

• Dorothy Perkins
• Marks and Spencer
• Miss Selfridge
• Evans
• Top Shop
• ASOS
• M and Co
• Additions Direct
• Wallis
• Evans
• CC Country Casuals
• BHS
• Marshall Ward
• Montage
• Freemans
  
• Grattan
• Kaliedoscope
• Reet Petite
  

Well there’s more and I will update them as they find them… and I’m going to review them all, and when I do I will change these direct links to links to the posts.

Well enjoy browsing.

Kisses,

Vikki xx