Thursday, March 11, 2010

professional dress

This post is inspired by www.extrapetite.com, a blogger who shares work outfits for petite gals. I am 5'1" (for the longest time I thought I was 5'2" lol), ~93lbs (93lbs of NO t&a, or hips... boooooo), and I find it very difficult to find professional, non-fuddy duddy, petite sized clothing. I always had a hard time finding work clothes I liked from Ann Taylor, Nordstrom Petite section, Express, etc. Tops and bottoms are HUGE. HUGE. HUUUUGE and old looking! Banana Republic has some good stuff, but I'm cheap! Tops >$50, and bottoms >$50 = no bueno!!

I used to think professional=pants + jacket. But, I've finally figured out what I can wear that doesn't feel old and too big. SKIRTS!! Pants can be altered, but I don't have the time or money to get clothing altered. And 99.99% of the time, even if they fit my waist, they sag at the crotch, hip, butt, thigh, etc. etc. etc. EW. Anyone else have that problem?? And I find pants to be manly, and I want to look like a WOMAN. RAWR! lol. Now SKIRTS on the other hand, don't have to be snug at your crotch or hip as much as pants. You have a couple inches of wiggle room, even if they are a bit big. Or put on a belt and make high waisted! I love doing this.

And then I just tuck in any button down shirt into the skirt. I find button down shirts to be professional, inexpensive, and easy to find just about everywhere. But even these can run very large (like Express - their XS is really a size medium, in my opinion!) And I hate the bottoms of button downs - so awkward! Hence, tucking into skirt. And I HATE tucking a shirt into pants - can you say BUTCH? H&M size XS is actually pretty fitted. I have an XS from them that makes me look like my chest will bust out - a VERY difficult feat to accomplish given my tiny tiny bewbies -_-

So this is basically me every day - black/grey skirt, button down, rinse, repeat. If you have conservative work place, keep your jacket/cardigan on!

Some places to find cheap, small skirts: Forever 21, H&M, www.yesstyle.com, www.zipia.net
If you can afford more expensive pieces, don't ask me! lol. j/k. Go look at www.extrapetite.com for really nice pieces at higher end shops.


Yes, these were taken in my work bathroom! We just started composting paper towels, YAY!


*xs top - H&M
*xs skirt (with BOW!) - yesstyle
*sz 5 patent pumps - Nine West


**edit: just fyi I wrote this post b/c I KNOW many girls out there are in the same boat as me... I live in California and I see girls smaller than me all the time, haha. My gf's are all skinny bitches lol. Thought this post could either help others, or others would read it and help ME :P **


Got an email that H&M is having $15 off jackets and blazers, so walked over at lunch. Ended up just trying on men's clothing ^_~ Creates the perfect oversized look, and their sweaters are cooler than ladies sweaters, what's up with that?!?


p.s. all you lil ladies tell me where you shop? and how you make your work outfit fun and trendy? lol.

p.p.s. FUUUUDGE PACKER!!! I called every single H&M to hunt down the boyfriend blazer from their Divided line b/c it's only $25 + $15 off all blazers right now and NO ONE HAS IT (well, they have size 12 LOL go figure!)!!! I even called cross country to see if the bf could pick it up, and no luck T_T I swear if I see a petite girl walking around with it I will tackle her and it will be GAME OVER HUNNIE!!!!
(Hehe you can't right click their pics.. so this is when handy dandy Prnt Scrn + CTRL V comes in handy ^_~ )

31 comments:

  1. unnie~you're super chic! love love it! no wonder those girls at your work place are oozing with jealousy, cause your hawt <3333

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  2. you look great girl! very simple but professional look! <3

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  3. you are so tiny! :P haha but i'm really loving that skirt with the bow. stylish but still professional :)
    and i agree, some mens sweaters are so nice! i like the asymmetry.

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  4. u are really petite~
    it would probably be easier for u to find clothes in asia because their size runs are smaller

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  5. hehe cute look! ya .. i absolutely hate it when american stores just don't fit us petite asian girls

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  6. Haha, my coworker just looked over and thought that was me in the pics...except I don't have such nice long legs : ) You look great! Who cares if you can look so good for less?

    You know what I want? A bodysuit, with the button-up on top and those bathing-suit looking bottoms so that the blouse stays neatly tucked into skirts and pants. Victoria's Secret has them but only for "regular" sized ppl. If H&M comes out with them I'll def pick up a couple!

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  7. Woooooow. 93 pounds! I'm 5 feet and 98 I think. But I fit a size 5 pants and small/meduim shirts. O-o How that works idk.

    I get that problem with pants! They'll fit my hips and thighs but have a 5 inch space after I pull them up! So I give up and but all my pants from Ross. $7 and they'll last till my butt decides to go bigger or smaller. My favorite jeans are Hyrdaulics!

    I really wish there was an H&M in Hawaii. I get so jealous of girls with H&M stuff!!! Hahaha.

    I remember my job at GameStop. I had to dress formal but I'd always get scolded for what I was wearing. Muahahaha!

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  8. lol awwww
    keep believing that you are 5'2"! xD
    and you are skinny! i also do have that problem especially around the butt area! every jeans, shorts and pants i own, it always sags there :(
    i like the look!
    i shop everywhere. anywhere that has nice clothes. to make work outfits fun and trendy, add a bit of accessories :) unless theres a restriction about it at work.

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  9. Love the outfit sweety (: you look BANGIN (: hehe *SNAPS FINGERS* OH GIRL I NO YOU DID NOT JUST CALL ME LIL LADY lol :p I like to shop at anywhere they got a sale (: hahaha

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  10. ^^ Heh thanks guys.. but I sense that some of you are holding out on me (heh definitely not Ken) :p You gals are all teeny tiny! GIVE UP YOUR SHOPPING SECRETS!

    @Nicol - the accessories idea is a GREAT idea! Gotta add some *blingbling* to the wardrobe!

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  11. Heyyylow beautiful! Yes definitely show it to your bf! March is basically women's month right? lol something like that its more european, my culture is very european rather than asian! like our food and such is soo not asian haha...anywhoo! I DO NOT MODEL lol I wish but I like to eat and have no passion to model lol soooooo yeahhh pshhhh ur the one with the model status body!

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  12. this post was a geratt idea!
    i mite wear a skirt tmrw! =]

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  13. Hi ^_^ this post was very enjoyable lol. I usually wear skirts + button shirts too just because I agree with the fact that most pants are huge. and omg, YES! Express XS button down shirts are seriously like size Mediums... the fit is horrible. So are their pants!!

    BTW how is the fit of that skirt from Yesstyle? How much did it cost? I know sometimes yesstyle's prices are pretty high. I also hate spending over $50 for professional clothes lol

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  14. aw you skinny bitch i wish i had your problem! :P my hips are really wide but i'm really short so i have the hardest time finding pants! but you look great, as always! :)

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  15. Cute outfit!
    I always love the look of a tucked in blouse/shirt :)

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  16. You post made me LOL - boyfriend blazers are really hot right now, and I am superjealous that there is an H&M (more than one for that matter) close to you! (NONE in TX ;_;)

    I agree, I could NEVER fit into EXPRESS. Honey, Banana Republic is awesome and really not that expensive if you shop on sale (you can get really nice pieces for <$20 if you look hard in the petites section!) :) Plus, never underestimate the power of the outlets - a lot of good staple pieces for cheap!

    Thank you for your sweet words yesterday! I feel very blessed to such lovely and kind people in my life ;) And btw, I'm going to be getting to your letter soon! I'll be out of town this weekend, but look out next week! :D

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  17. unnie!
    I'm happy in Korean is "nan haengbokhae" pronounced as is --> heng bok heh

    & i'm pissed is "na pi jeo seo" pronounced --> na pi juh suh

    ^-^ hehe! btw, i want a bf jacket too. it's hard to find the type i want tho hehe

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  18. btw, its hard for me to find jeans too -_-' like at times it'd fit my thighs then wont go up to my butt. soo lame! hahaha!

    that's why im so picky when it comes to jeans. i also hate when the pockets go all the way down to your butt crease (you know what i mean?) haha

    & as for shirts, i can't fit XS or S. sometimes S is toooo small & XS is extremely small on me. I have a weird body proportion lmao

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  19. I feel the same way about pants! I feel like they big on the waist but I have no ass to fill in the back part or it ends up being way to baggy. I'm 5'6; I think the main reason I find it hard to find dress pants is because I have no butt. {*LOL}

    Looking at your pictures, I feel like a giant compared to you. {*hahaha}
    Your outfit is cute and professional. Loving the skirt with the bow.

    I usually shop at H&M, Express, Nordstrom, Macy's and T.J.Max. [I love T.J.Max]

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  20. WOW, that looks amazing~<3 I love the black and then just the blue top^__^ GORGEOUS~

    XOXO
    Miss. P

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  21. your so little! haha :) i love that skirt, heaps cute!!! i wish they had H&M in australia.

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  22. cute outfit. I'm small too, 5"5 and thin, it's hard for me to find stuff, sometimes even forever 21 small is too big for me lol

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  23. Wow, I'm the same size and weight as you! Yay, petites unite! ^_~

    And I agree - skirts are definitely the way to go. High-waisted, tailored shorts are also quite professional, provided they are an appropriate length and fabric.

    Your work outfit is very nice! You look lovely.

    <3 from pretty-preoccupied.blogspot.com

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  24. You are so tiny!! I like your outfit!!

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  25. haha yup. i have the exact same problem. im 5'3 and weight 92lbs. no butt at all but thankfully got some boobs (runs in my family) so i have the hardest time to find professional clothings too. i buy majority of mine in H&M and Zara. And I agree with the whole skirt thing. i wear skirts all the time, but when i DO have to wear pants, u know where I got mine that is actually perfect fit (no saggy butt part and just enough length)? WETSEAL! amazing haha. i dont know if u could still find them but it wouldn't hurt to try :D

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  26. Its getting hot! Oh wait, thats just you! Hahaha. girlll you look gorgeous & you know it. They are JUST jealous if anyone hating. & definitely the boyfriend blazer is a must-have! Gonna be really hard to find one! >< Btw, where does your boyfriend live?? :) I never got the chance to ask. Hehe.

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  27. im really thick on the belly so idk what to do with that, if i can wear high waisted skirts or no? well for the record, that look is a winner!

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  28. it's my boyfriend's canon sx100IS xD fancy pants camera haha. it has really good macro. i think i want to get a nice camera too when it's released later this month because my kodak easyshare is really quite crappy.

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  29. Nice outfit hun, I too am a big fan of her blog!

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  30. heyy! stumbled upon your site and tripped on the cute pics! hahah yea i totally feel you.. when i first got hired and went to work.. i had NO clue what to wear. like you, i hate pants.. they don't look good on me and they make me feel old and lost in my own clothes! i LOVE skirts for work as well.. much more comfy and stylish. love your skirt btw, i'm head over heals with bows and studs atm ;x.

    so i'm actually kind of tall (5'5) or at least look tall cause i'm skinny too. i shop at banana.. but never pay more than $30 a top or bottom. the sale section is where i eye the moment i walk in and storm into! also, their outlets have really nice picks too. blazers really make every outfit professional.. so i love wearing them as well. try wearing a cute bright color top instead of a button down. something like this? http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5041&vid=1&pid=719954 but with sleeves. love ruffles! and i'm not sure if it's a violation of your dress code at work, but i wear skinny pants (they sell them at new york & company).. and wear a long top plus a blazer/cardigan. i have a couple of pictures of my work outfit (you might have to dig a little b/c havent been posting lately) if you're interested.

    hope this helps!
    sry for the long comment! haha

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  31. beautiful outfit!! you look really good in skirts and i love the light blue top on you! and such a funny comment on that blazer. good thing my H&M doesn't have it otherwise i'd risk being tackled! ;)

    cuteandlittle.com

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