An Honest Review of Petite Studio

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If you’re petite, you know the struggle of shopping: sleeves that swallow your hands, waistbands that gap, hems that are too long, and silhouettes that overwhelm your frame. Unless you spend a fortune on alterations, clothing rarely fits well. And it can feel like a full-time job of ordering and returning items to find things that fit mostly well. 

Petite Studio NYC is one of the most recommended brands in the petite community, especially for women who want high-quality, slow-fashion pieces that are designed specifically for petite proportions. I hadn’t tried them, so when they reached out and offered to send me items to try, I happily accepted. I requested jeans, sweaters, outerwear, and skirts to put the brand to the test.

This is my honest Petite Studio review: what I loved, what didn’t work for me, and whether the brand is worth adding to your wardrobe. For reference, I’m 5’1″ and 120 pounds with a muscular frame.

Important note: The Petite Studio Black Friday Sale ends 12/2. It’s 25% off site wide, no minimum purchase. Orders over $500 will automatically receive 30% off. No code needed – discounts are automatically applied. 

About Petite Studio

Petite Studio NYC is a slow-fashion brand that creates clothing exclusively for women 5’4” and under. Instead of shrinking regular patterns, they design from the ground up with a team of petite designers who understand what actually fits a petite frame.

If you like elevated essentials, you’ll probably love their aesthetic. It definitely fits my style, which is mostly elevated classic style. 

So what is unique about designing specifically for petites? It’s more than shorter hemlines. They account for:    

• scaled-down shoulders
• narrower sleeves and sleeve openings
• proper inseams
• smaller pocket proportions
• corrected rise and waistband placement
• hip curves that reflect petite silhouettes
• shorter hems that hit where they should

This is the difference between wearing something that “fits okay” and something that feels truly tailored.

Quality-wise, Petite Studio leans heavily into wool, cotton, and wool blends. You’ll see polyester in some linings or blends, but most fabrics are luxe and high-end. Their best sellers speak for themselves.

Sizes run from XXS to XL, and their sizing charts are unusually detailed (inseam, rise, shoulder width, sleeve length, etc.), which is incredibly helpful for petites who rarely fall in “standard proportions.”

Petite Studio Review

After trying sweaters, jeans, skirts, trousers, and outerwear, here’s the full breakdown of what Petite Studio does well and what didn’t work for me.

PROS

Truly petite-friendly proportions

Everything is engineered for petites: sleeve length, shoulder width, waistband placement, inseam length, and pocket size. Nothing feels sloppy or oversized.

 High-quality fabrics & elevated construction

Their wool, wool blends, cotton sweaters, denim, and outerwear feel high-end and well-made. These are pieces meant to last, not fast-fashion items that you’ll replace after one season.

Timeless silhouettes that look high-end

The designs lean refined and modern, think structured wool coats, Fair Isle cardigans, straight-leg jeans, and neutral sweaters. It’s a very minimalist, NYC-inspired aesthetic.

 Petite-specific tailoring details

The adjustments are thoughtful: darts, slits, bust placement, hip shaping, ankle length, and waistband height. These subtle changes make the pieces feel intentionally designed, not just shorter.

Great foundation pieces for a long-term wardrobe

Many of the items I tried feel like true investments I’ll wear season after season. Their neutral color palette makes everything easy to mix and match.

CONS

While I loved most of what I tried, there were a few misses worth calling out.

Inconsistent fit compared to other brands

The sweaters and coats fit well in my usual size, but I found the pants fit very differently from my typical size. I had to size up in all the trousers and jeans I ordered.

Some fabrics were extremely itchy 

For example, the Carissa Mohair Cardigan is stunning. The color, cut, and proportions are absolute perfection for petites. Unfortunately, the mohair blend was extremely itchy on my skin. If you have sensitive skin like me, just be mindful of the fabrics you select. Other fabrics gave me no issues.

The trousers ran small in the waist for me

Trousers can be tricky for petites in general – so many of us have shorter rises and unique waist-to-hip ratios – but the waist on the Petite Studio pairs felt even tighter than I expected. 

I tried both the Reign Wool Pants and the Carlo Wool-Blend Wide Pants, and when I sized up, the fit was still a bit too snug for my comfort. That said, everyone’s proportions are different, so they may work beautifully for someone with a slimmer waist or a different rise preference.

Perhaps not a good fit for athletic frames

Petite isn’t the same as short, and my experience with their pants makes me think that, given my muscular frame, I’ll be better off buying from brands that simply sell “Short” trousers and jeans rather than a truly petite-focused brand like this. If you are, however, very small-framed, you’ll likely be elated with the fit of their bottoms. 

COATS

Ah, the coats. The perfect, beautiful coats. These are the real heroes of Petite Studio. If you try nothing else, promise me you’ll try one of their coats. 

Coats are incredibly hard to shop for as a petite woman. Coats swallow my frame, the shoulders are massive, the sleeves are too long and even if I can find petite, they are often too tight for layering. The two coats I tried from Petite Studio are two of my favorite coat EVER (and I’m quite a coat snob). They fit perfectly, they’re unique but still timeless, and they are extremely comfortable. And they’re gorgeous and well-made. I could write a whole love letter to these two coats alone.

I’m now dying to try the Oversized Suede Blazer and Harriet Double-Face Wool Coat since those are two styles I’ve always struggled to find that fit me well. 

Carina Wool Scarf Coat 

Warm, elegant, and perfectly proportioned. I love a scarf coat, but the extra fabric makes most of them feel even bulkier on my frame. This scarf coat is nice because the scarf is removable (making it have even more longevity since scarf coats are likely a fleeting trend). The rich chocolate color is gorgeous (the charcoal grey is just as stunning), and this fits perfectly on my shoulders (which is something I’ve struggled with in longer coats in particular). And, no need to get the sleeves shortened! 

In terms of the coat material, it has a luxe fabric composition: 85% Wool, 5% Yak, 5% Camel, 5% Mulberry Silk, which is very comparable to Max Mara-level luxury.

I have a size XS.

Carter Corduroy Down Jacket

I’ve never liked large, open collars, but this one changed my mind! It fit perfectly without feeling like I was being attacked by the collar. I love the two-tone design of this down jacket, and the corduroy makes this different from your basic puffer. It also keeps you warm down to -10°C / 14°F. I grabbed the black color, but this down jacket also comes in a beautiful ivory color.

I have a size XS.

TOPS

Petite Studio tops and sweaters are designed with narrower shoulders, shorter sleeves, and proportions that don’t overwhelm a petite frame. 

Carmina Wool Cardigan 

This is another sweater that made me realize other brands were not doing me any favors. I‘ve always felt like crewneck sweaters made my chest look larger than it is (something I’m a bit self-conscious about since I am larger than most people my size and I’m breastfeeding, on top of that).

But the way this wool cardigan drapes caught my attention right away. My proportions looked normal! I’m not even sure what exactly is tailored differently on this, but this sweater alone gave me so much more confidence to branch out in the styles I’ve avoided in the past (but only if I try it from Petite Studio)! I think I might grab the red color in this cardigan too – absolutely stunning and perfect for the holidays.

I have a size XS.

Lexi Wool Sweater

The Lexi Wool Sweater is incredibly soft, doesn’t feel fussy, and is easily dressed up or down. I like the modern pattern that still feels timeless. Plus, it’s 100% wool, which is why it feels incredible on my skin.I really want to try a few more wool styles, like the 100% Wool Colt Sweater.

I have a size S.

Barry Wool Sweater

I’ve tried similar styles to the Barry Wool Sweater before, and I always felt like my head was being swallowed by the oversized collar. And I thought that I just didn’t like that style of sweater. However, after trying on the Petite Studio version, I realized that the reason I didn’t like this style in the past is because others weren’t designed for a petite frame! This one’s proportions fit me so much better. I love the style of this sweater (now, anyway!). This would make a great gift for a petite friend! It also comes in a gorgeous moss color.

I have a size XS.

Cohen Fair Isle Wool Cardigan

This ran a bit longer than I expected, but it was very warm and not bulky. I liked the neutral colors and that the sleeve length was comfortably cozy. I grabbed both the beige and the charcoal colorways of this sweater. The wooden toggles are a fun detail and the funnel neck is super flattering. I have a size XS.

BOTTOMS

Bottoms are usually the hardest category for petite women, and it was hit or miss for me. But, as I mentioned above, I’m quite muscular. Below are the bottoms I’ve tried, but I also look forward to trying the Debbie (Chocolate & Checkered) and Pippa A-line skirt, since these seem like they’d work well on athletic frames.

Blake Wool-Blend Skirt 

I was blown away by this wool-blend skirt! I love midi skirts, but they’re always more maxi-skirt on me. The length on this was perfect, and it’s a warm skirt (great for the winter) without feeling like I’m being weighed down by loads of fabric (an issue I’ve had in the past with other skirts). This skirt also comes in grey, which is great if you want something a little more versatile.

I have a size XS.

Bentley Straight Cropped Jeans 

These are some of the best straight-leg petite jeans I’ve tried. They fit like an actual dream from the waist, to the back, to the length, and the rise. The wash is also perfect. I didn’t love the stitching on the back pocket, but that’s just personal preference. I have a size XS.

Here are some of my other favorite petite jeans and styles.

Final Thoughts

My honest review: Petite Studio is one of the best petite-specific brands I’ve ever tried. I was honestly so surprised by the differences I noticed, beyond just shorter hemlines and sleeve length.

The sweaters are beautiful and gave me more confidence… something I didn’t know I struggled with as much as I do with heavier knits. The jeans and skirt are standouts in the length and waist, and the outerwear feels genuinely luxurious (and honestly, it’s a relief to have a place to find coats that fit well).

If you’re muscular or curvier, you may struggle a bit with the trousers, but that may be just a me-issue. I’d love to hear if you’ve tried anything from there since it’ll help me with my next order too! 

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