European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Petite sizes explode in popularity by Melissa songs United press International or All the talk Aboul special cloth is for Large women Small in the United c c a i Nail they have equal rouble ind my clothes thai til properly and Don t Cost a Fortune to alter. They have also complained Hal when they visited so called Peltcs departments in derailment stores the clothes were unsophisticated Boring an j without variety but Starling live years ago the picture began to brighten. Resulting in a business Hal today is described As booming and exploding there has been tremendous growth in America in inc clites area said Joan Kanar fashion director at Macy s new York. There s real customer demand Nehf now said Cheryl Holland vice president in charge of fashion marketing at Rich s department store in Atlanta. A. We be been developing Petite departments Tor several years at this Point it has become a focus for us " for Good reason according to the Center for health statistics 54 percent of women in the United slates Are 5- eel-3-inches or under. Polite is deemed As 5-feel-4 and under pet Les have been around in Small and usually Boring and unfashionable quantities Tor years. But in 1981 Liz Claiborne. Aller careful Market research decided to produce most of her three Linos including career and casual clothing in Petito sizes in years later the company s pc Liles division does Over $110 million annually we really Felt there was a woman who we were not Able to reach with the Liz Claiborne regular size collection said Linda Larson vice president of Claibore s Petite sportswear division there was Dof mildly a population of women that was 5-Focl-4 or under and particularly women 5-Feot-2 or under who Don t have a Choice bul to gel Aher hons or to shop in Junior or children s departments " today Claiborne is the runaway Leader in Beliles. Other lines that department stores said arc doing extremely Well Are Anne Kutcin ii Adrienne Villami. And Elten Tracy All Are upscale and sophisticated the area Small women say has been most overlooked when Anne Klein ii is fashioned into a Petite line the key is not smaller sizes but different proportions the biggest problems Tor Shorter women occur in length in measurements from the Nape of the neck to the and in the distance irom the armhole to he Waist. They ust did t fit said Louis Deil Olio. The designer Al Anne Klein who noted Hal to inaugurated the line alter hearing complaints on his frequent Road trips. They were Loo Long waisted and too Long in the length to create his Petite line which Del i million in i9b5. Sis million in 1987 and is projecting $25 million in 1988. Dell oho works with Petite models to change proportions altogether Pellilo clothes Aro usually the same As in a regular line but the selection id Ollen smaller. They Are also hemmed to Iho 5 to 5- oot-1 customer so Shorter women ill still need to Spring for alterations. Once manufacturers like Liz Clai bomb got the Ball rolling with sophisticated clothing departments stores were Able to Collur special departments. Many including Macy s Andrj Rich Snow have an elaborate Rosier of seminars fashion shows even Spiegel has a palates Catalon Asda an increasing number of department stores the biggest push however according to Claiborne s Larson has come from Beliles Only boutiques that have been tremendous Lor consciousness in Manhattan for instance Petite pleasures a Pioneer in sophistical de Petite clothes on Madison Avo. Lor More Ihan so Oarr. N having its Best season catering to the likes of 4 look bar. Ruth Westheimer 5-fool-t Pia Zado a and. Just one Hall Inch taller. Dolly Parlon one of the problems retailers c
