It’s all in the foundation

It’s a long post…but it’s useful! =)

I’ve been hunting for basics this month. Workout gear, camisoles, undergarments, slips, and stockings. They are things we wear almost everyday, yet the majority of these garments go unseen.They are the workhorses of our wardrobe and the foundation to make ordinary clothing look seamless, polished, and presentable.

As a petite, it is always a challenge to find clothes that fit properly, but these basics sometimes are even more difficult to uncover.You have to sort through so many stores, websites, and catalogs to find that one item with potential and when you first encounter it, it might not seem so great until you put it on.

Still, all that effort is rewarded with a perfect or almost perfect garment. There might be some minor adjustments to be made, but it’s worth it.

Since these are basics, we usually buy them in multiple and with that comes another obstacle. Price. How can we purchase these basics without breaking the bank?

For me, I’ve discovered a set of stores and brands that work well for my body type as well as my wallet. So, I’m sharing a sliver of my recent search into basics. Let me know what are other good brands and stores to try for petites!

First, bras. According to bra measurements, I’m busty even though I don’t think I am. As a 30C, there are few bras in this particular size under $50, even if it’s on sale. Although I do love CKU bras, I haven’t been able to uncover a style that fits well. The cups are too far apart to be flattering and I haven’t found a petite version in this size. I wouldn’t try altering a 32B, though for some brands, I’m heading towards the 28D range. Oh my!

Previously, I had posted about my experience with other bra brands purchased through figleaves.com. Since then, I got two  figleaves strapless bras for $20/each in 30C. The figleaves brand fits me perfectly in band and in cup. I have tried other more expensive brands, but I find that the figleaves brand suits me best.

Second, slips. I’ve looked for slips for so long and only now have I found a decent one. It was on sale at Anthropologie.

Mind you, I don’t usually shop at this store, but when I saw that they had slips for $19.95 in XS, I had to try it out. They do fit like how it’s shown on the mannequin. They sit on my hips and the length (16″) is a couple inches shy of hitting my knees. They work perfectly under unlined skirts, preventing static cling moments or unusual bunching in the garment.

If you have any suggestions to find full length slips, please let me know!

Finally, workout gear. I tend to look for sports bras and tanks when it comes to activewear since I hoard bottoms. Also, I was prepared to pay a little more since it’s a niche market.

I turned to Sweet Petites since I heard their product is designed for petites, but they no longer carried XS for the style I wanted. My friends suggested Lululemon, but I couldn’t justify the price in my head. Perhaps another day, I’ll try Lululemon.

Then, I came across Lucy. I had seen their store in the Century City mall and even went inside a couple of times, but I never seriously considered their stock until recently. I looked through their website and found two items in XXS for under $20 each. I had to get them! When they arrived, I tried them on and they fit wonderfully. I’m not entirely sure if they’ll keep pumping out XXS sizes, but for now, I’m keeping an eye out.

Who knew I could find quality activewear without spending a lot of money?

There is hope in finding basics for petites that are still quality garments without spending exorbitant amounts of money. I’m sure that are many of you have discovered other brands that are petite-friendly and I hope you’ll share your best places to find basics in the comments below!