J.Crew Petite Items - Fit Reference Guide for the Extra Petite

Are you a tiny petite who has been eagerly eying the pretty items at J.Crew? Pondering how the vibrant pencil skirts and cozy coats will fit your child-sized frame?

Over the past few months, I've been trying on popular J.Crew items so that I could share reviews with you guys when a great sale hits. Although that hasn't happened yet, a decent sale is upon us this week. From now until Thursday, November 6th, code "FALLSALE" will take 25% off your entire order of $150 or more, sale items included! Here are some items that I have tried on:

1. J.Crew Double-Serge Pencil Skirt in 00P (on sale for $68.60 - $88.50 from $118), comes in 7 colors!

This skirt fit me perfectly right off the rack! Hallelujah!

 Continue reading for more photos....

Just kidding. Oh, that would just be way too spectacular, wouldn't it, J.Crew? To offer a 00P that actually fits remotely like how a 00P should fit? As I had feared, this skirt requires several inches of taking in at the waist and slimming down both sides (my tailors would charge about $25-$30):

 Off the rack, this is how a 00P fits on me (for reference I am 5 feet, 94 lbs):

Petite Double Serge Pencil Skirt in 00P, "Bronzed Ochre" color

Despite the ginorm fit, I would still recommend this skirt if you can afford the $30 or so for alterations. I love almost every color it comes in (except for black...you can get a basic black skirt anywhere) and the quality was excellent. The wool was heavy and cozy (feels like a felted wool), and the lining and grosgrain ribbon details added a nice touch.

Other petites' reviews: Check out this same skirt in 00P on Callandra here, and the non-wool version in 00 regular on Elle here.



2. J.Crew Double Cloth coats in petite sizing, on sale for $223 from $298.
Note: the coat below is NOT petite sizing. There is no petite sizing in-stores, so I tried on a 0 regular. A 0 in petite sizing will run significantly smaller than women's sizing. I wanted to assess the weight and quality, and overall I was tres impressed again.  Regular "double cloth" is probably not heavy enough for bitter winters, but it still makes a lovely coat.

After seeing a photo of a 0P coat on my reader friend Claud (click here), I think a 0P will fit someone my size just fine with about two layers underneath. For reference, Claud is 5'2" and 94 lbs. By the way, you can call J.Crew customer service and get measurements on any size for any item. Per Ping, she called and they said the size 00 regular runs slimmer than a 0P, but is longer in the sleeves and torso.

J.Crew Double Cloth Coletta Coat in regular 0 (comes in 0P which is much smaller)

This is similar to their Double Cloth Lady Day Coat which also comes in 0P. Both options are offered in at least 10 colors, but my favorites are "dark cypress" and "dark plum" - gorg. for Fall/Winter!


Other petites' reviews: J.Crew Petite Stadium Cloth Peacoat - See it here on Ping in sz 0P. This is on sale for $148.50 $258.


3. J.Crew Twill Minnie Pants in 00P - on sale for $52.12 retail $79.50
These are touted as an all-time J.Crew favorite...but in reality I have encountered VERY few people who find the fit to be flattering. When I first put them on, I noted that the hips and legs fit me decently throughout. There was a small 1" or so gap at the waist, but there are little belt loops to solve that problem.

But the length, oh the length...quelle horreur!!

Here's the derriere view (like I said, the hips fit decently), and how the length looks with heels. I think one needs to have either longer or shorter legs than me to rock the petite minnies (they have a 24" inseam). They need to either come several inches above the ankle, or hit below the ankle. As a side note, I did try these on in a regular 00. The fit throughout the leg & length were okay, but the waist was HUGE.

Other petites' reviews: See how the minnie pants fit on Gigi here in sz 6, Jen here in 00P, and Ping here in sz 00P.

4. Little elastic-waiasted skirts in women's regular size 0/00.
Who didn't love this skirt on Kelly? A womens regular size 00 fit tiny and didn't require any alterations on her. This piqued my interest in other J.Crew skirts that have an elastic waistband:

J.Crew Severn Lace Mini Skirt in womens 0 (I don't see 00 online, but Claud found it in-stores):

Please pardon the tee and jeans! I was lazy. This is a very pretty, fully lined lace skirt with an elastic waistband. A 00 would've fit much better but a 0 was not terrible (fit low-rise on my hips). I immediately envisioned this with dark gray tights, ankle booties, and a long cardigan or blazer. Price right now is too high for me, but I am eying the little skirts on sale below:

Cord Atlee Skirt in regular womens 00, $37 from $59.50, comes in 4 colors.

Wool Bell Skirt in regular womens 00 (Kelly's skirt), $45 - $60 from $79.50, comes in 6 colors.

And lastly, I was eying the silk Calista cami that is left online in size 0P for just $22.50 from $79.50. But then I remembered TinyinTX's review here on a sz 00P - yikes! At just $22.50 though, the alterations are definitely easier to swallow.

Whew! That was hard work. If you are petite and have also reviewed one of the above items, let me know.

Readers - Any thoughts on the items above? Are any of you planning to shop during this 25% off sale?