Review – Short Story Petite Clothing Subscription Box

*This post was created in partnership with Short Story.

There’s a new petite clothing subscription box in town, specially curated for petite women! If you’re petite and have ever tried a clothing subscription service, you may have run into the problem of a real lack of options in your size. A few years ago, I worked briefly as a stylist for one of the major subscription box companies where I saw firsthand how they lacked actual petite sizes for their clients, despite advertising them heavily. It was very frustrating as a stylist to see so many dissatisfied clients who specially asked for petite clothing and ended up receiving only one, or absolutely none, just due to a complete lack of inventory.

So when the petite subscription box, Short Story, reached out, I was excited to see someone stepping up to serve this market! Below is my experience using the service, and if you’re interested in trying them out yourself, this referral link will waive your first $25 styling fee.

Not sure if this service is for you? You may find this petite clothing visual helpful.

How Short Story Box Works:

• Sizes they carry: 00P – 18P
• Styling Fee: $25, which is credited toward any items you decide to keep
• Returns: 5 days to try on and decide. Prepaid return envelope included
• US only at this time

After signing up, you will be directed to take a Style Quiz which is where your budget, sizing, fit, and style preferences will be noted. Along with questions about your height and the usual sizes you wear, you can also further dial in on your personal style by noting typical fit issues, general style and color preferences, and even pieces you’d rather not receive. There’s also a note section where you can leave more detailed information. A petite stylist will use these answers to pick items specifically for you.

I admit I am a picky customer, so I was very curious about what my stylist would choose for me. I asked for clothes only (no shoes or accessories), and kept my color preferences very neutral.

The items arrived in a branded soft pink medium-sized box. Take note of this in case your living situation requires less enticing packaging (you may need to redirect packages to a work, paid mailbox, or friend/family address). Inside, the clothing items were nicely folded, stacked, and wrapped in tissue. An insert includes a note from your stylist, a list of the box contents, and an itemized price list. A large pre-paid envelope is included for any returns.

First, A Little About Me:

I am 4’11” tall, short-waisted (longer legs, short torso), narrow on top, and curvier on the bottom. I usually wear an xxs/00 on top, and am somewhere between a size 24/25/0 on bottom. Being so short and also having a short torso means petite sizes will ALWAYS fit better on me. I really need those shorter proportions when it comes to necklines, lengths, rises, armholes, sleeves, hems, etc. I often get away with regular clothing sizes through styling tricks or embracing oversized fits, but when it comes down to it, if I can find an item I love in a petite size, it’s what I’ll reach for and will ultimately look better on me.

Ok, let’s see what my petite stylist picked for me:

Items:

• 24/7 Knot Front Tee – petite size XS
• Kyle High Rise Slim Fit Ankle Skinny – petite size 0P

These first two items are both in petite sizes and definitely in my style wheelhouse. A high-rise grey wash distressed skinny is always welcome in my wardrobe, and a knotted drop shoulder stripe tee is fun mix of classic with an edge. Note the perfect petite proportions: the cropped tee ends right at the waist, the high-rise is proportioned to my frame, and look at that perfect ankle length on this petite jean.

Items:

• Blake Fitted Cardigan – petite size XSP (fits like XXSP)
• Kyle High Rise Slim Fit Ankle Skinny – petite size 0P

Same petite jean, but now let’s look at this cardigan. Also in a petite size, this fitted cardigan follows my figure and hits at the perfect spot on my wrist. After so many years of wearing loose and oversized top layers, it’s nice to have something a little more fitted and short to pair with this season’s wide and baggy bottoms. In fact, I already wore this cardigan on a trip to Vegas where it paired much better with a pair of wide-leg pants than the oversized fits currently in my closet.

Items:

• Colette Contour Bodysuit – petite size XXSP
• Kyle High Rise Slim Fit Ankle Skinny – petite size 0P

Ok, this bodysuit is something I was really interested in trying. In my “about me” above, I noted that not only am I pretty short, but I also have a short torso. This means that even petite proportions on tops can end up a little long on me, making things like one-piece bathing suits or bodysuits very difficult to find. Not only does this petite bodysuit fit, but it’s also a nice thick fabric that makes going braless a possibility. Very excited about this gem! I won’t show you the full bodysuit because I’m not about to put photos like that of me on the internet, but as you can see it’s a nice smooth fit (it would bunch if the bodysuit were too long for me).

Items:

• Colette Contour Bodysuit – petite size XXSP
• Porto Striped Ponte Pants – petite size 0P

Pants are always a tough thing for me to find so I wanted to have my stylist include a pair for me to try. This petite pair has a nice bit of stretch and good rise. I prefer my ankle lengths a tad shorter than this, so I’d end up getting these hemmed if I were to keep.

Items:

• Texture & Thread Front Knot Jacquard Top – non-petite size XXS
• Porto Striped Ponte Pants – petite size 0P

Here we have the single item sent to me not in a petite size. As soon as I tried on this top, I could immediately feel the difference in fit. The sleeve and length could both stand to be a tad shorter, but let’s be real…I wear way more oversized proportions than this on the regular so I definitely recognize the petite-friendly fit of this item.

My main curiosity when it came to the Short Story subscription box was just how many actual petite clothing items they’d be able to send me. Turned out, 5 of the 6 pieces sent to me were indeed an actual petite size, evident by the good fit and proportions. The one item that was not a petite size ultimately felt a little “off” especially after trying on so many properly proportioned items just before it, but still qualifies as quite petite-friendly in my book.

From my personal experience, Short Story gave a much better hit rate of actual petite-sized items than what I saw from similar services and is worth a try if you are a true petite and enjoy the idea of subscription box personal styling. You can give Short Story a try with the first styling fee waived through this link.