Fashion Q&A with Shenee Sopp

CD: Hi! Please introduce yourself…

SS: My name is Shenee, I am 22 years old, I have Achondroplasia, the most common for of Dwarfism and I live about an hour North of Sydney, Australia.

Ah, we’d love to visit Australia one day! We’d love to know, what is your favourite piece of clothing and why?

My favourite piece of clothing would be a nice pair of high waisted jeans, they compliment any type of top whether it be, long sleeved, a bandeau, a crop top or even a hoodie.

High waisted jeans are an essential staple in any woman’s wardrobe. Where do you usually shop?

I shop at Cotton On (Australia), they are very affordable and perfect sizing in tops.

Ah great, we’ll have to check them out, what do you look for in a garment and why?

I normally go for crop tops because I always wear high waisted jeans & high waisted shorts. I find I always have to fold/roll the sleeves up even on a normal t-shirt, so crop tops normally come with already folded sleeves so it looks and fits perfect for me.

Yes! We find that high waisted jeans look so nice with cropped tops too. What do you think are your top challenges with clothing?

The biggest challenge there is when it comes to clothing is pants. Jeans, leggings, sweatpants.. I always have to get them hemmed up and taken in otherwise if I don’t take them in, they look really baggy and it just doesn’t look appealing.

That much be such a pain, alterations can be pricey too! Is there anything you’d love to wear, but feel you can’t?

Maxi Skirts. A maxi skirt on someone like me just doesn’t work, so we would need to make the maxi skirt into a mini skirt so it would look like a “maxi” skirt on a person with Dwarfism, but would look like a pencil skirt/mini skirt on an average sized human being. (If that makes sense lol)

Yes we get it, clothing needs to be designed FOR the short stature body rather than adapted from average height clothing. Our next question is about sustainability, how much do you know about it and how does it influence your decision making?

think sustainability is a great thing, it doesn’t affect or influence my buying habits. If I see something I like, I will buy it whether its sustainable or not.

Fair enough, it would be great to be able to buy clothing that’s both stylish and sustainable, that’s why at Chamiah Dewey Fashion, we’re developing garments that are just that. Our next question is: if you could talk to today’s designers, what would you like to say to them?

MORE DIVERSE MODELS.

Noted. And where do you look for style inspiration?

Pinterest and my local craft & fabric store which have patterns to make yourself at home, this is something I am currently working on for my own business Love A Little.

Ah that’s so great, we can’t wait to see what you create; pre-made patterns are our favourite for handmade pieces! Lastly, what is your top styling tip for women with a similar body type to yourself?

If you’re still able to fit into kids clothes, always double check the boys section especially for denim jackets & hoodies / sweatpants, they won’t be too girly, or have sparkles or even barbie for that matter. They are plain and much cheaper than the ladies & mens section.

Ah that’s such a great piece of advice! Thank you so much for joining us, we can’t wait to see your collection! It’s great that we can support each other and learn together. You can find Shenee at @sheneeamy and her upcoming clothing brand at @lovealittleclothing.