I’m a 5’2” Designer and I Analysed What Petites Are Wearing On The Front Row at London Fashion Week 26
No one needs to remind you that petite women are scarcely seen on the runways at London Fashion Week (or any Fashion Week’s for that matter) - Taylor Tookes, 5’1” model, is really trailblazing and flying the flag high for petites at global Fashion Week events year on year, but we need more.
While it is tricky to find brands that are catering to the shorter demographic, especially when it comes to representation, petites will not be excluded from the front row. So we’ve compiled some of our favourite looks from ‘the frow’ to see what petites are wearing this season. Our founder, Chamiah reviews her key picks and analyses why they work on the petite frame.
Pixie Lott, 5’2” at the Natasha Zinko show
I was today-years-old (or more like a random day last week) when I found out that Pixie Lott was the same height as me! She wore a black satin co-ord skirt/dress with the matching jacket. The ditsy floral print feminises the look, but my favourite part is the neutral-tone court heels. If you know me, you know I’m an advocate for elongating the legs, and that’s exactly what these court shoes do - the eye is drawn down, lengthening the body.
Maisie Peters, 5’3”, at the Patrick McDowell show
Court heels make another appearance, shock from me (not). I can’t quite work out whether Maisie wears jorts or a tea-length skirt here; but what I do love is the bralette with the tailored blazer. Yes it does seem like Maisie could benefit from taking the sleeves up here, but given it seems to be slightly oversized anyway, I think it works for this look.
Bel Powley, 5’3” at the Erdem show
For one, I LOVE that Bel has opted for ballet-flats here. Too often, petite women feel the ‘need’ to wear heels to fit in - spiritually and literally to be on eye-level with peers. The flats here are so chic and on-season. She wears a structural minidress that has a trailing detail, something I’m seeing more often in fashion right now. But my favourite piece is the satin-lapel, boyfriend blazer that has been embellished - finished beautifully with a fresh face and ‘undone’ hair.
Paloma Elsesser, 5ft, at the Simone Rocha show
Paloma wears some funky glitter trousers with a sporty Adidas-collab bomber jacket with balloon sleeves and ballet pumps. This one is very sporty-chic. You can see the feature of the season, a funnel-neck, here again. One of the things I love so much about the funnel-neck is that it elongates the torso, and as someone who feels like I’m all-legs-no-torso sometimes; I do anything for a little more length.
Rashida Jones, 5’2”, at the Erdem show
Now this one is up for discussion, but I love a midaxi-length coat on a petite woman. Some argue that this overwhelms the frame, but in my opinion, when it fits well, it look great! So this black, double-breasted jacket is going in my faves list.
Lesley Manville, 5’2” at the JW Anderson show
When a legend turns up at LFW you take notes on her look. The British actress wears a black satin co-ord/jumpsuit (hard to tell)with a strong-lapelled blazer. I love the wrap design on the high-neck top (btw high-necks are all the rage this season). The ruching and pleating from the wrap design draws the eye down the torso and the ties that fall at the front have the same effect. You know me, I love an elongating design, and this does just that.
Myha’La, 5’1” at Burberry
This one feels very ‘chain-mail’-vibes. Myha’La, went for a grunge-chic look for the Burberry show this LFW26 - very apt for their vibe on the night where we saw lots of shiney-leather and subtle British punk-influences. I personally would’ve loved if this skirt was more of a mini, or closer to an A-line - at the moment it feels unsure of what length it is. But what I do love is the peeping skin showing through and the fact that Myha’la is not to be missed in the glistening fit.
Beth Ditto, 5’2/4” (Google isn’t very reliable!) at the Erdem show
Singer-songwriter turned fashionista, Beth Ditto wears a very Japanese-inspired look at the Erdem show this LFW. We love a floral vibe, and the dark forest-green background is very much in-season for florals this season. I am also slightly obsessed with her khaki clutch with the gold handle - if you know who designed this, please comment!
Final thoughts and key trends to consider for the seasons ahead
On another note, the key trends I picked up from the catwalk for the season ahead is: lace, layering, gingham and checks, red-everything - or pink-everything (clearly we’re loving the warm, passionate colourways and monochrome in this season of uncertainty, funnel-necks, and a continuation of loungewear being acceptable as everyday-wear (thank goodness - my WFH attire is safe another season).
The moral of the story here is that petite’s are stylish no matter what is on the market for them. Candidly, people often ask about Dewey taking part in LFW. You may have seen our viral content from taking part in 2022 and 2023 but honestly, it’s just not where we’re at right now - but it is something I’d love to do again in the future, even if it’s just to prove to the industry how to do petite representation right.