I'm Short, so I Can Confirm These Are the Best Zara Pieces for Petite Women

I sometimes feel like Zara was put on this earth to taunt me. I hop onto its site, confident as can be, certain that I'll come away with a bounty. I leave either empty-handed or with a lone pair of shoes. Clearly, there are worse things in life (plus, you'll find some spectacularly expensive-looking footwear options in-store right now), but I'm always a bit disappointed that those tailored flares are so long they'd lose their silhouette if I took them up or that the standout dress I've been ogling online would be perfect if only the waistline sat in line with my petite proportions. I have an hourglass figure, too, and Zara's clothes appear to be far better suited to people who are tall, straight up and down and within a rather limited sizing range.

Many of us appreciate the impeccably high standards of Zara's trend-driven goods, but if only the retailer would cater to people around the 5'1" mark more often, right? I've tried on enough pieces over the years to be able to confidently say that the below categories do tend to fit me better. There are a few key pointers below, as well as some of the most petite-friendly new-in pieces. As always, buy the items that are built to last, suit your personal style and work within what you already own. Hope it helps you, my fellow short friends!

1. BLAZERS

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(Image credit: @eniswardrobe)

Style Notes: Okay, so there's no denying that you might need to roll up a sleeve (or get something professionally altered) but I've always found that Zara blazers don't come up too long in the body and tend to fit well on the waist and shoulders.

Shop the best Zara blazers:

2. STRETCHY DRESSES

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(Image credit: @hannahalmassi / WHO WHAT WEAR)

Style Notes: Whenever I've tried dresses from Zara that are more fitted or have buttons, waist-wraps or anything more structured, they just never ever sit in the right place. So I've discovered that their knitted, stretchy and jersey pieces work best. 

Shop the best stretchy Zara dresses:

3. CROPPED TOPS AND JUMPERS

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(Image credit: @basicstouch)

Style Notes: It probably sounds like a no-brainer to opt in for Zara's shorter hemlines on items such as crop tops, but you'll sometimes find you almost get a normal-length top instead and that can be a handy addition to one's wardrobe as well.

Shop the best Zara cropped tops:

4. SHORTER HEMLINES

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(Image credit: @jeannine.roxas)

Style Notes: Opt for shorter-hemline skirts and dresses, and they should still be a decent enough length. Don't even think about buying a maxi dress unless you're happy for it to trail through mud and be destroyed!

Shop the best Zara minis:

5. CO-ORDS

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(Image credit: @imanleila)

Style Notes: Where jumpsuits and dresses can be tricky to get right for petite proportions, it's a little bit easier with co-ords as you can have the flexibility to style them to suit. For example, you could knot an oversized shirt to tame it. Warning: You may still need to get trousers tailored to length. 

Shop the best Zara co-ords:

Hannah Almassi
Editor in Chief

Hannah Almassi is the Editor in Chief of Who What Wear UK. Hannah has been part of the the Who What Wear brand since 2015, when she was headhunted to launch the UK sister site and social channels, implement a localised content strategy and build out the editorial team. She joined following a seven-year tenure at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 16 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Hannah has interviewed industry heavyweights such as designers including Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson through to arbiters of taste including Katie Grand and Anna Dello Russo. A skilled moderator and lecturer specialising in the shift to digital media and e-commerce, Hannah’s opinion and work has been sought by the likes of CNBC, BBC, The Sunday Times Style, The Times, The Telegraph and MatchesFashion.com, among many others. Hannah is often called upon for her take on trends, becoming known as a person with their finger of the pulse of what’s happening in the fashion space for stylish Brits. Hannah currently resides in Eastbourne with her photographer husband, incredibly busy son and highly Instagrammable cat.