How I Find The Best Petite Clothes In The Kids’ Section

As someone who is very petite, I’ve been shopping in the children’s department out of necessity for most of my life. In fact, I’ve never been able to buy a heavy-duty winter coat straight off the rack...until I came across an amazing shearling topper in the kids’ section at a Burberry outlet store last year.

But the secret is that even if you’re taller than 5 feet, it’s still worth taking a peek at the children's department these days, because designers and brands are offering some well-made, sophisticated clothing at amazing price points. (It’s not unusual to see cashmere sweaters, leather shorts, and shirting made from fancy European fabrics in some of these collections for a fraction of what their full-sized counterparts cost.) Granted, you’ll have more luck fitting into some of these pieces if you’re on the shorter side and are of average or slim build, but a handful of labels go up to size 18 youth, which can work up to a woman's size 4. If you're up for it, here are the brands to start exploring.