By Anna Timoney
American clothing brand Anthropologie is known for its quirky prints and textures. The cool little sister of fashion mecca Urban Outfitters, is a one stop shop for any outfit whim.
Considering how covetable their pieces are, we were delighted to hear they are launching a new range specifically for petites! There will be entire petite shops within the Anthroplogie stores devoted to providing a range of styles for the smaller lady. More than 100 designs were created exclusively for Anthropologie in collaboration with labels such as AG Jeans, Tracy Reese and Corey Lynn Calter. These clothes are being made specifically with the petite lady in mind. They are not merely making the existing line smaller but are producing tailor designs for women 5ft 3 and under. These are designs which have been dreamed up especially to fit and flatter the petite frame. Yay!
The huge variety of clothing on offer coupled with their personal styling service, means you’ll have no trouble finding a fab ensemble, no matter what the occasion!
The petite stores have opened in Santa Monica (CA), Corte Madera (CA), Philadelphia, Chicago and Westport (CT). There is also a stand alone store near Washington DC.
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We at Bomb Petite were so excited about the news of Anthropologie’s petite launch that we caught up with Corey Lynn Calter to ask her a few questions about her inspirations and designing the collection. Corey’s clothes are always unique- girly with an edge. How does she approach the design process? Read on to find out more…
What was your inspiration for the collection?
The collection starts from a seed of an idea, a theme, a piece of art, a movie or a song. Holiday is inspired by jewellery boxes. The prints are chains and bracelets and nod to the sparkly elements for holiday. Fall was inspired by a decidedly more moody and sexy vibe. Titled ‘smoke and flowers’ it maintains our signature pretty aesthetic but adds sexy to the mix. In designing a collection for petites I realized how many girls I know who fit the category and how much I love dressing them. My petite friends like actress Rachael Leigh Cook wear the collection so well and now I have pieces to offer them that fit perfectly.
What are your favourite pieces?
I love the maxi dress I developed exclusively for the petites shop and the peplum top and skirt. Those two pieces are so versatile as a set or separates. You can wear the skirt with an oversized sweater during the day and change into the top for a fun, sexy evening look.
Why did you decide to do the petite line?
I am so lucky that Anthropologie has always figured a way to merge the Corey Lynn Calter brand with their store. I loved the direction the buyer is going with The Petites Shop, offering unique pieces for petites, I knew the collaboration would be fun. It is so rewarding as a designer to offer my pieces to women of all sizes.
What have you learned from the process of designing clothes for petites?
The void in the petite market became very apparent to me and how many girls are wearing the wrong clothes for their proportions.
What is your top style tip for petite women?
The world is your oyster now that Anthropologie has opened The Petites Shop with so many options. Try it all and see what works and never be afraid to play with proportions and bold prints.
