Hi Shortie!

How was your week? Mine sucked.

I neglected to take care of myself in pursuit of completing a two-week content buffer. I didn’t meditate. I didn’t journal. I didn’t exercise. All with the hopes that by my birthday, this Saturday, I would indulge in taking my first day off in 26 days and bask in the feeling of accomplishment.

All was going as planned until Thursday. The drive containing two days of work decided to stop working. I wasn’t worried until a couple of days later when my husband had lost all hope of recovering my video edits.

It took me a good day to go through the emotions before surrendering to what had happened. Fortunately, I won’t miss a beat posting. This sort of situation, of sh*t happening, is the exact reason why I’m working on creating a content library. A buffer to allow for electronics to malfunction and for life to do what life does.

This week, I’ll be re-doing the work I completed last week and working towards my two-week content buffer, but this time, I won’t neglect myself. I realized I have to take care of myself first, no matter what. Without me, this petite project and all its potential won’t go anywhere, although I hope that will change in the future.

I don’t know if I’ll take my birthday off. At the moment, I find little things more satisfying than working on something that’s been my dream for over a decade now.

Thanks for sticking with me! I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy this suiting-heavy issue and week via Runway the Shortway™!

Sincerely short,

Lwany

P.S. All I want for my birthday is for you to share this newsletter pls❣️

SHORT QUESTION

Strong Shoulders & Oversized Blazers

Dear Lwany,

I'm so happy to have discovered your newly launched social media and newsletter, particularly because I see a range within the petite images (not just petite size 00).

I would love to see your take on oversized blazers and strong shoulders in general. I'm just drawn to it all, but at the end of the day, I feel like I can't admit that I'm drowning in my outfit. 

I'm looking forward to your advice and inspiration on it all! 

x,

Liza 

Hi Liza,

Welcome to the Shorty Crew!

Strong shoulders can definitely work for shorter frames. However, if you have wider shoulders paired with a wide ribcage, as I do, I’d be wary of overly ornate designs like puffy sleeves.

Now, about oversized blazers, I have to be honest—I don’t think they suit shorter figures. Whenever I see a petite woman wearing one, to me, it looks like a little girl in her dad's blazer. They might photograph well in a certain pose, but in real life, the proportions never look right to me. The shape always seems to overtake a lower frame. I've yet to see a Shortie pull it off, though I don’t think it is impossible, and I'm very open to being proven wrong.

I understand why oversized blazers are appealing, though. They have a strong, masculine silhouette—there’s something powerful about it! Being short is all about figuring out what it is about a style you like and strategizing ways to style it without much longitude.

My approach to achieving a similar look as a Shortie is perfectly showcased in this first look of this week’s social programming, Runway the Shortway™:

Here are my tips:

• Don’t go oversized; instead, go for a boxier fit

• Opt for blazers with subtle shoulder pads

• Look for fluid fabrics with silk content as lighter materials move with you, unlike heavier materials

• Shop vintage petite-sized ranges from the likes of Liz Claiborne and Jones New York

I actually spent over 12 hours curating the best suiting styles, including blazers for us Shorties. As a subscriber of Petite Fashion Weekly, you get first access:

At the very least, it’ll be a good starting point for finding your petite-perfect blazer with a strong, masculine look that fits your stature well. I particularly recommend checking out the vintage silk blazers—they're affordable compared to new ones.

Let me know how it goes and if you have any questions!

RUNWAY THE SHORTWAY™

The Latest: Petite-Flattering Trends

Week #002: Slouchy Shoulder

Get the full breakdown of this ultra-flattering trend in a 7-minute video! I go much more in-depth on YouTube than on Instagram, particularly with tips on how to wear the trend.

Week #003: Bra + Suiting

I need you to know that you don’t need a suit or to bear your midriff to partake in this trend. Don’t believe me? Follow along all week as I divulge the details on Petite Fashion Digest™.

PETITE NEWS

Short Read

The Secret World of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen: Inside Their Fashion Empire, Love and Social Lives

By Jaime Harkin and Amy Odell for US Weekly