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Petite Shopping Hack: How I Shop the Kid's Section

*original posts here, here, here, and here

I have admitted it several times before, but I'll say it again....I am 24 years old and I sometimes still shop in the kid's section. Fellow petite ladies, this post is for you! For reference, I am 5'2" and typically wear a 0/XS, which is about the same as a kid's 14/L. Shopping the kid's section as a petite adult is a cheaper alternative to similar women's styles. Or, for things like maxi dresses and jumpsuits, kid's styles usually come in a length that do not require any hemming! And for shoes, (sneakers especially) they actually fit better than women's for me. I tend to stick to some of the same brands, because I know some of their styles are cut similarly to women's. My top 3 are Polo Ralph Lauren, Lilly Pulitzer, and Nike

If I could break down my strategy into tips, my top 2 would be:
1. Look for dresses, jumpsuits, blouses, shorts, and some shoes. I think it is more common for some of those styles to well, not look like they were made for the children's section, as other categories such as pants, leggings, and most tops. 
2. Try everything on if shopping in-store, or order from retailers with free returns like Nordstrom. Or somewhere you can order online and return in-store, like J. Crew.

In the photo set above, I wear a size L/14 in the two shirtdresses (here and here) and the two piece floral set, all from Polo RL. The sailboat print jumpsuit is a 16/XL from Lilly Pulitzer. I love all of these styles, because I feel like you would never know they came from the kid's section, and were much more affordable options. I am pretty sure I paid under $50 for each piece, while similar women's style went for $200+!

*original posts here and here

I do not have very many separates from the kid's section, but I think it is a great option for preppy pieces like a Polo Ralph Lauren button down, or white denim shorts. I look for shorts in the girl's section and shirts in the boy's section, both at department stores and stores like TJ Maxx and Marshall's. It is also a great option for some activewear, I have found these Nike shorts that look exactly the same as the women's size for under $10 before.

*original posts here and here
 
When it comes to shoes, I feel like many kids styles look wider and shorter, especially in sandals and flats. I wear a size 5.5 in women's, and typically have quite a bit of trouble finding that size, I sometimes luck out with a 6 that runs on the short side. So, the sneakers from the kid's section are actually my proper size. I have only tried Nikes in recent years, but a size 4 or 4.5, depending on the style, the Roshe is my favorite. Although they are not as popular as they were during my college days, I also wear a kid's size in Hunter boots. The size chart is fairly accurate for their sizing, I wear a size 4.

And here are some of my current kid's section picks:



Thanks for reading!

1 comment:

  1. YES! I love this post and may have to write one of my own ;) I shop Old Navy kids section sometimes too! Seriously it's the way to go! I'm an XS/00 and it is sometimes the only things that fit. I love that I'm not the only one.

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