Fashionably Savvy Naturally Petite

Cynthia Cheng

naturallypetitestoreI recently had the opportunity to speak with Sharon (5’0″), Bonita (5’1″)and Cheryl-Anne (5’3″), three sisters who run Naturally Petite, a store in Richmond Hill, Ontario which specializes in the petite woman 5’4″ or shorter and between a size 0 and 18.  The sisters actually do not come from a fashion background – prior to opening the store, they were all working in the corporate world.  All three decided that they wanted to be closer to their families, rather than taking the long commute downtown.  In addition, as petite women, they have always had trouble finding clothing.  They felt that this was a niche area which they could find success in.  Petite clothing was already difficult to find, and stylish petite clothing was even harder to find. The purpose of starting Naturally Petite was so that women like the sisters could find beautiful, stylish clothes which would not require much altering, if at all.  It also wants to start educating people about the needs of petites – many do not understand the concept that petite means 5’4″ or shorter, regardless of size, not someone who is smaller than a size 4.

Naturally Petite on the brands they carry and why:

In terms of denim, we have petite lines from Joe’s (the Provocateur) and Paige’s.  We also carry Buffalo Jeans.  They aren’t petite, meaning that they’ll require alterations, but fit petite figures very well.  In addition, we carry brands such as Layfayette 148 (their petite line only) as well as Canadian brands like Soie & Kyo (for outerwear – while this isn’t specifically a petite brand, they are amazing for the petite figure.  Their sleeves, unlike many other coats and jackets do not need to be shortened for most petites.), X:S and T by Tension.  In fact, X:S produces a special petite cut in their dresses for Naturally Petite.  We also have our own line of work/dress pants, which is a petite fit (sized to fit a proportionate 5’4″ woman) with an inseam that is approximately 30-31″.

On the difference between them and other petite stores:

We market ourselves as the store for the “savvy petite” which crosses generations – women and girls ranging from teens to seniors are able to find something at Naturally Petite.  In addition, our styles are younger, colourful and fresh.

On starting a business during a recession:

Established businesses are worried about losing customers.  Since we’re brand new and starting from nothing, we don’t have to worry about actually losing anyone – anyone who walks in is a customer gained.  In addition, we’re a market which isn’t super-saturated.  Petite women are always looking for styles which fit them well, and the market for them isn’t that big. 

On other challenges faced when starting Naturally Petite:

Construction on the store took longer than originally thought – the permit took a while to come.  In addition, everything in our store is custom-made, which was also reason for the additional time.  We had wanted to do our official opening in May, but we weren’t able until the end of 2008.  In fact, we had two grand openings.  Our “soft” opening happened in September, while our official grand opening was at the beginning of December.

owners-np-with-julia-suppa

(L-R: Sharon Luck, Cheryl-Anne Luck, Julia Suppa and Bonita Luck LaMarche)

On the “official” Naturally Petite opening party:

The event was a huge success.  We had a fashion show, appetizers and gift bags.  In addition, Julia Suppa from the local cable channel came to cover the event.  Guests responded to the event immensely – the party was slated to last from 6 pm to 7:30, but many people stayed until 9.

On marketing Naturally Petite:

Much of our marketing has been word-of-mouth and local.  We have had write-ups in community papers, and of course, Rogers came to cover our event.  In addition, our name, Naturally Petite, says it all.  Petite women who come to the plaza see our sign and know right away that the clothes will fit.  Beyond local marketing, we have been blogged about on websites and of course, we have our own site.  We are actually in the process of redeveloping our online marketing to include a more interactive website. 

On where Naturally Petite is going to be in five years:

Our first step is our website, of course.  In addition to making the site more interactive, we’re working at adding e-commerce, meaning that we’ll be able to reach people who might not be able to make it out to the store.  We are also looking at expanding the store.

On tips for people who  want to start a business:

You must be able to take risks, have passion and stay true to what they are.  There is no “right time” to start a business, you just “do it.”

Naturally Petite is located at the Shoppes of Heritage Hollow, 1285 Elgin Mills Road East, Unit 19 in Richmond Hill, Ontario.  They are open Tuesday to Thursday from 10:30-6 pm; Fridays from 10:30 to 7 pm and Saturday from 10:30 to 5 pm.  They are closed Sundays and Mondays.

  • Share/Bookmark

Comments

  1. Lucinda Green says:

    I think that it is good for shop to cater for the short people.Take me i am 19 and i am only 4’7 i cant buy any adult clothes.My shoe size is a 12 childrens.I can only buy black shoes as the rest mainly have bows or things on them.I have a pair of trainners that are the simpsons.There is no one that caters for the really short people.I have to buy childrens clothes aged 8 they fit perfectly without altering them.My mum as always had to alter our clothes all the time.My mum is also only 4’7 and we are out and about we are pushed around as people cant always see us.It is a nuisance people just walk into us and dont even say sorry.What adults do is walk with their heads straight ahead.Instead of looking downwards as well.We look a right pair of bookends when we go out has we try to wear high heels but we have abit of trouble wearing them.When we line up no one sees us and we get overlooked.
    We get abit of a hard deal being shorter than near enough everyone.My dad is also only 4’11 and he is also having similar problems like us.I also have a brother who is 20 and he is the tallest out of all of us he is 5’2.When we are all out together Simon my brother says that he will be out bouncer has he is taller we all just laugh.Has he is also sensitive to his height as well.
    Dont forget the really short people we need all the help we can get.

blog comments powered by Disqus
The Prospere Magazine logo is a registered trademark registered with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office

ni os asesinados por sus padres
aqua vest cooling system for firefighters
ophelia poetry
clientele as a hairdresser
importera sj lv
baton rouge area culnary institutes
amc 258 pistons
blogspot uday reddy
carribean club grand cayman
congenital dysplasia
download rosetta stone for free
200 watt pure sine wave inverter
arrival of hummingbirds in maryland
bcyf.org
junior naturism
brevard co property appraisers florida
birch carrol and coyal movie times
merino lamb
20c massey fergason
320th aems mather afb
causes of an itchy face
california ephedra
comparing bacteria
hibben kenpo karate knife
1275 natoma way
eros-sf.com
alphabet robot transformers
hillary clinton nutcracker under $20
justinian ii solidus first reign
bluemoon.net
endocrinologist uva
chaplain badge reflective
who writes insurance for electric vehicle
uefa cup seedings
fortwaynekia.com
deepest natural lake in montana
fred hahn kearny nj
brunhoff carbon monoxide exposure
friends of the county of middlesex
1500 e langdon rd
arauco basin coalbed methane
adaptive arc
alabama hand made soaps and lotions
a e tv flip this house
column bump 2500x2500 texture tomb displacement
ballingeary co cork
add management server sql server login
2001 dodge intrepid cooling system diagram
barbie sing with me cd karaoke
clipboard box 2.4
1998 firebird v6 shift kit
all about vanessa anne hudgens
boy scout troops in northern virginia
2002 a4 spoiler
beachwood new jersey home page
porco rosso soundtrack
777 crash possible cause
costco peridot necklace
boston chowder
average salary for web developers is
far away by nickelback lyrics
goroadachi.com
chuck recoil table
common evils which to life belong
baja broiler
alexis freeman
marianis.com
map of grand palladium riveria cancun
calian cattery
australian motorcross
class b rvs open space
deep sea food webs
bill vaughn texas
manpower braintree ma
gromkov.com
6dpo yellow cervical mucus
aj cook pictures
1997 rav4 starter part numbers
college enrollment statistics historical
appleadayandbeyond.com
803 1st ave n e calgary
california cafe los gatos ca
theo ezell
.38 hollow base bullet moulds
4 cycle gas trimmers
blackberry telephones
candace ganz
causes of limb jerking
restorativejustice.org
ada poland fayetteville ar
amelia florida homesite
bloody mucus in bowel
e g white lesson helps
7 step remote control racer
chris issac
ease.com
1947 regina press roman catholic missal
group frequency distributions with excel
60512 bristol il
lakefront rensselaer county
new jersy news
carvaka school philosophy lokayata philosophical
barnonemeatgoats.com
papillon boutique geneva ny
h 320 video conferencing
ariana blum newyork
blooms taxonomy verbs and objectives
irish oat cake recipe
dragonflies africa malaria
geraldine blattner fau
chilliwack fair festival
fanta bungalows koh phangan
1983 f150 engine
doobie brothers charts
0 apr card credit student
commander lionel crabb
666 is last pope
allegan county inmate information
iud and perforated uterus
1080p and blu-ray and player
e morley bergen county nj
gazi abbas ibn ali
certified playground mulch
chevy truck muncie transmission
aria condo sales naples fl
bondo in cold climates
2 wheel tuner magazine sold
98 camry vip
dxf rc plans
focused perfromance inc dr horowitz
robert shaw sunbeam timer
abram hatch jr
150 gallon sprayer tank
1987 mercedes 560sl clock insturment cluster
afp code of ethics
ca speeding tickets
bronchitis signs symptoms
birmingham postal districts
2 acre perimeter in feet
canon pixma 610
epidemiological notes malaria nigeria
most popular ssa choral pieces songs
alpha delta pi pullman
costco king of prussia
air nippon airways flight schedule
is beryllium reactive
alaska seward fishing
adamson act of 1915
a very small room traditional decor
emancipation laws in nevada
audrina partridge on freeones
kirsty bowles
air in urine stream
bryn mawr pa colleges
britians tension fabric structure
alexandra burke hallelujah
argo bags
3d wood carving products
catherine novi
blackslawdictionary.com
career deputy city recorder
ftadoc.com
ha jin a contract
agility ladder workouts
basic knots
dr gottlieb exton pa
disco lies moby
deep fried beer battered mushrooms
classic antigue telephones
bay area road closures
elizabeth pruitt photographer
coccozella.name
ktm 660 smc
needlebeetle.com
dedham massachusetts waterfront homes
wuyiteadiet.net
reaching and teaching
agri temps inc willmar mn
ex playboybunny missy
oklahoma sooner message board
mvp track jacket by reebok
meubles louis xv louis xvi
carbohydrates lipids and proteins
priory hotel
11051 hamborg rd roscoe il pictures
cruse 411
blue lagoon real estate bangkok thailand
archives selected index of shreveport times
215 gr bowling pin bullet
clients shaking hands
black attack gang savanna samson
15th century movies
10.5 clay poker chips
balcony railing height
brainresin.com
bbc connecting rod
euroeducation.net
cell phone batteries motorolla br50
amalfi restraunt orlando
cookbook closeouts
octavio ocampo quixote
add comment box myspace
ger an shephard rescue virginia
3 pickering plac dix hills
flogging molly wikipedia the free encyclopedia
custom trolling rods
1stplacesports.com
group beta strep
elearning dallas tx
box type hardening furnaces
casting call southfield mi
federal pretzel baking co
american printer s variables conference
financement de la sant en afrique
darden.edu
complimentary therapies conferences
sunblest.net
jimmy neutron vs jimmy negatron
glucosamine chondroiten foot pain
safetymerchant.net
adrenal cortical cancer excess tumors hormone
frederico y gabriela
aerolite pedal review
affordable wedding gowns in color
bcc online
adrenal agenesis
jess bernardo advertising
1000 west washington blvd chicago
1754 clay street
enoch muhammad
1199 crowley ave se salem oregon
95 sand hill rd middletown ct
cheapest hp lazer printer
hospital in sweetwater tx
cold weather workout increased calorie burn
8645 disraeli path
cherry blossom tennis tournament healy point
tudiabetes.com
china wok winder gerogia
dailey
a third place eustis fl
shoes-save-money.com
auditions for upcoming harry potter movies
84th inf
2008 tax investment credit
deed in lieu hardship letter
medicalcodingcareerguide.com
april 26 1992 riot
arrow pod sprinklers
angel batista
aurora webcams
fuel cells drag racing rci
the poem innishfree by yeats
1350 wiggins rd dalton ga 30721
cerebral spinal fluid leakage positioning
frog watersports
07-08 big east bowl game
all hidden streets on maplestory
earned income tax credit calculator
mossy oak background for myspace
horseback riders who have epilepsy
undertaker broadheads
abc sports mr agony
2007 f1 pictures
ellsworth.com
chama nm ranches for sale
how disabled women understand domestic violence
chris elwood jenny split
barrymore and liu
addressing social invitations etiquette
back leg tendon problem in dogs
bertie shannon gave to carolyn chapman
averylabelsonline.com
hotel ibis muenchen city
hourglass craft embellishment
construction scholl
novitec rosso
bind unholy artifact
football and sports pitch renovations
h20 plus spa products
anderson pools and spas
90 minute social studies lessons
conception with tubal ligation
histoire alimentation
1.5 lcd digital photo
dishnetwork dealer suppor
cater in waipahu
how to vp
1820 pike co ohio
666 is last pope
advertising specialties las vegas
michael oliva experience matters
bonham texas apartments
aseem prakash and silicon india
aftermarket accessories installed binghamton ny
business innovation culture
405 studio james webb
bliss playground equipment
artichoke crab spread recipe
lasclev.org
generate bromine chloride
audio city wma conversion
afp top photos sun
create upload forms free
amber dawn southern charms
foul body sweat
examples of recurrent expenditure
farara guages
mastercraft 618-0163
18 cavendish square london w1g 0pj
537 b c civil authorities
axa company
don whitley scientific ltd
chicago northwestern railway
annette bus lines florida
courtyard marriot folsom ca
forumakers.com
economical mini vans
arthur lara
2008 olympic parade of athletes
jak ii playstation walk thru
pecs first semester exam papers biology
john stubbs school victoria
claire davies doctor albatross
promcarrentals.net
dvd pallets
alcohol and pleasent and aroma
cat heart on xray
case schiller home price index
komodo bikes