I like Ann Taylor.   They’re one of a few stores in North America which do not carry petites sizes geared towards people my mom’s age, and I congratulate them for that.  However, on Wednesday, I found a note on my Facebook wall.  Ann Taylor will no longer be carrying 00P in their stores, just like the fact that they’re not selling 16 and 16P (I don’t think their regular 00s have ever been sold in stores).  This is a whammy for people who’re tiny, because they actually need the size.  Sure, you can purchase online (though you need a US billing address in addition to a delivery address), but it is better to be able to try things on. 

Some people are cheering that size 00P is no longer in stores.  These are the same people who’re complaining about size 16.  The Facebook page has even had some not-so-nice comments, such as “no one should be a size 00P.”  Of course, the woman who said that might not quite understand what “00P” really is.  A lot of people don’t (NOTE: 00P is cut for a shorter frame.  It is slimmer and shorter than a “regular” 00, but a “regular” 00 is slimmer (though longer) than a 0P), and they probably need to be educated about it.  But this post isn’t about petite sizes vs. non-petite sizes.  It’s about clothing availability.

But my question to Ann Taylor is this: Where are 00P women going to buy their clothes if they want to try them on before they buy?  They now must order the garment and wait a few days for its delivery before they can know for sure that it fits.  And if it doesn’t, they’ll have to send it back. 

In any case, I can understand the rationale for Ann Taylor’s decision. It is all about economics. After all, the petite market is small (no pun intended). It is not worth the company to commit shelf space to. However, like I mentioned above, there are some people (I guess who consider themselves regular sizes) who cheer this decision. This I don’t understand.  Why do these people even care? It should be none of their business.

UPDATED NOTE: For some really weird reason, the original status update on its Facebook page has been replaced.  It’s the same note, but with a newer date.