Meet the Petite Dress of Your Short-Girl Dreams

Being petite has its ups and downs. Sure, you can race through a crowded New York City street like a pint-sized Speedy Gonzales, but there are certain hardships we shorties have to deal with — "adorable" nicknames like Tater Tot, difficulty reaching anything above your (very low) eye level, and the impossible task of finding clothes that fit. Enter Carolina Alvo's crowdsourced dress for petite women, the answer to all your short-girl shopping prayers.

Alvo's "Kathleen" dress is "the world's first crowdsourced petite frock," according to Refinery29, who spoke with the designer about her motivation behind creating the dress. “I am 4-foot-9 and have never had a shopping experience that wasn't teeming with frustration," she told Refinery29, "Pant legs with 8 inches of extra fabric, and tops I could wear as dresses are my norm!”

Keeping her own shopping woes in mind, Alvo began asking her petite friends about their own retail struggles and found that dresses and pants were the most frustrating items for short women to find. According to Alvo's Kickstarter video, half the women in the United States are actually considered "petite" (5'4'' and under), so one has to ask why retailers aren't quick to accommodate us pint-sized ladies.

Alvo is seeking to change that with her new eponymous clothing label, of which the Kathleen dress is the first piece. The dress is a universally flattering fit-and-flare cut with a boat neckline, available in multiple hem lengths and two wear-anywhere colors: black onyx and ivory. It won't help you reach the top shelf at the grocery store, but I can easily see the Kathleen dress worn in a variety of ways by all sorts of women.

At the time of publication, Alvo's Kickstarter has received $5,044 in funding out of a goal of $15,000. If you're interested in contributing, visit the Kickstarter. Isn't it about time short women started breaking the rules?

Images: Carolina Alvo