Glam but first coffeeWe are back with exclusive and inspirational interviews! I interviewed a creator and CEO of the Short Story- fashion subscription box with styling services for Petite women.
She will tell you more about her journey in fashion industry. What is the Short Story? Petite struggles that short women have in fashion and not only. Comment down below who should I interview next and share the interview with other Petite women!
Read the interview I did a few years ago with corset designer in New York!
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I would love to know first more about yourself. What did you do before Short Story?
I come from a family of entrepreneurs. My mom immigrated to the U.S. with a single suitcase and ran a business all by herself. I always knew I wanted to start something of my own one day.
I worked in finance, on the trading floor, in NYC for 6+ years. I was surrounded by tall men, and as a 5’1” woman, I felt pretty small. It was a constant struggle to find clothes that fit. I spent a lot of money on tailoring, cut my own jeans, and even shopped in the kids department in order to be taken seriously.
I can relate with that a lot. I remember as a teenager, my mom always cut hems for my pants but they still did not fit right! So did you do the same thing? Any other fashion struggles?
I have experienced the same thing! I spent a lot of money on tailoring, I also cut my own jeans (this did NOT work well), and I even shopped in the kids department (so embarrassing!)
I cut my own jeans too. They looked terrible (haha). Maybe other not-fashion related struggles that you are open to share? I know I have always had problems with entering clubs without documents, or buying wine, also comments I heard from men and women.
My biggest struggle was being taken seriously – I worked on the trading floor for years, and because of my height, it was an uphill battle to be taken seriously.
So, how and when did you start the Short Story?
After years of tailoring, cutting my own clothes and shopping in the kids department, I did some research and learned that half of all women in the U.S. are petite; I knew something had to be done. The idea would be a one-stop-shop where everything actually looks GOOD on shorter women. I worked my ‘day job’ from 9-5, and at night began to create my vision of Short Story. Our first customers learned about us through word of mouth. I bought a trolley from Home Depot and schlepped boxes from my building to the post office, sprinting across 3 lanes of traffic. My doorman thought I was nuts. In 2019, I quit my job, and Short Story was born.
We’re no longer packing boxes until 3am, but we’re still going after the same thing, trying to make this dream come true for the shorties of the world. My hope is that all women can feel good in their own skin.
Also, how did you come up with an idea to offer styling services and a subscription box, and not just the usual Petite fashion brand?
In a nutshell, I decided to start a subscription box because I recognized that petite women have diverse needs and style preferences.. The limited availability of petite brands was a clear gap in the market (and still is!), and a large problem that arises with that is petite women have a hard time dressing themselves and figuring out what looks best on them.
My goal was to help petite women discover their ideal fit and style, and in order to do that, I wanted to pair them with a dedicated (petite) stylist. Building an ongoing relationship between our customers and their stylists has become a fundamental part of our mission. It’s really the only way we can guarantee a perfect style fit for our customers every time, and the best way to form this relationship is through a subscription box.
Please tell us a little more, how It works? If I would like to book your services and help, how does it work?
Great question – it’s pretty simple. You start by taking a style quiz to let us know your fit, preferences, and budget.
Our petite style experts will then curate a box tailored just for you. We’ll then send you a box of 5-6 items of clothing so that you can try on everything in the comfort of your own home. You decide what to keep, pay for only those items, and send the rest back. Shipping is taken care of. We’ve even created and launched our very own petite clothing labels based on customer feedback.
We are very careful with every detail – it’s not uncommon to see our team trying on pieces in the office so that we can make sure everything is perfect!
How do you find stylists that work for you? Do they need to have a special degree or just fashion knowledge and passion is good enough? I was actually looking at your remote job offers!
We vet our stylists through a rigorous process to find stylists who can really understand our clients. They get to know our clients’ preferences and pain points in order to cater to their specific needs. I would say we look for a combination of styling knowledge, experience, and passion for styling petite clients. An important trait we look for is the ability to listen to our clients and really incorporate their feedback.
What would you tell other Petite women that want to start their fashion brand and business? How to get confidence, strength and motivation?
Starting out in a new industry means you have to fake it until you make it. Attending my first trade shows was hilarious—I had no clue what I was doing. The only way to learn is to ask questions! Retail is pretty entrenched in the way it does business, so we constantly have to challenge conventions in order to deliver better fitting garments and a better user experience to our clients. My advice is to be fearless in challenging the status quo. Don’t take no for an answer.
Some fast questions before we end:
Your favorite Petite brands/retailers?
Oh, this is hard. I’ve discovered so many favorites through Short Story. We have a high standard for brands we work with—they have to meet our fit and quality bar. We also launched several of our own clothing labels, one of which is The Fine Print. We created this line based on real customer feedback: a desire for the perfect fitting jean. We are very intentional with every detail–we only want to make things that women will love and keep forever.
What sizes does Short Story offer?
A common misconception is that petite clothes are only for small women in height, shape and weight. But actually, petite is more about proportions and not about your weight. We believe all women that are 5’4” and under should have clothes that make them feel confident. We carry sizes from 00-20 Petite, and XXS-XXL Petite.
What is the next step/goal for Short Story?
My vision for Short Story is to keep challenging the status quo, whether those barriers are real or imagined. We often hear ‘it can’t be done’ or ‘this is just how things are.’ But fashion shouldn’t be exclusive or wasteful. Our goal is to make fashion inclusive, efficient, and an uplifting experience for everyone. We’re crafting a brand for real women, not industry stereotypes. It’s a long journey, and we believe it’s one worth taking.
Thank you so much for your time! If you want to follow along the Short Story or order it yourself, click these links:
Read the blog post where I listed all the best fashion subscription boxes!
