I am always on the hunt for petite brands and stores that sell fashionable clothes for petite girls like me. Few popular high street brands in UK have petite sections but the clothes are not fashionable at all.A huge thanks to petite fashionista Caroline Misan Alvo who created an exclusive online store named Gambita for petite girls like me.
I checked out their online collection and it’s quite fashionable and made especially for petite girls 5’3” and under. Also the good news is, they ship to UK.
Recently I had the opportunity to get in touch with Caroline and discuss a bit more about her company and petite fashion. She is also offering my readers with a special introductory discount. If you use discount code: Gambita4Debonita, you will get 35% off your order.
I would like to thank Caroline for extending this great gesture. You can check out her website by clicking here.
So all you petite ladies check out our conversation below.
Q.Tell me a bit about yourself and about your company.
I am the 4’9” CEO and Founder of Gambita, an online store that sells clothes exclusively for petite women. We do this by aggregating clothes from different designers that are petite friendly and when possible, special order items in petite proportions. Prior to starting Gambita I worked for a non-profit, VisionSpring, which provides affordable eyeglasses in the developing world. I’ve brought a bit of my background in international development to support an amazing organization, 10×10, which is working to increase access to girls’ education in the developing world.
Q. Why the name Gambita? What does Gambita mean?
The name of the company is Gambita, which means “little shrimp” in Spanish. It was a nickname I got from my husband and I loved it because it was unique and playful. When it came time to name my company, I didn’t have to look very far for the perfect name.
Q. How do you describe the petite fashion scene in New York compared to other major cities?
In New York you have access to the major retailers that have petite sections (Banana, Ann Taylor, etc.). However, you also have the added benefit of having access to countless boutiques which tend to have smaller clothes. Despite all this access, shopping still feels like a treasure hunt and I find that I come home from shopping trips very frustrated more often than not.
Q. How did you first get interested in setting up Gambita and why is it important to you?
As someone who is 4’9”, I’ve always had a hard time shopping. I always assumed that my shopping issues were due to the fact that I was exceptionally short; however, after countless conversations with other petites, I realized that all petites faced similar challenges. I started to do some research and realized that HALF the women in the US are petite, yet there were no retailers exclusively focused on this market. It therefore became my mission to create a store exclusively for petite women that not only made shopping a seamless process, but also served as a source of pride for petites!
Q. Are there any Petite fashion icons or famous people whose style you admire?
There are several petite celebrities I admire, but I would say Shakira is my absolute favorite. She just manages to look beautiful and confident whether she’s dressed for a fancy event or dancing barefoot on stage.
Q. What would you say to someone seeking Petite fashion advice?
First off, I would say you should always dress in what makes you feel confident and beautiful. But a few basic petite fashion tips I live by are:
1. Don’t be afraid of prints, like this dress. Just make sure the prints are small, otherwise it will overwhelm your petite proportions.
2. Don’t be afraid of cropped jeans, like these, as long as they are proportioned correctly for smaller girl. They also look great with heels or flats as long as they expose your ankles.
3. Stay away from pieces with a lot of excess fabric or lack shape. A petite frame can easily get lost. If you’re going with something like an A-line or shift dress with less structure, try a belt to trim the waist, like this one.
Q. What kind of petite clothing is available on Gambita?
We have a range of items for every part of your life, whether you’re dressing super casual on a weekend with a simple pair of jeans and top or if you’re going out for a night on the town with your girlfriends in a cute dress.
Q. Since I am in the UK, if I buy clothes from Gambita can you ship to the UK?
Yes, we are shipping to the UK and all orders over $50 are being shipped free!
Q. How often is new clothing range added to Gambita?
We are trying to add clothes as often as possible, but you can expect new styles to pop up at least once a month.
Q.Which currencies and countries does Gamita support?
As long as you use the three credit cards we support (Visa, American Express, Mastercard) we can accept payments from anywhere in the world.
