carriebrighton: the petite problem/h&m haul

Now those of you who know me well know that I'm not exactly the biggest person in the world. I'm pushing 5'1, so I'm not the smallest of people I know, but equally not the tallest. This tends to cause problems when shopping, as sadly my legs are just not as long as the 5'8 models we see in high street windows and adverts. Trousers are the biggest problem, as I found when I wandered around the shops the other day looking for a smart, but cheap plain black pair for work. I tried all my regular places, Primark, H&M, New Look etc where they were all far too long, one pair hung almost a foot from the bottom of my foot where the hem should have been. Now there are petite sections, Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dotty P's all have a dedicate section for us shorties, but it does tend to be a small dark corner of the shop, with a few select pieces which do not come cheaply. If I wanted to shell out £40 for a plain black pair of work trousers, which are likely to get covered in paint and possibly even little runny noses (the joys of the classroom), this is where I would go. But I don't. Now is the time for me to let you in on a little secret...

What?! I hear you cry. Don't worry, I don't go around in pink glittery hello kitty themed clothes (although I was sorely tempted by a pink sweatshirt with a kitten on the front the other day), kids sections often try to mimic the grown up counter parts, and often you will find almost identical garments upstairs as you would in the regular adult section of the shop. At 5'1 and a size 8/10 I comfortably fit in an age 12-13, or occasionally a 14y+, but the latter is often huge. Teenagers are apparently ginormous these days. I managed to pick up a pair of plain black trousers, just as I wanted, in a suitable length, in the M&S kids section in the end, for the grand total of £6. Bargain! And they are washable, perfect for kids and teachers alike. One of my favourite places to go is H&M kids, as this is one of those shops where the kids section often has similar pieces to the adults. I picked up two cardigans and a top, as shown above. The cardigans were a whopping £3 each in the sale, with the top full price at £7.99. One of the many perks of kids clothing. New look also has an excellent teens section, with great footwear if you are on the smaller side (I'm a size 2/3). If you are not the biggest person in the world, I'd really recommend you have a look at these shops. You may get the occasional odd look from a parent or snooty shop assistant, but personally, I think it is completely worth it for the cheap prices, and better fit.