The Long (and Short) of Life as a ‘Tweener

Dear Fashion Police: I’d like to know where I can find small, standard-sized clothing in classic styles. Although I am small, I am not petite. I find that petite-size garments are too short in the waist, too short in the crotch and too short in the legs.

I am 5-foot-3 and weigh 105 pounds. I don’t want any of the funky, teen-oriented styles, nor do I want terribly expensive clothes--just good-quality, classic designs.

--STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

Dear Stuck: You are a ‘tweener--someone who’s too tall for a petite but too small for most regular-size clothes. We empathize because we are too. It’s always the same story: Misses’ pants will fit in the hips and waist, but they’re invariably too long. Ditto for blouses and jackets, with sleeves that usually hang a few inches past the wrist. In frustration, we’ll try a petite--only to find the proportions too small.

So what’s a ‘tweener to do? Most standard-size clothing is cut for women who are a few inches taller than we are, so if the store where you buy your clothes doesn’t offer in-house alterations, become very close with your tailor.

While better men’s trousers usually come unfinished (not hemmed), the same is not generally true for women’s pants.

However, we have noticed lately that some companies, such as the Gap, offer pants in varying lengths--from extra short to extra long--at both its stores and online at https://www.gap.com. (There’s a wider range online.) Lands’ End offers free hemming on all its pants. The Web site is https://www.landsend.com, or call (800) 963-4816.

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Dear Fashion Police: This is in regard to the letter from “Mannered” last week about baseball caps. Does the rule of removing one’s cap when entering a building also apply to women? I am 25 and often wear a baseball cap or straw hat if I am running errands or meeting a friend for coffee or a casual lunch. Often, my reason for wearing the hat in the first place is because I’m having a “bad hair day,” so the thought of having to remove it seems to defeat the purpose of wearing it in the first place! Is there a different set of rules for men and women when it comes to hats? I am anxious to know if I have been guilty of poor etiquette for the past few years, and, if this is the case, I will stop at once! Please point me in the right direction.

--MAD FOR HATS

Dear Mad: Yes, there is a different set of rules for women, which once again proves why we are the superior sex.

Women may wear hats indoors, even baseball caps. An exception would be wearing a hat at work, if it is a particularly large, cumbersome one. Not only could it create a distraction, but it could also be something of an obstacle when trying to get through doorways. You might also accidentally knock over a co-worker with it, which would not be good for company morale.

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From the Fashion Police Blotter: Alert to our Southern California friends: The third edition of “Shopping L.A.: The Insiders’ Sourcebook for Film & Fashion” is out, all 582 pages of it. This spiral-bound guide is a must-have for those in the fashion and film industry, but it’s also useful for anyone who’d like to search out local flea markets, malls and specialty shops, rent costumes, find a dry cleaner that specializes in leather and suede, locate fabric stores or find a place that supplies military uniforms. It’s a chunk of change at $50, but if you’re constantly searching for just the right whatever, this is your book. For more information, check out https://www.shoppingla.net, or call (323) 469-2477.

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Write to Fashion Police, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012, fax to (213) 237-4888, or send e-mail to socalliving@latimes.com.