Inspired by AN's guest post on the lovely Demoiselles' blog (you can read it here: http://www.alterationsneeded.com/2010/0 ... elles.html), I thought I'd start a thread about those funny, often patronising things people say to you as a petite.

Check out these hilarious but tragic experiences left in the comments section by Jen and Peachcharm:

Jen said:



Peachcharm said:



God, if I had a dollar for every time this had happened to me... and I totally know the sinking, disappointed feeling that goes with it too LOL.

My personal favourite has to be "God, you're so tiny!" followed by an exaggerated roll of the eyes, or perhaps the "don't you eat?" which was once accompanied by a rather unceremonious pinch on the arm - WTF! (I'll just note here, that if I was to exclaim how fat/gigantic/bald/smelly someone was, I'd probably get clobbered in a nanosecond).

Even more confusing is the "Y'know, I used to look like you when I was your age - don't worry, you'll end up like me soon enough... your time will come." I can't wait.

So, petites, when has your tiny stature given someone licence to act like a tool and say/do things that would otherwise be considered rude? Or do you regularly experience situations like Peachcharm's that go hand in hand with being on the small side?

OMG, I have so many of these...lol.

Just the other day, I was eating lunch with some co-workers and got up to throw away my trash. A very large construction worker sitting with his co-workers looks at me and says; "You're very petite! We're very big!" as he patted his big beer belly and laughed. I didn't' really know what to say to that, so I just smiled and quickly walked away.

Hypothetically speaking, what if someone picks you up and begins singing the Lion King theme song? Obviously no one would admit to being picked up like Simba and shown to a crowd...but lets say it did happen...hypothetically...it probably be a little embarrassing.

Oh my, AN! What an awkward comment for them to make!

The most frustrating thing to me is how everyone automatically assumes that I am in high school, and I am guessing it is because I am about the size of a small teenager, plus I have a very young looking face. Strangers are always asking me what grade I am in, when I am dressed casually in jeans and a casual top. Even at 28 years old, I get this all the time, along with random strangers approaching me and saying "oh, my gosh, you are so tiny." The tiny comments don't really offend me because they are usually complimentary about it, but the age comments really aggravate me. On another occasion, at my office building, it was halloween so I wasn't dressed in my usual business attire and someone from another office asked me "Are you an employee's daughter or do you actually work here?" My co-workers were all laughing, and I was so mad!

Bwa ha ha ha ha! This really made me chuckle. I remember I was at a petrol station once and the pump suddenly died in my hand - there was a click and it just stopped working. Just as I was starting to panic, the attendant slid open the window to the shop and, from inside, yelled "You have to be 16 to fill up a car!" Turns out he'd cut the pump off at the main switch.

I was like "I DROVE in here and I'm 27!" So embarrassing.

LOL, at least he used the word "petite" and not "small" or "short" or "weeny!"

Bell... is there something you want share with us...?

LOL, Sparrow. I would have been absolutely furious!

These are great!

Ummm the one story that sticks out was not necessarily about my Small Stature, rather my small *ahem* something else.

I was in the change room of a lingerie store trying on a bra and the sales lady asked if I was doing alright. I replied that the bra was too big and she yelled "Oh I'm sorry, that's our teenist tinyist size!"

What made it even worse was that my then boyfriend and I had only been dating a few months and he was waiting for me outside of the change room and he heard everything!! Luckily we both died laughing about it and he's my husband now anyway

I've encountered many of the situations you all have mentioned. Here's a postive though...the word "CUTE"

"Cute" is my favorite word. Some people have favorite colors or favorite foods. I have a favorite word.

I view "cute" as a POSITIVE not a NEGATIVE. If somebody tells me (or one of my equally petite friends), "You're cute", that's a extreme compliment. A compliment for "petites only." You wouldn't say to some 5' 9" or 5' 10" fashion model... "you're cute." It just wouldn't be appropriate. No, it's a compliment reserved only for US.