Style tip: I am currently spending a few days in Falmouth (where my eldest is at university) with my three daughters.  The only way to pack for such a trip is with layers, allowing you to adjust for the climatic changes around you.

Whether you are wind swept on a beach watching family surf or sitting in the shelter of a cafe in full sun eating a Cornish ice cream, mixing, matching and layering your clothes is the only way to go. It alows you to pack enough variety in your suitcase to cover all weather eventualities, and still manage to do the zip up on your suitcase. My capsule collection of petite clothes is perfect for this.  So if you are away this Spring....

THINK SMART, THINK CAPSULE SUITCASE

Have a great Easter Weekend

P.S. Joining a Petite Indulgence Event is a fun way to explore capsule suitcase ideas that are great for you!

I thought I would take the opportunity to tell you a little about my business.  It's easy to think that I head up a great big organisation, although I am working very hard on it.  My company is based on my passion and personal investment and I design and produce quality garments that make us Petites, whatever our size, look good and feel fabulous.

The feedback you give me about my designs, service etc. is immensely rewarding and fuels my progress. Leaving a review for a garment on my web site is a great way that you, as a customer, can support and help shape my business.

I employ a great team of peopIe Lucy, Liz, Karen (F), John, Tory, Anne and Jo, all different specialists who work monthly on aspects of my business as consultants. For several years now I have only manufactured in the UK and as Mary Portas has been pointing out in her television programme "Mary's bottomline" on channel 4, all this is about employment and putting money back into the British economy. I was thrilled last week to meet Mary's business partner, Peter Cross, and hear more about their experience and views. Incidentally Mary's dresses are made in the same factory in London as my great quality Sarah Trousers. And for those of you who are wondering - Yes! I have new dresses and trousers in production further north in the UK, as I write.

Good customer service is another important part of the Karen Gillam brand. Customers can not only phone up to ask advice on what to buy, they can attend Petite Indulgence Events in my studio in Newbury, Berkshire. These are fun events run regularly and are a chance to understand how my clothes help Petites to dress, using illusion, to appear taller and slimmer. Also Petites will learn: what they can do to enhance my designs; how to 'Get the Look" that works for them; how to dress the look up or down for different occasions; and how to develop a capsule wardrobe, something Petites have not really had much of an opportunity to do before!

I personally love doing these events and talking to customers on the phone as sitting at a computer, running an 'online' business, can be a remote and lonely place to be. So don't forget to give my Petite Indulgence a whirl, you'll have a great time. If you call and get the answer machine, please don't hesitate to leave a message so we (often I) will call you back and sort out your query. Emails are also a good way of contacting us.

So, my business is doing it's 'petite' bit in Britain and your support in buying my clothes makes you a valuable part of it - by helping me design and produce more clothes, giving petites more fashionable choices in a market that largely overlooks our needs, and finally having clothes that fit and flatter. Here's to Petite Power!

                                       Made with Love

- than a Gift Voucher (can be an e-voucher or sent in card form) for your mum to spend on their choice of Karen Gillam petite clothes that fit and look good. 

Or  

- than pampering your mum with a booking for a Petite Indulgence Event (£50) where she will indulge in a three course lunch including wine with fellow petites at Karen's Newbury studio.  Karen will be: explaining why her designs are so good for petites; demonstrating tricks your mum can use to look taller and slimmer and showing her how she can create different looks from the same garments (saving money in these difficult times). Your mum will have the chance to view the whole Karen Gillam petite collection and try on and buy, should she wish. If she spends £150 or more then the £50 booking fee is refunded. 

"Dear Karen,

Just wanted to thank you for the great day I had attending Petite Indulgence. I'd had a 3½ hour car journey and overnight stay in Newbury but it was worth it. I loved how relaxed and informal it all was and I enjoyed meeting other petites and chatting over a delicious lunch.

Your talk giving 'tips & tricks'  on how we can dress to look taller and slimmer, and the one-to-one attention when experimenting with the new looks that you suggested, were really useful. It's amazing what a belt can do for us petites!  

Good luck and best wishes, Liz".  (5',  Size 12, Stockport, Cheshire). 

                                       Made with Love

As I look out of my window at the petite snowdrops and think of beautiful crocuses and daffodils to come along with my elegant Spring Collection, I want to give Spring a little encouragement by selecting lighter and or brighter clothes as I dress on these lighter mornings.

These garments are really useful to wear all year round, ones you can layer in the winter or wear on their own in the summer. A perfect time to wear my Evie Trousers, shown here with a Grace Jumper or my Sarah trousers (biscuit) with my Ellie Rose Top.  A good time to consider swapping my black tights for a coloured pair and linking my colour scheme with coloured shoes and accessories.

Linking our shoe colour with the same coloured necklace will draw the eye vertically making us look taller, a trick I use all the time as I like to wear flat shoes. All this, not only helps lift my spirits in these difficult times, but mentally prepares me for the bolder, brighter and floral season ahead.

Made with Love

Karen x

P.S. Went to Oxford Street this week to check out what is available for petites on the high street.

Petites find it particularly difficult to express our outer selves. This is because despite the fact that up to a third of women are petite, the fashion industry and media barely recognise that we exist. This, I believe, is because less styles will look good on a petite, and the larger petite is particularly difficult to dress. This means that us petites have spent a lifetime searching for clothes that fit, look good, and express ourselves.  

Out of frustration we often compromise. Clothes that are too big and / or the wrong style make us look and feel frumpy. Sometimes we have the option of having them altered, at our expense, but this has the added risk of these adapted clothes still not looking right. The petite ranges that are available are generally conservative in style and colour, often black or white, and thus again limit our ability to express who we really are.  Add age and weight gain to these difficulties and many petites resign themselves to suppressing the negative feelings that the unfulfilled, outer self brings.  We learn to cope with feeling 'sub'normal.

As a fellow petite, my petite range of clothes  are specifically designed with you in mind. I bring as many styles to you as my limited budget can afford. I have invested in designing my own sizing block so the fit is right whether you are a smaller or a larger size, and my professional style training means that I only produce clothes in styles that will suit a petite or petite plus figure. So you can trust my judgement.

As petites we need to suppress any outer self that might be holding us back.  Trust me, wear a Karen Gillam "Get the Look" and wait for the compliments to roll in.  When we get a compliment about how we look, it has a powerful effect: it immediately makes us feel good about ourselves; it gives us confidence and self esteem; it helps us express the beauty of the inner self and we radiate happiness in our smile. Petite's have generally learn't not to be shy, so don't be coy, enjoy it!  Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

If you don't know what to choose, book yourself onto a Petite Indulgence Event and join me and three fellow petite's at my studio, where you can view the entire Karen Gillam Range. I will be on hand to explain how I use illusion in my styling and how you can use it in putting "Your Look" together. What's more, you have my ear to influence my next designs, you can't get more loved by a fellow petite than that!

No distance is too far.
Don't spend a lifetime inhibited by being short, learn to express the true you.

Made with Love
Karen 

These are some of the clothes I reach for on these cold mornings when I want to be warm, comfortable and of course stylish.

Style Tip:
I'm one of those people who feels the cold so layering is really important to me to keep me warm. Layering is always the way to go for us petites as thick woolly jumpers make us look short and squat because we loose our body shape. Who wants to look like a "sack of potatoes"?

Layering gives us the opportunity to add in extra colour and try different combinations, either blending or contrasting. A few tops worn in many combinations is the secret to a good capsule wardrobe as it creates many outfits. Having more looks from fewer, well chosen clothes that fit and compliment our shorter body shape, will save us money and the choice makes dressing in the morning simpler and more fun.

I start with the long sleeved Olivia top (available in lilac, white and stone). This top not only looks really smart on it's own, but is a great base layer as it is made of Meryl a brilliant fabric which wicks any moisture away from the body, keeping me and my clothes fresh and dry. It washes like a dream too, and doesn't need ironing if you hang it up while damp. If it shows at the neckline, I don't worry because it's shaping means that it still looks right, like a camisole.  

Then I pop on another of my tops such an an Ellie crossover top, Alicia or Polly polo (sorry not many left, will do more of this type of garment next autumn). There are also some sizes left of Jessica, Lottie and Kirsty which are great for layering too.

My Grace fine knit merino wool jumper also looks fab over Olivia as the blend or contrast colour of Olivia comes through the crochet.

I can create many looks from these to go with my Alicia, Erica, Chloe (beige) and Stellar skirts as well as my fab new high waisted Sarah trousers. Alternatively, I reach for one of my yummy petite dresses, Twiggy, Eliza, Gloria or Valentine.  All you need with these dresses or skirts is a 40 denier pair of tights and your shoes (the more colourful the better) or boots. Finally, I finish off all these looks with a cardigan - Kelly or Alicia, even Kina works well. I love all these looks.

Layering is not only about keeping warm, comfortable and stylish, I feel I am also dressing for the planet and the pound in my pocket by keeping my heating bills down. Going outside, my Hattie coat and scarf is a garment I reach for if I am just popping out in my car, going shopping etc. It's lightweight, not bulky and warm, as it has a touch of wool in it (unlike many coats).

For a smarter look, say for work, I  wear one of my Brigitte or Audrey suit jackets with a large Pashmina over the top. However, my Clarissa coat is vital if I am going to be outside for any length of time, I just wouldn't stand on a train station without it. This coat is long and sleek so, as well as keeping my whole body snuggly warm it gives me height, unlike many bulky, wide coats which makes a petite look like 'Queen Elizabeth 1st  on castors'. I know this is a big investment, but it's about a classically styled coat perfect for petites, it's top quality and a lifetimes warmth. I have very few of these left, so don't miss out!

If, unlike me, you are naturally a warmer blooded person then I think layering also works perfectly for you as you can put on, or take off, as many layers as you need.

Whatever your needs, it's easy as a petite to look good whilst staying comfortable with my collection.

"Happiness is pretty, petite layering"

It has taken two years of tweaking my trouser pattern but finally I believe I have come up with the perfect fit and style for petites. My new Sarah Trousers are now available to buy. I have taken time and effort for these trousers to be the perfect pair of petite trousers. These trousers aren’t so much about fashion and I make no apology about that but they are designed to make the petite figure look good and feel comfortable.  

Sarah trousers have a number of features including a waistband on the waist which provides the impression of a longer leg and a comfortable and easy fit. Petites can choose from two colours black or a herringbone biscuit weave.

Mix and match these Sarah trousers with other garments in my Karen Gillam Collection. My favourites include, Lynette Blouse (White) with the herringbone biscuit weave trousers for work, while the Delphi Top Duet and Bethany Top with the black pair look stunning for an evening out.  

Just buy a pair and let me know if you love them as much as I do.

I drove to Leicester early November, mentally finding the words for my blog... I haven’t quite got the hang of my voice recorder yet! I find the journey long but great for mulling over thoughts and decisions.

I’m going to visit my pattern cutter, and hopefully after two long years will be able to sign off on my perfect trouser pattern and pass it to the factory for production!

We all have a perfect pair of trousers in our wardrobe, I remember my mum talking about hers ... she wore them to work and dressed them up for dinner parties. I had many decisions on my perfect trouser path, from fabric quality, washability through to design, fit and how to size. The decision list was endless, finally as I sign with relief, and I am sure these are now perfected into perfection and I can turn around and drive home.

Delivery is several weeks away, meanwhile I can plan the photo shoot to show them off to their best!

Keep an eye on the website and the petite trousers category for news of the new designs. 

From my Petite Perspective I would put the cause as low self-esteem. The expectation of ‘all our school leavers going to university’ or us being ‘a size zero’ is just too high whilst everyday people are constantly reminded of these, and other ideals on the TV, in magazines, newspapers on the internet,.....and become wannabe’s and wannahave’s as they become frustrated with their own lives.

The fashion industry too has a lot to answer for. For years we have been exposed to tall, superskinny models, airbrushed images, size ‘O’ celebrities. At fashion college students are actively taught to distort their sketches making the whole body, especially the arms and legs unnaturally long. This may make the figure look more elegant, however, it’s very easy to design clothes that will look good on this body shape. To me this is cheating, unrealistic and not good for societies moral, especially the 25% of women that are petite, who, even by eating half a lettuce leaf each day, won’t come anywhere near achieving this distorted body shape. This is one of the reasons why I model my own clothes because petite models are not only scarce, they only seem to come in size 6 or possibly 8, which is unrepresentative of the majority of petites.

I have seen many petites that arrive at my studio lacking self esteem. They have little chance of relating to fashion and have had minimal choice of clothes to fit, so much so that they have had little experience exploring and understanding what styles and colours actually suit them. Many have become tough and thick skinned about how they look. The first thing they realize at my studio is that anything they try on seems to magically fit. My studio has been likened to ‘being in a sweety shop’. I see their faces light up as shopping for clothes becomes fun! I use my knowledge and experience to steer them towards styles that will suit their colouring and body shape, whether they are thin or large, pear-shaped, top heavy, extra short, apple shaped or perhaps have a medical problem that affects their body shape and perception.

For a designer brand my prices are reasonable and all manner of petite can leave my studio with garments that create great looks making them feel fabulous. A recent visitor from Portnockie, Scotland who recently visited my studio sums it up by saying “Your (Karen Gillam) clothes are even better than they appear on the internet, I’m so glad I came, I’ve had great fun and really benefitted from the personal service, I’m absolutely thrilled with the clothes I’ve bought, I’m going to enjoy the new me!”

So if you are petite - treat yourself to a ‘real pick-me-up’ and visit my studio in Newbury to view my collection of petite clothing. To book your appointment call 0845 0035049. The first 10 people to book and/or anyone who has travelled more than 20 miles will get a 10% discount. Please quote ‘petite perspective’ to qualify.

The other problem was shoes. I needed different heel heights. You know how skirts / dresses that are too wide or full do not go with flat shoes, especially if they are too long, they just have the "dumpling effect". High heels would counteract this to some extent but weren't comfortable if you were going sight seeing!

With nothing that really worked together, it would take hours agonising over what to pack. In the end I gave up and packed a huge suitcase of clothes containing "nothing to wear".

It is having choice that has now liberated me. The struggle, of finding clothes in the right style for my shorter stature that fit, is over. I can now take this for granted, just like other women who are a "standard" size, leaving me with the pleasure of choosing clothes that I like, are suitable for the holiday and that coordinate together. What fun, I am now in packing heaven!

To give you an idea as to how easy this now is I have selected a list of garments (below) I will be taking on holiday this year. You are unlikely to have all these garments and will have your own preferences, but I just wanted to share with you how happily I pack now.

Jacqui O Dress (Turquoise and Tulip are tropical)	Lorenza Trousers (Brown)	Stellar Skirt Casual skirt to wear over swimwear or with camisole (Brown Leaf - Brown, White, Paprika)
Evie Trouser (Natural)	Chloe Skirt (Surfer Print)	Gem Camisole (Chocolate)
Delphi Top (Cobalt) Camisole worn during the day & the two piece great for the evening	Ellie Top (Rose)	Carly Camisole (Black)
White Jeans (available next week)	Kina Cardigan (Cream)	Greta Top or Abbie Top (Cream)
Bethany Top (Black) Evening	Juliette Top (Mauve or Apple) Paprika Cardigan matches both	Kelly Cardigan (Paprika or Black)
Toilet and Cometics Bag	Florrie Blouse (any colour)	Underwear
Swimwear	Sun Cream	Sun Hat

All these should pop quite nicely in a small suitcase with plenty of room to bring home souvenirs!

Wishing you a Happy and Swift, Packing experience.

Here are the links for more petite tops, petite skirts and petite dresses.

This is an ongoing process, the key is putting different looks together from fewer clothes. This will ultimately save you money and give you looks that will take you anywhere, simply adjust your choice, to dress your look up or down, to suit the occasion or the weather. Don't forget that your jewellery and shoes are also important in creating the look that you want.

Here is my guide, in the grid below, showing a selection of petite clothes that all mix and match together. You may not like them all or you may already have some of them in your wardrobe. It may be a matter of starting a new capsule or you might already have some of the items and want to add some more to give you even more looks:

Tory top (silver)	Kathy blouse (teal) Can be worn over Rhianna dress as a jacket	Evie trousers I have added these as these go with pretty much everything in my collection and can be dressed up or down depending on your choice of top.
Chloe skirt (floral print)	Alexia cardigan	Jacqui O dress (turquoise)
Rhianna dress (teal)	Abbie top (aqua)	Greta top (aqua)
Florrie blouse (navy)	Kate top	Juliette top (multifloral) and/ or (red)
Cindy jeans wear shoes the same colour as your hem line or a colour that will link with what your are wearing ontop to draw the eye vertically and give you height.	Martha skirt A more flattering alternative to shorts. Apply the same rule as for Cindy jeans (left) for shoes.	Kina cardigan great to dress a look down

Petites too can have Navy and White Polka Dots, as featured alongside this Oscar de la Renta catwalk image in the Sunday Times magazine (03/04).

It is considered that stripes will give you width, however by choosing not to put the stripes on the sleeves of my Bobo cardigan, unlike most striped garments, the eye is not drawn horizontally beyond the waist.  In fact the contrast white bow will stop the eye from travelling wide here. On the contrary, the horizontal stripes on my garment will quite simply enhance your shape, something Petites need to boast about as our short stature means that we are generally more shapely than our taller female friends.

As you can see I am using my knowledge in my designs to liberate Petites from a lifetime of frustration by producing,

      "Clothes you love to be Petite in"

        Made (in the UK) with my Love

                      Karen

I feel that thin models are not really representative of the petite figure as we get distinctly shapelier and more challenging as we go up it size. This is why, to prove just how good the fit and styling of my clothes really are, I prefer not to use models but to use what I call "Real Petites" such as myself, to model.  It is my intention to develop this idea and invite other "Real Petites" such as customers of my label.

I am therefore proud to introduce my first guest petite model, Sabina Callaghan.

Sabina is modelling the Eliza bodycon dress, which makes the petite figure look taller and smaller thanks to the black contrasting panels. This is a dress which can be worn during the day to work or out in the evening. 

So with my new website under construction the subjects of Facebook and Twitter came up.

I haven't got time for idol chit chat”, I exclaimed, “I've got a business to run!”.

Well, I was scared and since then I have learnt that these are really useful tools to provide a simple, short and non-obtrusive way to send you a message without clogging up your email inbox. The message may be the launch of a fabulous new garment, for example, or perhaps that I have posted a new blog giving my latest style ideas. You won't get that message unless you choose to.

So how do you receive the message? Well, at the bottom of my web page there are two icons Follow me on Facebook and Join me on Twitter. Click on either or both of these icons.

If you click on “Join me on Facebook” then it will take you directly to my Facebook page where you can, without signing up to facebook, see my “Wall”, here you will see my latest message. You can also click on “Photos” where I can post images, or “Discussions”. If you want to respond or discuss anything you will need to have a Facebook account. If you haven't already got one you will need to click on the “Sign Up” icon on this page to set up a (free) Facebook account (www.facebook.com).

>If you, like me, are concerned about security using Facebook all you need to do, when you open a Facebook account is to immediately go to the “Account” icon and click on the “Privacy Setting” and then click “Cutomize Settings”. Personally, I clicked on every icon for “Friends Only” which means that nobody else can see my details or what I have written unless I have invited them as a friend. The “Friends Only” for all settings is what I insist my children use on their Facebook accounts.

If you are already registered on Facebook or choose to register then please visit my Facebook page and press the “Like” icon, next to my title. When I update my “Status” (message) this will appear in your “Newsfeed” in your Facebook account.

If you click on “Follow me on Twitter” this will take you to my Twitter page. Here, without signing up to Twitter, you can view all the latest messages that I have posted.

If you want to become a “Follower” then my messages will automatically come onto your Twitter home page. You can also “Reply” to my message or “Retweet” my message which means that you can forward it to your “Followers”. There is an invitation at the top of my Twitter page inviting you to “Sign Up” to Twitter (www.twitter.com). Then click on “Find People” at the top right of your Twitter page and enter Karen Gillam or go back to my Twitter page and click on the “Follow” icon.

Twitter is a little bit different, the idea is it allows everyone to see what you are saying, although you can make your tweets private on your account page. So if there is something you are saying and you dont want lots of people to know about then please don't “Tweet” it! Be careful on Twitter, as you don't have to use your real name as your username, so people may not be who you think they are, so always read the user name description.

It's taken me a while to get the gist of things, so as a techno-phobe myself I thought it might be useful to share with you what I have learnt in this techno-phobes guide. I hope that this might help you to overcome any barriers to using these really useful tools on the internet and as a fellow petite you will join me on Facebook and/or follow me on Twitter. You can visit your Facebook and or Twitter page regularly quite simply by adding it to your “Favorites” (Internet Expolorer) or “Bookmarks” (Firefox) in your web browser. The benefits are, with the click of a button, you can keep in touch with people and topics that interest you.