Petite

As in every type of clothing, one size does not fit all! On petite women, standard golf clothes can fit awkwardly, but these petite ladies golf clothes solve two problems at once — fashion and fit. 

Why standard golf clothing fits petite frames badly

The problem with buying a smaller size is that clothing is not scaled uniformly. When a brand grades a garment down, it shortens the body far less than it narrows it. The result is familiar to anyone under about 5'4": pants that pool over the shoe, a skort that sits closer to the knee than intended, sleeves that reach past the wrist, and a shoulder seam that has slipped halfway down the upper arm.

None of this is only cosmetic. A shoulder seam in the wrong place restricts rotation at exactly the point in the swing where you need it. A sleeve that is too long catches on the follow-through. Trouser hems that drag pick up water from morning dew and get stepped on walking uphill. Petite-specific cuts fix the proportions rather than just the measurements, which is why they feel different rather than merely smaller.

What to look for in petite golf apparel

Four measurements matter more than the size on the label. Inseam is the most important for pants — golf pants are cut deliberately long to sit over a shoe, so a standard inseam on a petite frame is usually several inches too much. Skort and skirt length is measured from the waist, and a 16-inch skort designed for a 5'8" frame lands very differently on a 5'2" one; going shorter is often the correct move rather than a stylistic one.

Sleeve length and armhole placement determine whether a top lets you swing. Torso length decides whether a dress sits at your natural waist or below it. When you are shopping, check those four against a garment you already own and love, rather than trusting the size label.

Brands and styles that work

Amy Sport Petites, sometimes listed as Spitfire Petites, designs specifically for shorter frames rather than grading down from a standard block, which is the difference that matters. Within the wider collection, certain styles also work well on petite frames regardless of whether they carry a petite label.

Cropped and ankle pants are a natural fit, because a cut that reads as cropped on a taller frame often falls at full length on a petite one. Look at ankle-length styles from Daily Sports, and at cropped pants across the range. Skorts in the shorter 15- and 16-inch lengths generally sit better than longer cuts. Sleeveless tops sidestep the sleeve-length problem entirely, and are worth defaulting to in warm weather. Dresses with a defined or adjustable waist are more forgiving than straight shift cuts, which tend to drop the waistline.

For outer layers, vests are an easier buy than jackets, because there are no sleeves to get wrong. If you do buy a jacket, prioritise the shoulder fit above everything else — sleeves can be altered, shoulders effectively cannot.

Alterations worth making

A good tailor is a petite golfer's most valuable resource, and golf clothing takes alteration better than most people assume. Hemming pants is straightforward and inexpensive, and it transforms how a pair looks. Shortening sleeves on a knit or woven top is usually simple. Taking in a side seam on a polo is routine.

What does not alter well: anything with a technical laminate or taped seam, anything where the shoulder is wrong, and pleated skorts, where the pleat structure runs the full length and cannot be shortened without rebuilding the garment. If a piece needs work in those areas, it is the wrong piece.

One useful habit is to buy for the widest part of your body and alter the length. Length is the easy fix; width is not.

Proportion and how things look

Beyond fit, a few choices make petite proportions read well on the course. Keeping the waistline visible — with a tucked top, a belt, or a defined-waist dress — establishes where your body divides and makes legs look longer. Vertical elements help: a long cardigan or vest, a front placket, or a column of colour from top to bottom.

Scale matters in prints. Very large prints can overwhelm a smaller frame, while small and mid-scale patterns sit better. This is a guideline rather than a rule, and plenty of petite golfers wear bold prints extremely well — but if a print has ever felt like it was wearing you, scale is usually why.

Shoes contribute too. A shoe that matches your pant or skort colour extends the line of the leg, while a contrasting shoe cuts it. Browse our golf shoes collection with that in mind.

Shopping online when you are petite

Measure yourself once, properly, and write the numbers down: bust, natural waist, hip, inseam and torso length. Then compare against the brand-specific measurements on our size charts rather than assuming a size carries across brands. It does not.

When two sizes are plausible, the smaller one is usually right for a petite frame if the measurements allow, because excess fabric reads as ill-fitting faster on a shorter body. Our returns policy covers new, unworn items within 30 days, so ordering the one you think is right and returning it if it is not is a reasonable strategy on non-final-sale items.

One last thought: fit problems on a petite frame are a manufacturing issue, not a personal one. Clothing is graded from a standard block that simply does not describe every body, and a garment that hangs badly is telling you about the pattern rather than about you. Buy for the measurements you have, alter what needs altering, and ignore the number on the label.

Can't find what you need?

Petite golf apparel is still under-served by the industry, and we know the selection is smaller than it should be. If you are looking for something specific — a particular inseam, a shorter skort, a brand you have had luck with before — tell us through our contact page and we will try to track it down. We would rather find it for you than have you settle.

You can also browse our plus size collection, bottoms, tops and golf dresses for pieces that work across a range of proportions.