As a petite person (ahem, I’m 5’2”), I’ve learned to be pretty discerning about clothing purchases I make online. For practical purposes, this means I pretty much live in the comments (aka the review sections) of any retailer without a nearby brick-and-mortar location for me to manage an IRL try-on session. It’s also led me to discover some pretty stellar petite-friendly brands.
Case in point: AYR. It stands for All-Year Round, which is exactly how I feel about the versatility of their offering. AYR’s entire collection is the stuff capsule wardrobes are made from. It’s the crisp and effortlessly blousy button-up shirts (the one I bought several years ago is still one of my most complimented), but also the denim, the dresses, even the midi skirts. After investing in pieces here and there from the brand for years, I wanted to do a deeper dive into their fall collection to really check the fit on behalf of my fellow shorties. Here are the looks I fell in love with—and ones I know I’ll wear on repeat, too.
I Tried AYR’s Most Petite-Friendly Fall Styles—Here’s What Earned a Spot in My Closet
The perfect jean for short gals *does* exist
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1. This Bomber-Style Coat
I’ll admit, I’m pretty much a trench coat girl come autumn (see below). But when I pulled the Kilo coat out of its packaging, I gasped. It was the subtle green khaki hue, but also the length of the crop. I’m 5’2” and ordered a medium, and it delivered the perfect short-waisted alternative for transitional weather. What I especially liked about this style is the weight of the material. The lining is quilted, which means it provides just the right about of wind-breaking warmth. The exaggerated collar also gives you a few different styling options to play around with. I paired it with AYR’s The YaYa jean and Practice Tee and it provided the perfect low-maintenance look.
2. Jeans and a White Tee
I don’t say this lightly, but the YaYa style of jeans (mine are in the Paradise hue) from AYR might be the best-fitting denim silhouette I’ve ever tried. What I love about AYR’s jeans is the ability to choose from three different in-seam lengths. I opted for the “S” or small, which best accommodates anyone 5’5” and below. Perfect crop aside, it was also the way this particular style—which features a 1990s straight leg—hugged my hips. Influencers in my orbit have raved about the fit and, after testing, I wholeheartedly agree (and want to own them in every shade). To add a note about the shirt, called the Practice Tee, I appreciated that the material is not see-through and the fit is comfy and breezy, too.
3. A ‘90s-Inspired Denim Dress
When I saw the Charm on offer for fall, I couldn’t resist. The hourglass silhouette, the spaghetti straps, even the back zip—it immediately takes me back to the denim pieces I wore on repeat growing up. But it’s also a style that’s been thoughtfully updated: The denim holds its shape for one and its colorway feels bright but also vintage (something that makes it easy to access that ‘90s nostalgia). For anyone petite, the length is spot-on, but I also like how the straps help draw the eye upward, which helped me stand a little taller. I paired it with an oversize blazer—AYR’s the Sign-Off—which makes such a bold statement, you can skip the coat. (I got the medium, but I probably could have gotten away with the small.)
4. The Most Effortless of Button-Ups
Like I said, AYR’s button-up styles are where I tend to get the most compliments out and about. The Tate is the ultimate example of that. In fact, I’d say there’s a “boss” quality to the fit of this shirt. The crisp material, the extended shirt tail—for petites, the face-framing collar is another feature that helps draw the eye up. I will add that a lot of AYR’s button-ups come with volume (I love it because it makes styling effortless, thanks to the built-in blousy fit). But if you’re concerned that might overwhelm a shorter figure, I’d recommend ordering one size down. I styled the shirt two different ways, with the Legend jean (a slightly dressier silhouette), but also with the High Hopes skirt (when I saw this body-skimming column style is a closet staple, trust me).
5. A Trench That’s a Total Icon
It’s true: I absolutely adore the Kilo style. But a perfect trench is forever and, reader, this one is it. A disclaimer: I found that this particularly style runs large. (My advice with AYR, but really every online shopping experience, is to study the measurement guide—it makes a difference and minimizes exchanges/returns.) When I put the Espionage on, I felt like a total badass. It helps that the cotton twill material has some weight to it (it’s also water-resistant). Even better, it just feels luxe and iconic. I can picture myself wearing this coat daily all season long.
