Black is a classic choice for the office because it’s polished, versatile, and easy to mix with pieces you already own. While an all-black outfit always looks chic, I also like pairing black with white or soft neutrals to keep things feeling fresh, especially during the warmer months.
For this installment of my outfit-by-color series, I’m sharing four petite-friendly black work outfits featuring dresses, skirts, and trousers that work well on a shorter frame.
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My Sizing: I’m 4’10”, and my bust, waist, and hip measurements are 32″, 24″, and 36″. My inseam is 25″ (the measurement from the inside of my leg to my ankle bone). The clothes shown are unaltered and show how they fit me right from the store. I list my sizing beside each item to help you compare when shopping online. When referencing my true size, that is often the smallest option available at a brand or petite xxs/00/24. I wear a size 5 shoe.
Outfit 1: Black Column Skirt and Boatneck Sweater
For the first outfit, I paired a printed black midi skirt from Ann Taylor with a black boatneck sweater.
Column skirts can be tricky on a pear-shaped petite frame because they often fit my waist but end up too snug through my hips. To get a more comfortable fit, I sized up to Petite 0 in this skirt, and I’m glad I did. It gives me the extra room I need while still looking tailored. The skirt is fully lined and features a true wrap front, which adds a nice detail while maintaining coverage.
The boatneck sweater is true to size, and I’m wearing Petite XXS. It has a polished look that pairs well with skirts and trousers alike, making it a versatile staple for work.
Skirt Petite 0 | Top Petite XXS | Shoes tts | Tote | Earrings
Outfit 2: Black Boatneck Sweater with LOFT Trousers
Next, I styled the same Ann Taylor sweater with a pair of relaxed straight-leg trousers from LOFT.
The pants are true to size and have a 28″ petite inseam. I can usually wear a 28″ inseam in jeans with flats, but trousers are a little different. Because these have a drapey, relaxed silhouette, I find they look best with a small heel to keep the hem from pooling at my feet.
Top Petite XXS | Pants Petite 00 | Shoes tts | Tote | Earrings | Belt
Outfit 3: Sawyer Crepe Pants and Short Sleeve Cardigan
For the third outfit, I wore LOFT’s updated Sawyer Crepe Pants with a short sleeve cardigan from Banana Republic Factory.
These pants appear to be the same as the pants I purchased in the spring, but they fit differently, so I can only assume LOFT made a few changes to these pants for the fall season. The spring version ran large on me, but this updated release feels much more true to size, which I appreciate. The one downside is that the inseam increased from 27.5″ to 28″ in petite. The website notes the same 27.5″ inseam as the other pair, but my pair measures a 28″ inseam, and I can’t wear them with flats. I could easily wear the spring pair with flats.
The short sleeve cardigan is from Banana Republic Factory, and I’m wearing XXS. It’s an easy layering piece that looks polished buttoned up on its own or worn open over a shell.
Pants Petite XXS | Top XXS | Shoes tts | Tote | Earrings
Outfit 4: Black and White Shirt Dress
For the final outfit, I styled a black and white shirt dress from LOFT.
This dress is true to size and feels very well made. It’s fully lined, which keeps it from being see-through.
It also has functional buttons down the front, but unlike many shirt dresses, the lining provides coverage behind the button placket. That means even if there’s a little tension between the buttons, you don’t have to worry about the dress becoming revealing. It’s a thoughtful detail that makes a big difference.
Dress Petite XXS | Shoes tts | Tote | Earrings
Final Thoughts
Black is a classic for workwear that always easy to build a work wardrobe around.
I hope these four outfits give you a few ideas for wearing black to the office while keeping proportions balanced on a petite frame. Stay tuned for the next post in this outfit-by-color series, where I’ll be sharing even more petite-friendly work outfit inspiration.
