Recently I learned that half the adult women in the U.S. are 5’3.5” or shorter, the common definition of petite. So why are we hard-pressed to find clothes that actually fit a petite frame?

As a 5’1” woman who’s always rolling up her pants and tucking long shirt tails lumpily into her trousers, I had pretty much given up on the idea of ever having off-the-rack styles fit—until I came across Short Story, the clothing subscription box that curates styles for women 5’4” and below.

My colleague Dana Dickey (who stands at a towering 5’4”) and I both tried the service. Here’s what we thought.

What is the Short Story Subscription Box?

Like other fashion subscription boxes, The Short Story box is a curated selection of five pieces picked specifically for you (more on that below), which is sent straight to your door. The difference is that every single item is designed for petites—meaning it won’t drag on the ground or droop past your fingertips. You only pay for and keep the items you want; everything else you send back in a pre-addressed bag. The service itself costs $25, but that fee gets applied toward anything you keep. So, assuming you keep one item, it has pretty much paid for itself.

To get started, I answered a few questions like: What’s your height, weight and age? What items do you have the most trouble finding the right fit for? What’s your preferred price range for tops, bottoms, coats or jackets—under $50, $50 to $100 or $100+? There were also a few prompts to gauge my aesthetic preferences like: “Please react to these outfit collages (edgy romantic, laid-back casual, boho, modern chic)." All in all, it’s a pretty short quiz that took me about four minutes to complete in one sitting (though you do have the option to save your results and finish it later).

From there, Short Story Box’s design team reviews your answers and sends you a curated box accordingly. Here’s what Dana and I were sent—and what we loved and weren’t so crazy about.

How We Tested the Short Story Box

Dana and I each filled out the above quiz and received a box from Short Story for review. We tried on all the items in the box, paying special attention to fit (duh), quality and aesthetics. Were these wardrobe staples we’d love even if they weren’t geared toward petites? We have high standards!

The 20 Best Jeans for Short Women, According to the Petite People Who Wear Them