Short Story Box is a subscription styling service for petite people, and I'm already looking forward to my next box

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• Short Story is a subscription service that helps women find petite-sized clothing.
• Stylists use a questionnaire to personalize your box and continue to learn your style over time.
• After giving the service a try for myself, I can't stop recommending it to my friends.

Shopping for clothes that fit right on the first try is a tall order when you're petite. Unless I shop the junior section, blouses, jackets, bottoms, and especially one-and-done outfits like dresses and jumpsuits nearly always require some form of tailoring or tucking in.

I realize the obvious answer is to shop in the petite section, but oftentimes that inventory is limited, so I'm left searching for an alternative. When I came across Short Story, a personal styling service created by petite women, for petite women, I knew I had to give it a try.

What is Short Story and how much does it cost?

Short Story was founded by Isabella Sun back in 2019, with the intention of putting an end to the inevitable "ugh" that transpires when petite sizes shop for clothes. Currently, the service caters to women 5'4" and under, with sizes ranging from 00P-18P. Short Story carries its own exclusive clothing lines but also collaborates with brands like Vince Camuto, Vero Moda, and Liverpool, among others. 

Subscribers can receive stylist-curated boxes every few weeks, monthly, every few months, etc., depending on their preference and the total cost of each box varies by budget. You will be charged a $25 styling fee per box, and the 5-6 clothing items that are included in your box start at $32. 

How it works

One of the best parts of Short Story's service is how easy the process is from start to finish. First, you'll take the style quiz. Questions range from which items you have the most trouble shopping for, to how you feel about specific styles, your sizes, and budget preferences. 

Once you've completed the questionnaire, you fill out your shipping and payment information. When your order is processed, a stylist will use your response to personalize your box.

You have five days from the time you receive your box to try everything on and decide what you love, and what you don't. Shipping is free, as are returns and exchanges. 

My overall impression

I was impressed with Short Story from the very beginning. I found the service questionnaire to be thorough and thoughtful and received my box within two weeks of ordering. 

Inside my box were six items: A leather jacket, a maxi dress, a jumpsuit, a pair of black denim pants, a button-down shirt, and a gold paperclip chain necklace. 

The stylist assigned to my box did an excellent job choosing pieces that filled a gap in my wardrobe. Usually, I have a lot of trouble finding dresses, jumpsuits, and bottoms that fit me well and complement my petite shape and frame, but every article of clothing I received fits like a glove.

It may take some time for Short Story to learn your style

While all of the pieces included in my box fit nicely, there were one or two items that didn't quite align with my personal style. That said, this was my first time working with Short Story. It's highly possible that over time, Short Story stylists get a better understanding of the type of clothing you love and don't love based on what you keep versus what you return.

The bottom line

I would (and have already started to) recommend Short Story to any petite woman tired of sifting through countless clothing items only to come out empty-handed, or scheduling an appointment with their tailor. The clothing is high quality, and comfortable, and the stylists behind the site are experts in the space who curate a selection of items you'll not only want to wear but that you love to wear.