This was my first visit to a Banana Republic Factory store, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I own several great workwear pieces from Banana Republic's regular store, but over the last few years I haven't been too impressed with their styles and sizes. It's also hit and miss as to whether they carry petite sizes in their stores. Much to my surprise, the factory store had quite a large petite section!
They had a good mix of colours and styles, and I liked their slogan of "designed with the perfect fit in mind." It's nice to at least see the appearance of really thinking about what works for petites! Most items were on sale, on top of already low prices. Four items caught my eye enough that I decided to try them on - that's already a huge win!
Ladder Lace Fit and Flare Dress (here)
Wearing size 00 petite.
First up, I tried this phantom grey / rhubarb bird print dress. It's flowy and light while still maintaining a shapely cut and accent lines. I love the fun bird print! Animals or other cute motifs can look too young on me, but I thought the small and subtle silhouettes worked well. The fit was a little too wide, though, and several inches too long.
3/4 Sleeve Ribbed Luxe Sweater in black (here):
Wearing size XXS petite, with Paige Verdugo silvie ankle jeans in size 24 petite (similar here).
I went for a sweater next. The overall fit of this was great! It's so soft and cozy, and actually form fitting. The ribbing also gives it a nice texture so it isn't just a flat black. I'm not completely sold on the sleeve length, but I do feel this could make a good season-transition piece with a balance between casual and formal.
Cold Shoulder Ponte Sheath Dress in heather grey (here):
Wearing size 00 petite.
I would love to add a simple, well-tailored sheath dress to my wardrobe. This one felt nicely made, but the fit was very off on my body type. I would consider getting the length hemmed since at least the waist was ok, but from the waist up it was way too tight. The cold shoulder sleeves added a little trend to the dress but kept riding up on my arms and were painfully tight.
Metallic Boucle Sheath Dress in black rose (here)
Wearing size 00 petite.
I have knees!! Finally, a length that works for my height. I did not like that it was very shapeless and wide though, and I thought the stiff material wouldn't work well with a belt/would have too much puckering. It does give me hope that they'll produce dresses in different cuts in future with a length that works without hemming.
In the end, I decided to purchase the sweater. The material was only five percent cashmere, and the bag I received at checkout was plastic, not their usual paper with handles and logo. There are some obvious cost cutting measures in place, and most of the items in store look like there were produced specifically for the factory store and not leftovers of anything I've seen in their regular stores. That said, I was definitely impressed by the amount of selection and the styles of the petite clothing at the Banana Republic factory store, and I will certainly visit again.
*note for online ordering: they currently do not ship outside of the US.