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Whether it’s Stella McCartney designing for Chloe, Paul and Joe outfitting Target stores nationwide, or Ralph Lauren himself, they all play by the same fundamentally flawed rules responsible for moving raw designs from the sketchbook to store shelves: They reach us, the consumer, by way of the model.

The problem is the average fashion model is nearly 6 feet tall and weighs 130 pounds. Meanwhile, the average American woman is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. Strictly speaking, a model is “a copy of an object, especially one made on a smaller scale than the original.” How ironic.

Twenty-five years ago, major department stores recognized this discrepancy and began carrying more appropriately sized clothing, clothing designed for the overwhelming majority of 5-foot-4-inch American women.

However practical this may have appeared, there remained one little flaw. Rather than acknowledging the obvious necessity for these garments by assimilating them into the racks, they were immediately isolated into a separate section and labeled “petites.”

This dated, and arguably derogatory label, can be misleading. Despite its namesake, petite-sized clothing is not based on the idea of a delicate, miniaturized woman. Instead, the garments are designed throughout with slightly altered proportions, while the normal sizing (0 through 12) remains the same. For example, a size 8 pair of petite pants has a slightly decreased rise (distance from crotch to waist) as well as an overall shorter trouser length. A petite jacket is designed to accommodate shorter arm lengths, and the distance from the back of the neck to the waist is also reduced for shorter torsos.

There is no absolute standard, so petite-size clothing designers adopt their own proportions. However, most alterations do not exceed 1 inch within the individual sections of the garment and 3 inches in overall length. This means even the most discriminating fashionistas might be fooled into a petite purchase if not for the small “P” on the label.

Yet, many local “petite” women with whom I have spoken admitted they would prefer not to shop in the sections designed with them in mind. The fact of the matter, they agree, is what these clothes make up for in sizes, they lack in style.

A recent New York Times business story reported major department stores responsible for the inclusion of petite sizes are now either downsizing their respective sections or cutting them out altogether. Apparently, the sale of petite clothing in stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s decreased by 5% over the past year. But the overall sales figures tell a different story: In the past several years, petite clothing raked in a not-so-modest $10 billion, and total sales within the past year increased by 11%.

If petite women are discouraged by the lack of fashion-forward thinking in petite sections and department stores are reporting a loss in sales, who, then, is responsible for peddling $10 billion worth of merchandise?

The same, hesitant, petite-section shoppers provide the answer. They appear much more comfortable and confident purchasing petite sizes in smaller (by comparison), more independent retailers, such as Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft and Talbot’s, to name a few.

The good news is Baton Rouge is home to all of the above, along with a few locally owned shops, such as Ma Petite.

What is so different about petite clothing in these locations? For one, women are given the opportunity to try and buy petite clothes that are consistent with the non-petite, or normal, clothing featured in the newest season’s line. Arguably less important, yet subconsciously pertinent, the petites are subtly separated within the overall displays, not isolated in a remote corner under blatant “petite” acrylic signage. These smaller stores do not have the square-foot advantage of department stores enabling them to turn over mega amounts of merchandise.

But, in this case, a lack of space translates into a clearer design focus. Each garment that makes it to the floor is designed to function through both fit and fashion. We may never knock the petite label, and department stores may continue to scale back in these sections, but petites will endure.

Not because American women are shrinking, but rather, smaller labels are owning up to sizes, styles and selections that are more appropriate and accessible to the majority of women.

And that’s the sort of practical fashion news we can all relate to.