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The petite market has a reputation for being short on fashion, but a retail shift is underway. Back in 2006, American department chains, like Neiman Marcus, Saks and Bloomingdale’s, started to quietly downsize or eliminate their petite departments (sized for women 5 feet 4 inches and under) and switch to an online-only model. The move was bold and illuminating. Executives explained to The New York Times that their decision wasn’t based on sales floor space or height variances over time (the average American woman still hovers around 5 feet 4 inches), but on a low sell-through. Petite women were no longer interested in the buttoned-up workwear popularized in the 80s by......