My Honest Short Story Reviews

I’m excited to share with you my Short Story reviews today because I kinda fell in love with this subscription box. As a petite gal at 5’2”, it’s the subscription box that I feel like I’ve needed my whole life. 

I’ve tried subscription services in the past, and some have been hits while others are misses. I tried Stitch Fix almost 8 or 9 years ago and didn’t love it. I typically like to use the rental clothing subscriptions like Nuuly (see my Nuuly clothing rental review) or Rent The Runway, but recently, I’ve found myself overwhelmed with choosing the clothes every month. 

Not to be dramatic, but I feel like it has been so incredibly hard to find petite friendly clothing for women. There are a few brands that I often come back to because of their Petite sections, but even those brands are not super “my style.” For example, I do like the Petite size sections from J.Crew and LOFT. But those brands are typically a bit more preppy than I prefer. My Short Story box typically has pieces that fit my style a bit better. I think that after you read these Short Story reviews, you’ll definitely be intrigued by this subscription service.

Short Story Reviews: Everything You Need to Know About This Petite-Friendly Subscription Box

I didn’t really know what to expect when it came to Short Story. Because I didn’t have a great experience with the other clothing subscription box that I tried before, I didn’t have my hopes up too high. 

The first time I ever tried on anything from my Short Story box, I was actually amazed by how well everything fit me. Especially when it comes to pants, which are always so difficult for me to find. In these Short Story reviews, I’ll cover more about why I love this subscription box for petite gals. 

What Is Short Story Subscription Box?

The Short Story subscription box is a monthly or bi-monthly subscription box that caters only to petite women! Short Story boxes feature styles that are ideal for folks 5’4” and under. Their sizing ranges from 00P-20P. I think this box is great for anyone who is short and struggles to find clothing for their body. 

The Short Story subscription service is a box that comes in the mail. You’ll receive it in the mail either every month or every other month, depending on your preference. You first must take a brief “Style Quiz” to help the brand understand what your general style is. Short Story offers a personal styling service. They set you up with a stylist who will pick out clothes that fit for you based on your quiz results. 

You will receive a box that has 5-6 pieces in it, and you have five days to try them on and decide if you want to keep (and therefore purchase) the individual items, or if you want to send them back. They give you a prepaid bag to send your items back in the mail, for whichever ones you don’t want to keep. 

Once you try on the clothes, you will “check out.” This is a pretty thorough process, where you will fill out a little survey on their website to explain why you are keeping an item (or items) and why you are returning items, too. They ask you to go into detail about what you liked and what you didn’t like. That way, they can better learn about your style and fit for the next box. I try to be as detailed as possible because it helps my stylist understand what I want in each box.

The company charges you a $25 styling fee if you don’t purchase anything from the box. Which, personally, I think is very reasonable for the amount of work the stylist puts into curating your box each month. 

What To Expect In Your Short Story Box

Jeans

This is probably one of the biggest reasons why I turned to the Short Story box, and why I felt like I NEEDED to write these Short Story reviews for other petite gals out there. I know how hard it is to find jeans that actually fit. Before signing up for this monthly box, I had purchased most of my jeans from Madewell. I always had to get them hemmed in-store, and the store would send the jeans back to me once they finished hemming them. I appreciated that they offered this service to customers, but I found it annoying to have to go through the process.

I’m amazed by how well all of the jeans that I get in the Short Story box actually fit me. Not only do they hug my legs perfectly, but they also are newer too long or too short. Short Story has sent me a few pairs that are kinda ugly, but most of them have looked amazing and are now part of my regular rotation.

I like that Short Story has a bunch of different jeans in different colors, washes, styles, and fits. I’ve been requesting a lot of looser-fitting jeans in the last year (because skinny jeans are OUT lol!), so most of the styles that I have are wide leg (notoriously difficult to find for petite women), mom jeans, relaxed, and some straight leg. They have all different styles that you can request in your boxes. 

One thing to note is that I’ve never received jeans that are super, super high-quality. You know the ones I’m talking about, right? Brands like Mother Denim, Paige, and Agolde have very high-quality jeans at a very high price tag. 

Most of the jeans that I’ve received in my boxes cost between $45-$100, and are not like the buttery jeans you’ll find with high-end brands. That being said, I will trade a pair of jeans that actually fit me really well and aren’t buttery soft over expensive-ass jeans that feel soft but I’m swimming in. 

Moto Jackets

I’m shook by how well these moto jackets fit me. They are literally a perfect fit and I am obsessed with all of them. I’ll never forget the first time I tried one on when it came in my box. It fit me like a glove, and the length of the arms was absolutely perfect for my size. It was in this moment that I realized I had never really found or purchased a lightweight jacket that actually fit me. Typically, I would buy a regular jacket in size XS, but the arms would always be too long. But I would either roll them up or just leave them hanging. I don’t have to worry about that with these jackets—the fit is insanely good!  

Skirts

I’ve gotten a couple of skirts from Short Story. Some of them I like, others I’m not super in love with. Some of them have felt too cheap, so I return them. Also, I’ve never tried on a skirt from Short Story and said to myself, “wow, this fits way differently than a regular skirt.” So yeah, I’ve kept a few that I like, but I usually choose other items in my box—like the jeans and jackets—that I think they design more specifically for petite ladies.

Pants

This is another category that I love to use Short Story for. I don’t have a ton of pants from my boxes because I don’t request pants that often. I moreso request (and wear) jeans. But my feelings about the pants are pretty similar to that of the jeans above—I think they fit wonderfully and I’ve been able to add them into my wardrobe, but they aren’t the most high-quality pants I’ve ever tried, either. 

Sweaters

I’ve gotten a bunch of sweaters from Short Story and I usually love all of them! They always fit really nicely. Oftentimes I will return some of the sweaters because I don’t like the colors that they send me (like when they send me cream or oat-colored things, which look bad with my skin tone). But this is another category that I do notice a slight difference between Short Story box sweaters versus a regular sweater you’d find at a store or online. 

Is Short Story Box Worth It?

Yes, I definitely think the Short Story box is worth it. I’ve found some awesome, everyday pieces that fit me better than anything I’ve ever put on. If you don’t like anything in your box for the month, all you have to do is pay $25 for the styling fee, which I think is very fair. 

Again, don’t expect high-end pieces in these boxes. Some of the materials do feel cheap, and other pieces feel a bit more elevated/mid-range. I do think that the prices reflect the clothing pretty well, too. 

How Much Does Short Story Box Cost?

If you don’t purchase anything in the box for the month, the company charges you $25. But if you do buy something, they apply that $25 as a credit toward your purchase.

The pricing can range from $35 to over $150 per piece. It’s pretty rare that I’ve ever purchased (or received) something in my box that’s over $150. Some of the moto jackets that I’ve purchased have been around that price range, while others have been lower. I believe I’ve purchased some jeans priced between $75 and $100. They usually price the tops, pants, skirts, and dresses lower than that.

I hope you found these Short Story reviews helpful. I’m so happy I had the opportunity to discover Short Story. I’ve always struggled to find clothing that actually fits my body well, and I really think this subscription service has been a huge game changer in my wardrobe.  What questions do you have for me about my Short Story reviews? Pop them in the comment box below and I will respond promptly!