Shorter girls need to think about proportions when getting dressed – this will avoid you getting ‘swallowed up’ by your clothes. Petite women can wear pretty much all styles – maxi dresses, oversized knits etc., as long as you consider the overall balance of your outfit to avoid your clothes overwhelming your frame. And at at 5ft 1, size UK 6/8 and shoe size UK 35/35.5, I’ve tried every trick in the book.
The goal for petite women is to give the illusion of longer legs as much as you can. High waisted or paper bag waist trousers and shorts flatter shorter girls as they will make your legs look longer while emphasising your waist, I like ,, and shorts are on my wish list for when it gets hotter. Tuck in your t-shirt, skinny bodysuit or a boyish shirt like or with this style of bottoms to show your waist and reveal the lower half of your body are best for shorter girls – I avoid anything without a cuff that could drape on the floor. I like and .
Draw your eyes upwards rather than down with tops that have interesting necklines, collars or details – this will make you appear taller. I like this, and this one.
Jumpsuits are great – opt for one in a single colour to create an unbroken vertical line, which will lengthen a petite frame. Choose a belted style to define your waist rather than a loose style. I like this and one.
When it comes to dresses, short or maxi work best – short because you’ll show off more of your legs making you appear taller – I like this and this one. And maxi because you’ll create one continuous line.
Avoid over layering as this will dominate your frame – thinner light layers work best. Don’t shy away from oversized clothing completely, just make sure it’s balanced out with something more sleek (oversized top -slimmer bottom and vice versa).
When it comes to print go for smaller, more delicate prints that are more to scale with your body, such as the one on playsuit. Try to avoid big bold prints as there isn’t enough room on your body for them and they will overwhelm your frame . Vertical stripes will elongate your body – Â these jeans from Ganni will give an ultra-flattering leg lengthening effect!
As we all know heels will always add those extra inches, but if you’re like me and hardly ever wear heels unless you’re going out (not that we have anywhere to wear them to…) then you’re probably living in boots and trainers at the moment. I have boots from Arket. The heavy sole makes me a little taller – they are one of the best things I have bought for a long time; as well as trainers. And these sandals are on my Wishlist.
Karen X
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