Would you like to look better in your clothes? Try these simple styling tips for petites to help you appear longer and leaner.
It’s all about creating the illusions of more and less – more height and less bulk. Next time you’re dressing for your job or to go out on the town, work some magic and create your own illusions.
- Dress all in one color from your top to your shoes. Don’t forget to match your hose to your outfit too. Dark colors slim, so try black, navy, charcoal, burgundy, deep green, or purple.
- Wear garments that fit you well. Fitted or semi-fitted clothing looks better on petites than loose-fitting apparel. Stay away from garments that have a lot of design ease. Select clothes with vertical lines. They don’t need to be striped. Vertical seam lines, such as princess seams will do the trick.
- Choose tops and jackets with V-shaped or U-shaped necklines. These neckline styles aid in creating the illusion of height.
- Wear high heels. It’s the easiest way to add height. Pumps and sling-backs are terrific, but avoid shoes with ankle straps. The strap breaks up the desirable vertical line, and makes the wearer appear shorter.
- Watch out for bulky or highly textured fabrics. There’s no need to avoid texture completely, but stay away from fabrics with a lot of loft. We want to appear taller, not broader.
- Stay away from huge handbags. Oversized bags are so big that they can seem to overwhelm short women.
- Skip the mini-skirts. Although minis look great on women with long, slender legs, they don’t have the same effect for shorter women. The hem of a mini-skirt worn by a petite woman falls across a thick part of the thigh, making it more noticeable.
- Keep belts slim and match them to your outfit if you want to wear a belt. Wide or contrasting belts cut the figure in half and break up the vertical illusion that we want to achieve.
- Wear jeans and pants with straight legs. To keep a slim line, choose pants without cuffs, bulky pockets, or pleats.
