I’m referring to those of you who identify as petite in this article.
If you’re 5 feet 4 inches (1.62 meters) or under, you’re considered petite.
In practice, I believe it is determined by the country’s average. Although I would definitely set the bar a little lower, but that is the official definition.
However, this does not imply that you are petite and wear extra-small sizes. It suggests you’re shorter than average, but you’re still a typical size. That’s a significant portion of the world’s female population.
You have a problem with the fit of your clothes.
You notice that the sleeves, hems, and tops are always too long for you and don’t fit properly when you go shopping.
If that describes you, keep reading because this article is for you.
I’ll go over how to style for your body type, give examples of celebrities that are petite, how they do it, or their stylists, and end with a list of shapes and clothing that I think will look great on you.
General Strategy
Let’s start with the overall plan.
If you’re petite and want to visually lengthen your frame, avoid cutting your body in half.
If you have a horizontal cut between your waistline and your hips and you’re wearing a top and bottom in different colors, you’ll appear shorter than you are.
In your situation, the solution is to move the waistline up to lengthen the legs or down to lengthen the torso.
This will deceive the eye into focusing on the portion of your body you’ve chosen to emphasize. Your proportions will no longer be seen as a whole. It won’t give the idea that your top and bottom are the same.
Examples of Celebrities
Let’s have a look at how celebrities do it.
Hayden Panettiere stands 1.53 meters tall. She had to master the art of making herself appear taller than she is by manipulating proportions.
She is an excellent example of petite styling.
She’d wear a floor-length dress, even longer than floor-length, with hidden very high heels underneath to lengthen her silhouette on the red carpet.
Her shoulders were likewise covered. That’s advantageous since a bustier dress, for example, would make her appear shorter. That’s something you don’t want to happen. That dress is ideal for her.
This dress is made up of two colors.
The optical waistline is extraordinarily high, empire style, between the natural waist and the breasts, which could be challenging. Even though the dress’s knee length may be a concern because it cuts the legs in half, it gives her legs the appearance of being quite long.
She’s doing the exact opposite in this day-to-day photo.
With the sweater that ends below the hip level, she’s stretching her torso.
Then it’s time for overalls.
They’re not for everyone, to be sure, but on her, they’re a great choice because she’s wearing the same color at the top and bottom. It lengthens her torso and the plunging v-neckline lengthens her overall silhouette.
That is a fantastic outfit.
Dresses can benefit from the trick of wearing only one color, with top and bottom matching.
She’s wearing a thigh-length dress in this photo, which is ideal for petite women.
Eva Longoria is the next person to come to mind.
She’s very petite, and she prefers to walk around in heels. That is something they both share.
She coordinated her pants and shoes here, which is smart because it lengthens her legs.
In general, she likes to match tops and bottoms, as seen in this photo.
Take note of the shirt’s length; it falls below the hip line. Perfect.
Petite Styling Tips
You’re starting to gain a sense of what looks good on petite women at this point.
I’d like to move right into closet advise and discuss the shapes and clothing pieces that will work best for you.
The empire waistline is a good choice if you want to optically shift your waist upwards and lengthen your legs, which is one of the two tactics we covered.
If you’re more comfortable in a crop top, that’s an option. The same look can be achieved with high-waisted pants.
Choose tops that end below the hip line to bring your waist down and draw attention to your torso. This is especially significant if you have a physique in the shape of a peer.
V-necklines are the way to go. That’s a fantastic suggestion. It also lengthens the torso appear longer. Even better are plunging necklines.
However, avoid bustier dresses that end below your neck because you’re effectively giving up that amount of height from that line to your shoulder. That’s something you don’t want to happen.
If you enjoy your legs and want to show them off, a skirt or dress should be at least mid-thigh length. If possible, go for something incredibly long, like floor length. Anything in the middle, such as knee length, is tough to achieve. Not only for you, but for everyone. It always makes the legs appear shorter.
As we just saw, wearing a top that is the same color as your bottom is a good option. Matching the pants to the shoes, for example, all black, is also quite attractive and lengthens the legs.
If you’re going bare-legged this summer and don’t want to wear pants, have a pair of shoes in your closet that matches the skin tone of your legs. That’ll have the same effect as wearing black shoes with black pants.
In your scenario, heels are usually an excellent decision. If you want a little more comfort, wedges are a better option than stilettos. If you’re wearing sandals, it’s best if the heel isn’t buried, as this will give you more visible leg length.
Big prints and vast patterns work better on tall individuals when it comes to prints (this is self-evident, but I have to say it anyway). Smaller patterns and prints will look better on you if you’re a smaller person.
It’s the same with accessories. Avoid carrying large bags and instead go for compact ones. It’s all about proportions. When you think about it, it makes sense. You don’t want your accessories to appear larger than you because it will make you appear smaller.
This is general advise for petite women. You must still consider whether you have the body shape of a peer, an apple, an inverted triangle, or an hourglass.
If you’ve picked up any tips and feel more prepared to seek for a petite style that suits you, I’ve done my job.
