When it comes to fashion, there are a ton of rules, tips, and tricks to follow for specific body types. If you don’t have what the fashion industry considers an average or standard body type, then it may require more effort for you to find clothes that flatter your figure as most clothes are designed and created only for a very specific body type and size, and unfortunately, not for the petite body type.
If you have a petite frame, there are certain styles that are more flattering than others, and I believe understanding what styles to avoid is almost equally as important as understanding what styles to seek out. Plus, having a good understanding of this may also help make shopping more efficient, and ultimately, make you feel comfortable and confident in the clothes you wear. Below I share what styles to avoid if you are petite, and why.
Low Rise Pants
Legs are one of the simplest ways to elongate your body. High waisted pants make it look like your legs begin at a much higher position on your body than low-rise pants, which in turn makes your legs appear longer, and make you appear taller. Though they won’t elongate your legs quite as much as high-rise pants, mid-rise pants are also an option and still a better alternative than low-rise pants.
Oversized Tops and Bottoms
Pair wide leg denim with a fitted top or a looser fitting top with slimmer bottoms. Wearing oversized bottoms and tops together can make you look wider. It puts more focus on the horizontal length and takes it away from the vertical length which helps elongate your body. Petite women should focus on lengthening vertically as opposed to horizontally when possible.
Horizontal Stripes
Stripes or lines are a very simple, fundamental tool often used in design. Their versatility is likely why they’re used so often in the fashion industry. Lines can be used in many different ways to achieve different results.
For instance, lines can be vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or curved and can be used to divide areas to create shapes, provide direction, or create optical illusions. Vertical lines carry the eyes upward and downward giving the illusion of height, while horizontal lines carry the eyes side-to-side creating a widening effect.
Continuous, vertical lines that begin at the top of an outfit and continue all the way to the bottom of an outfit, without being interrupted by a horizontal line, are the most elongating. For example, a vertically striped dress where the lines go up and down your entire silhouette would be more elongating than a vertically striped top with jeans, where the vertical stripes are only worn on a portion of your body.
Belts also create a horizontal line across the body. For petites wanting to elongate their figure, opt for a belt that closely matches the color of your pants. The less the belt contrasts with the rest of your outfit, the less significant the cut-off will be. For example, a black or dark brown belt will pair better with black pants than a beige or light-colored belt. If you’re petite and want to elongate your figure, focus on accentuating your “vertical line” to create the illusion of a taller height and avoid horizontal lines.
Oversized Handbags
I love my extra large tote just as much as the next person, but, I’ll admit, it definitely overpowers me– both in size and weight. Small to medium-sized handbags are more proportional with a petite body frame.
Drop Waist Dresses
Drop waist dresses aren’t very flattering on petites, because this type of garment lowers or “drops” your waistline. This makes your torso appear longer but your legs shorter. Try dresses that have a higher waistline to get the illusion of longer legs.
Extra Large Patterns and Prints
Proportion is extremely important when it comes to styling a petite body type. Extremely large, loud prints are not proportionate to a petite frame, and therefore, can overwhelm a petite figure. However, if bold prints are your thing, there are certain ways they can be worn that make them a little less overwhelming on a person who is petite. For instance, a large-patterned top paired with a simple, single-colored pair of bottoms is less overwhelming than a large-patterned dress.
Oversized Blazers and Jackets
Oversized jackets and blazers tend to hit far below the waist chopping off a portion of your legs and making them appear shorter. Opt for a cropped blazer or jacket instead as they hit at your waistline and will visually elongate your legs. In addition, single-breasted blazers create a longer vertical line than double-breasted blazers.
Contrasting Colors
To maximize your vertical line, try an outfit with pieces of all the same color or low-contrasting colors. This creates one long column of color and elongates your figure. In contrast (pun intended), an outfit with contrasting colors breaks up your vertical line creating horizontal lines. This creates a widening effect instead of an elongating effect.
Maroon bottoms paired with a maroon or red top and similar colored shoes creates one long line of color giving the illusion of a taller height. Whereas, a white top paired with navy bottoms creates contrast and a horizontal line across the body.
Ankle Strap Shoes
Shoes that feature a strap across the ankle create a horizontal line and interrupt the vertical line that petites typically try to achieve. The greater the straps contrast with your skin tone, the greater, more obvious the horizontal line and “cut-off” will be. To elongate your legs, try to create an unbroken line from your legs to your feet.
If you like ankle strap shoes but want to lessen the cut-off, opt for shoes with ankle straps that closely match your skin tone. I have a pair of nude ankle strap sandals that match my skin tone and don’t cut me off nearly as much as navy or dark colored sandals would.
High Vamp Shoes
Low vamp, instead of high vamp shoes are a great option for petites looking to elongate their legs. The vamp of a shoe is basically the top portion of the shoe. Most flats and pumps are considered low vamp shoes as they mostly cover just the toes and leave a large portion of the top of the feet exposed. Loafers are an example of high vamp shoes as they cover most of the top of the foot. High vamp shoes shorten your vertical line by cutting your legs off closer to your ankles, rather than your toes as with low vamp shoes.
If you are petite, I hope you found the tips and explanations above helpful in some way, whether it’s shopping for your figure or making you feel more confident and comfortable in what you wear.