What To Wear If You’re Petite: Styling Tips That Make You Look Taller
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through the link at no extra cost to you. Please read my disclosure here.
Being myself a petite woman I can fully feel the level of frustration when it came to styling because the fashion world has not been too kind to petite women. What does this mean that if you are petite then you have to follow lifetime rules just to look a little taller in pictures or in real life? REALLY?
I truly hate the fact that Fashion gets to decide how a petite person should dress instead of what makes sense on her!
I don’t believe that height is something that can allow you to wear something even if that’s not your style. I see absolutely nothing wrong with being petite. While there might be times that height is desirable as a bonus, it should never be the motivating factor behind how you dress.
There are plenty of fashion trends that I really like and I also know that not every version of a trend looks good on every body type.
Before getting onto styling tips, I would like to start by saying wear what makes you happy first then use these ideas to make your clothes work even harder for you.
What Does “Petite” Actually Mean?
While a lot of people think that petite means being slim but that’s not true. In the world of fashion the word petite refers to height. Generally, women who are 5″4 or shorter are considered petite, doesn’t matter if they are curvy, pear-shaped or plus size.
Style Tips Every Petite Woman Should Know
1. Wear High-Waisted Bottoms
If you are a short girl, then make high waisted pants your new best friends right now! This is the best way to create an illusion of longer legs and extended height.
The other wonderful bonus of high-waisted bottoms is that they accentuate your waist. The accentuated waist looks very hot and makes your overall appearance very chic!
High waisted bottoms are MUST-HAVES in your closet because they are versatile enough and once you start wearing them there is no wayyy going back!
So if you want to create the closet that flatters your short figure then it is high time to buy some good high-waisted bottoms.
2. Choose Cropped Jackets Over Longer Ones
When we talk about styling a petite woman, proportions are a big thing. Let me make you understand it.
Cropped jackets are an ideal choice for petite women since they end up around the waist and leave the longer length for legs. Longer jackets on the other hand can visually weigh down a petite frame by covering all the upper and hip area also.
Due to these pretty reasons I would say that buying a crop jacket over a longer one is usually the safer option if your goal is to look taller (being petite).
3. Tuck In Your Tops
Ahh, here we come. I love this tip. Start tucking your tops. Believe me or not but it is one of the best tricks for making a petite frame look taller.
I use this trick every time I wear a shirt or top and it instantly makes my legs look longer and makes me look taller.
You all must consider this tip every time you put on your clothes.
And here are some tips for you: tucking in works even better with high waisted pieces of clothing! They create an illusion of longer legs and highlight the waistline! So this is a styling habit that is going to make your outfits more stylish.
4. Define Your Waist
The easiest and most flattering way to dress a petite body is to define the waist!
A defined waistline creates a lovely distinction between your upper and lower body, making your proportions look beautifully balanced.
Of course, defining a waist does not mean having to squeeze into tight clothes intentionally. There are a number of tricks that can easily help you get the desired result!
For instance, you can wear high-waisted bottoms, put a nice belt on, opt for wrap dresses, or just tuck in your top! All of these tricks will help you accentuate your waist and add some style to your outfit without any discomfort.
If you are petite and want to improve your style, pay attention to your waistline right away!
5. Wear Pointed Shoes
The pointed-toe shoes have the ability to visually lengthen your feet better than both round-toed and square-toed shoes.
If you are comfortable with high heels then it’s amazing for you.
If you want your look to be more stylish, you can wear nude colored pointed-toe shoes matching your skin color or combine pointed-toe shoes with monochromatic outfits.
In case you don’t feel comfortable wearing heels, point-toe flats will suit you perfectly. It’s gonna work the same but heels would be the better option if you ask me.
6. Show A Little Ankle
Would you like to hear a useful piece of advice? Showing a little ankle won’t hurt since it gives the impression of longer legs. It creates a streamlined look instead of heavy feet.
Pants that are too long can make the legs look shorter since a bunch of fabric will make them look bulky.
Choose the right ankle length pants or get your favorite trousers hemmed. This is why many fashion gurus recommend paying attention to the length of your trousers. Give it a try!
7. Stick To One Colour Family
As a petite person, I recommend you to stay in a single color family most of the time because it is the safer option. If not possible to dress in a single color then at least stay in the same color family.
Also wearing the same color makes you look slimmer, don’t tell me you don’t know this already. Is it?
Wear all black, brown, or any color you love in this world and it is so effortless also.
8. Choose V-neck Tops
I think you will really enjoy adding some good quantity of V-neck tops to your wardrobe because it is the best recipe for your petite body.
V-neck tops are more open from the neck area which makes your skin more appealing and showing more skin makes you look visually taller and that’s true.
Fill up your wardrobe with all V-neck tops and make your best outfit with V-neck top, a high-waisted bottom, a cropped jacket and a ponited shoes, here you go.
Out of 50 tops I own (maybe more than that), 40 are V-neck only. Now, can you assume from here how much I love V-neck tops?
9. Wear Vertical Stripes
If you’re a petite woman, then try to avoid wearing clothes with horizontal strip patterns on them. Why am I saying this? Because it is all a game of illusion.
Vertical prints make you look longer and leaner that’s why you got to read this tip everywhere you find an article for petite women. Wear anything in verticle maybe it’s a dress, top, shirt, trouser or anything.
10. Avoid Oversized Maxi Dresses
Be extremely careful with oversized clothes or leave them unworn especially if they are oversized. Oversized maxi dresses can ruin your style because they cover too much of your body and there is no part of your skin is visible to actually breathe.
And for God’s sake, if the dress is mopping all the floor and you are doing a great job of a floor cleaner then there’s nothing left.
If you are a fan of long dresses then choosing something that hugs you and is in the perfect size for you, not like a sibling hand me down dress. Got it?
Or look for dresses with a defined waist, slits, V-necklines or vertical patterns. They much more favour a petite frame.
11. Wear More Flared Jeans
Flare jeans can go a long way when it comes to a petite style. They elongate your legs and I see a lot of celebrities style them with flared jeans.
You can pair it with high heels, it is the sexiest combo ever for short womens and I genuinely recommend you to try it on my say.
Go add 2-3 good flared jeans to your wardrobe and look for the best compliments of the season!
12. Roll Up Your Sleeves
This tip is especially for women who love wearing shirts. Instead of letting your long sleeves bunch around the wrist or cover your hand which makes it look so full, expose some area especially your wrist by rolling up your sleeves in a clean way which make your look more polished and balanced.
Long sleeves can look so overwhelming in a petite frame. Do this every time you wear a shirt or a jacket because if you know the right trick then you don’t have to pay the price of not knowing it so better take advantage of it.
13. Leave A Few Shirt Buttons Open
The idea is simple to show more of your skin and it works so well in favour of fellow petite women. Leaving the top 2-3 buttons open creates a natural V neckline which elongates the upper body and also looks so flattering.
So whenever you wear something which buttons make sure to leave some buttons open to balance the whole look and make the situation work for petite women.
We discuss a lot about what works for petite ladies but now can we just take a look at where most of the petite womens do mistake. I’m not going to discuss it in a long because then this blog will go wayy too long, so here are 3 common mistakes that almost every woman under 5″4 made without knowing.
Common Styling Mistakes Petite Women Should Avoid
1. Wearing Low Rise Jeans
Always cautious while wearing low-rise jeans! I know they were back in trend and you love following trend but they just do not give favour to petite women because they sit below the waist which can make your legs appear shorter than they really are.
So carrying yourself with a high waist is a better and more loving option than this.
2. Extremely Oversized Clothes
Oversized fashion looks really cool and you want to live that?
I had already told you at the start of this blog that wear what makes you happy. If you love wearing busty outfits, then go ahead and wear them, but if your goal is to look taller than oversized clothes are not for you.
Oversized clothes can compress your height and make you look bulky. But they look really cool also at the same time. So the decision is yours.
3. Pants That Bunch At The Ankle
This might be the most overlooked styling mistake which can easily be rectified if you start tailoring your bottoms and make them into your perfect height.
A well fitted pants are the one who perfectly ends where it has to without any extra fabric coming under your feet. A simple alteration can completely change your look and fit. So, go check every pair of pants you own if they are bunching at the ankle then it’s time to get them altered.
That’s how we end this whole blog post. I hope you found these petite styling tips useful. Bye and see you in the next one.