Are you petite? Do you actually know what it means? Are you interested in finding out very easy but tricky ways how to look taller and slimmer? Then you are in the right place.
What does petite mean in clothing?
Petite is the word that is used in the fashion industry, to describe women that are smaller than 5′ 4″ inches (162 cm) in height.
There are people that consider petite as skinny, but in fact, petite doesn’t have anything to do with weight. It’s just about height.
That’s the formal definition of the word “petite” but here’s the one thing I want to tell you. Being petite doesn’t mean you don’t have a perfect body, or you can’t create stylish looks.
No, you just need to know some useful tricks that make you look taller and slimmer to help you to feel more confident in yourself.
In case you care how you look and how flattering clothes you wear, then you should know how to dress to look the best version of yourself.
So, go grab a cup of tea or a coffee and let’s get “the show” started.
How to Dress to Look Taller and Slimmer
Tuck in tops
Whether you are wearing a shirt or a top, as a petite it’s the best idea to tuck it in your pants. It will give your body more shape. It will make your legs look longer so you are gonna look taller. That’s the trick that you MUST consider every time you put on your clothes.
Tucking tops in pants also cinches your waist and makes it much smaller. That will create an illusion of hourglass body shape, which is the most wished body shape around women.
You can find out more about body types in my body shape series.
If you don’t know, there are five main body shapes, containing: hourglass, inverted triangle, rectangle, circle (apple), and triangle.
You can discover more things about them and also find out what type of body shape you have. That helps you to style every single outfit you make so that it fits and flatters the best way for you.
Wear high-waisted bottoms
High-waisted jeans (or tailored pants) lengthen your legs because it has a very big space above the hips. That space creates more lengths of your legs and that’s what makes you look slimmer and taller, even if you are not any of them.
The belt will help you a lot, as well. It visually creates a line on your body but it is not cut in half.
The best way to wear a belt petite is to put it above your natural waistline.
So, you should create something more like an empire waist that is under your breast. Try it, you are gonna be amazed by the result!
Empire waist
I already mentioned it above but I didn’t actually tell you that, dresses or tops with an empire waist will become your best friends.
Why?
Because it works just like other tricks. It makes your torso smaller than your legs. So, it makes you look taller and slimmer again.
Smaller prints
It’s pretty obvious that wearing giant printed clothes will make you look bigger. So, yeah you should definitely avoid them.
Instead, find pieces that have a little print on them. It doesn’t matter which print it will have. Just find the ones that don’t make you larger than you really are.
Smaller prints look much more feminine and also they make you look slimmer. So, you are gonna get a few great things with this little detail. “Perfection is in the details” you know?!
Pointed shoes
Pointed shoes are better than rounded shoes for you. Because they just work the way that it makes you look taller.
If you are OK with high heels, it’s definitely a big win for you. High-heeled pointed shoes will get you an amazing result.
But if you can’t wear heels, you can wear flats that have pointed toes as well. It’s gonna work the same way.
A long cardigan
Layering outfits work great for many reasons. It doesn’t only look stylish but also complements any look.
But as a petite, it’s not a MUST but it’s still required to wear a long cardigan or coat.
What it does is that it makes your body look very long, because there is not any breakup on your body. I mean, there is a long silhouette on your body, that makes you look taller and slimmer.
Since I mentioned the length of the body, I wanna explain two main strategies that will work for every petite woman.
You should either visually cut your body in the higher or the lower line of your hips. I mean, you don’t need to cut your body in the middle.
I created the image as a reference to help you understand what I mean. So, here is the thing. You need to line up above your hips to lengthen your legs and do the opposite (line down) if you want to make your torso look longer.
You can do this by wearing high-rise bottoms and belts. Or another way, crop tops, and jackets work perfectly for petite women.
And one more thing that can make you look taller and slimmer is clothes that are very long. Dresses, skirts, coats, cover up everything that can (almost) reach the floor are gonna work great for you.
High heels
I wasn’t going to mention this as my trick but I should, because it’s an easy but obvious trick that heels make you look taller and slimmer.
But I wanted to tell you that if you can’t wear heels, which are pretty uncomfortable, you can go for wedges or smaller heels that still do their job.
Flare jeans
Flare jeans that go all the way down to the floor are a great option for you. It works as a long coat or cardigan does.
Here is one thing to avoid or just keep in mind. You need to find the perfect jeans that flare exactly after your knees and stay exactly on your feet.
So, you should wear little heels to make them fit perfectly on you. You don’t need your pants to lays on the floor while you are walking down the streets.
Turtlenecks
There are so many turtleneck tops that have very beautiful necklines. And you should know, they are just fantastic for you. Turtlenecks add a little length to your body and you definitely need it, if you want to look taller.
Long necklace
By the way, a long gold necklace is a perfect accessory for an outfit that contains a turtleneck.
In general, long necklaces are another big opportunity for petite women. Because it really creates a virtually vertical line and that’s what makes you look taller and slimmer. That’s the optical illusion, which is pretty important in styling.
Hat
The hat is another piece that lengthens your body and so it helps you to look taller. It adds a little space above your head, you know? ))
It’s difficult to explain it in words, so try it by yourself in the mirror and you are gonna understand what I mean.
Deep V-neck
If you are a petite woman, it’s better to show off more of your skin. So, if you wear a top that has a crewneck, you are gonna look smaller.
But if you pair the deep v-neck top with high-waisted jeans you are gonna look taller and slimmer. That’s how it works!
Cropped pants
Pants that show some part of your legs, work the same way as deep v-neck tops. So the trick here is to make more of your skin noticeable to create a visual longer vertical line on your body.
Mommy jeans are a good example of cropped pants (not every mommy jeans are cropped, by the way). You can find black mom jeans outfit ideas in my older post and use them in your own style.
Roll-up sleeves
This is another trick that works the same way. I mean, you make more of your skin appear by rolling up the sleeves and it adds some volume to your body.
In a volume, I definitely mean height, because that’s what petite women are worried about.
Structured jacket
Jackets that have some structure on them will not only make your curves visible but also work perfectly to make you look taller.
Belted blazers are awesome things, that every petite woman should have in their wardrobe. Because it works!
There is another rule that you should keep in mind. Do not wear too loose clothes, because no one gonna finds out where your waist, hips, bust, and legs are.
That’s what the structured jacket and belted blazer are for.
Vertical stripes
If you are a petite woman, try to avoid clothes with horizontal stripes. Make sure that most of the pieces in your wardrobe have vertical prints on them. Because that’s what makes you look slimmer and taller.
Nude shoes
If you want to look taller without wearing heels, you are gonna need shoes that match your skin tone.
Nude shoes are the best option for you because they match almost all skin tones. Trick and the actual thing that is going on here is that it makes you look taller because your legs look longer.
Monochromatic outfits
As a petite, you need to create outfits with almost the same colors. Or at least try to stay in the same shade of some color. Wearing outfits like those, make you look taller because it creates a visual vertical line on your body.
If you want to look slimmer too, you should go for black outfits. You know that black makes you slimmer, right? So, go for it. Wear all black.
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