Petite Dressing Tips That Make Your Outfit Look Custom-Made

 

Why Buy Petite?

If you are reading this article, congratulations.  Welcome to the world of being petite! We have so much to offer the world. However, you may have noticed the world isn’t offering petites much in terms of clothing. There aren’t many brick and mortar shops offering all petite options.  Some stores have a petite section, but you may have noticed it is very limited and in many cases, picked over.  If you feel like going to the mall to shop for petite clothes is a waste of time, you’re likely right.

In the clothing world, manufacturers have designed the vast majority of clothing for women who are 5’4” in height and above.  For someone shorter than 5’4”, this fact presents many challenges.  Petite women typically have shorter legs, arms, and torsos.  Many have narrower shoulders.  Therefore, when wearing regularly sized clothing, petite women notice the sleeves, pants, dresses, and skirts are too long. Details like placement of where the armholes, knees, and crotch should belong are off.  It’s not just about lengths!  If the waist and crotch are too low on a jumpsuit for example, hemming the piece will not solve the problem.

It’s about proportions.

Petite clothing is designed to take into account a smaller proportion to accommodate a smaller frame. Well-designed petite pieces will scale properly the shoulders, torso, and limbs.  In pants, the rise and inseam will be adjusted to accommodate for a smaller torso and leg length.  I’m always amazed that petite sweaters end at my wrists. In fact, I’m always amazed when anything I try on that is sized for a petite frame works better.  Thankfully, we do have options – we just have to dig deeper to find them.

That said, not all petites are created equal.  You may be under 5’4” and have longer legs and a shorter torso.  You may have shorter legs and a longer torso.  You may find that some things work for you in regularly sized clothes, and that’s great!  Don’t give that up – keep your options open.

However, you may find it worth your time and energy to be selective about what you buy, as well with where and how you shop for clothes.  Having a fantastic tailor is indispensable – but the costs quickly add up.  Why not buy something that is scaled for you in the first place?

 

A Word About Body Types

In the realm of fashion, there are no rules.  You are entitled to your personal style, and you should enjoy it! Wear what you are comfortable in. Wear clothes that boost your confidence.  Enjoy discovering what you love.

That being said, there are tips available to help your clothes help you. There are benefits to dressing for your body type in terms of comfort as well as presenting yourself in the best possible light.  I recommend taking some time to assess your body type and learn which clothing styles, cuts, prints, and even which types of fabric work best for you.   I also recommend color draping and discovering which color season you reside in to help you learn what colors work best for you to wear.  We are all unique – you may find that you have multiple categories that describe you.  I, for example, am a 5’2” petite woman weighing in at 110 lbs. with half of that weight in my bra (not really, but some days it feels like it).  Even when I am in peak physical shape, I tend toward the round/apple body type – I lack a defined waist (I never have had, or will have, a snatched waist).  On top of that, I am in the light spring color palette.  A fashion challenge trifecta if there ever was one. For me, I have found it extremely helpful to research what works best for someone who is petite with an apple body type and large bust.

Here are some general body types that women fall into:

• Rectangle/straight
• Round/apple
• Large Bust
• Hourglass
• Pear/Triangle
• Inverted Triangle

As this is a website designed for petites, most advice offered will be for the petite category.  There are many resources available online in terms of the color seasons.  Happy learning!

Another good use of time is to know your body measurements.  This will help you determine what size of clothes to buy, especially when ordering petite clothing online.

• Bust – To measure your bust, wrap a soft tape measure around your back and across the fullest part of your chest.  Keep your bra on and wear a bra that provides good shape and support (and preferably is not padded).

• Waist – To measure your waist, wrap a soft tape measure around the narrowest part of your waist.

• Hips – To measure your hips, measure around the fullest part of your hips and buttocks.  Stand with your feet together and toes pointing forward.

• Rise & Inseam – One way to measure inseam length is to take an existing pair of pants that fit well and take the measurement.  The measurement from the crotch to the hem is the inseam length.

 

Petite Tips in a Nutshell

The key piece of knowledge to dressing as a petite woman is this: you must start thinking VERTICALLY.

This is an art form.  You must visually elongate yourself vertically.  And conversely, avoid things which do the opposite, i.e. bringing in visual horizontal lines that break up the vertical silhouette you are trying to create.

For example, wide leg cropped pants are a prime example of clothing that does the opposite of what you want: they widen you as well as introduce visual lines that break up your vertical silhouette.  Look how wide and short this lady has made her legs appear by introducing two poorly placed horizontal lines that break up her silhouette- one with a hem of her top that is far too low, and another with a pant hem that is too high on the leg.  The visual effect is a very short leg.

Slouchy boots are another example of items that break up vertical lines – can you see how the horizontal lines destroy the visual vertical lines of the legs?

Other items petite women should consider avoiding are oversized coats.  These coats tend to drown you – consider well fitted outerwear instead.  Additionally, cropped outwear looks incredible on petite women as it creates an image of longer legs.

Visually elongating ourselves in a vertical direction is not about wanting to be taller or thinner. The idea is to create balance through our clothing choices.   Dressing to visually lengthen the legs is the perfect way to accomplish this.  One-piece styles like jump suits or dresses are a perfect example of clothing that can achieve this.  Look at these photos – can you see the unbroken visual vertical lines?

Another strategy that works well for petite women is to match the color of your shoes with the color of your pants.  Nude shoes work very well for this as well if you are wearing shorts or a shorter skirt/dress.

Monochromatic dressing (wearing the same color on top and bottom) is another excellent strategy for petite women to embrace.  You do not have to limit yourself to only one color –   this can also be achieved by color blocking, such as wearing darker blue pants and a lighter blue top for example.

High waisted pants or skirts (or midrise depending on your body type) is another incredible option that looks beautiful on petite women.  I recommend avoiding low rise as this will make your legs look shorter than they already are.

Aline, wrap, and maxi dresses do wonders for petite women.  Jumpsuits are versatile and elongate petite women as well.  Ladies, don’t break up those vertical lines!

Consider vertical details in your clothing to draw the eye upward.

Cuts of pants that are good for petites include flare, bootcut, straight, and jeggings.  Try wearing them with boots!

Keep patches, holes, and bling on jeans to a minimum and go for a more solid wash.  Details such as these break up the vertical visual line you are trying to create.

Say yes to full length pants – keep that vertical line unbroken.  Ankle length pants tend to make our legs look shorter because a gap is created between the top of the shoe and the bottom of the pants.  I also recommend avoiding cropped pants as well.

If you’re going to try to do wide leg pants, avoid big flares and try a high waist.  This is a tough area for petites women because the wide flare introduces horizontal sight lines. Flowy fabrics can help in this area as their natural movement can help obscure this visual width.

In terms of loud or busy print, I would advise to avoid those because they visually overwhelm your proportions.  Additionally, avoid large prints as these will also visually overtake you.

One more piece of advice that you are probably well aware of: shoes with heels are your friend.  Add that visual length where you can!  Pumps and sandals are wonderful choices as well.

Big and bulky shoes do not do petites any favors as they draw the eye downward instead of upward.  Well-proportioned shoes go a long way in balancing your overall look.

 

Tips for Petite Dresses

The following examples of dresses work very well for petite women:

• A line, wrap, empire waist, and belted dresses (think of creating/vertically lifting your waistline) are typically universally successful for petite women.  Don’t shy away from maxi dresses either!
• Midi dresses are a danger.  The hem of a midi dress lands between the ankle and knee.  Unfortunately, this introduces a horizontal line that has the effect of making your legs look even shorter.  On a petite person, this is not ideal.  That being said, you may be able to pull off a midi dress from the regular section if it lands closer to your ankle, essentially becoming a maxi dress.
• Incorporating slits is another great idea. A slit is an excellent vertical detail that visually elongates the leg.
• Dresses to avoid would be anything bulky and busy. Complicated designs and patterns tend to overwhelm your frame, so consider avoiding those as well.
• Dresses that are too loose will overwhelm you, as well as dresses that are too puffy.
• A petite dress will help bring the waistline higher on your body, thus elongating you vertically. Can you see how in the following photo, the elevated waistline on the dress gives the illusion of longer legs?

 

Tips for Petite Jumpsuits

Say yes to fitted, self-tie, belt and wrap jumpsuits, as well as jumpsuits that have an elevated waistline. Solid colors will be fantastic.

As with other petite clothing, avoid large prints – they tend to be too overwhelming on a small frame.

Remember: get a petite size so the proportions and rise will match you!

 

Tips for Petite Coats

The best coat length for petite women is knee length and maxi. These will hit your leg at just the right spot to keep your overall look proportional.

Wrap coats are a fantastic option as well.

Trench coats can be an excellent option but proceed with caution if you have a large bust: double breasted coats and coats with added details on the top of the body can have the effect of adding even more visual weight where you absolutely do not want that visual weight placed.

For a maxi coat, choose one that is well fitted to keep the volume down.  Wool or cashmere are excellent fabric options for a maxi coat. Belted maxi coats are wonderful.  You can even place the belt above your natural waist to visually elongate your legs.  Consider having the length be longer than your midcalf but not too long as to be overwhelming.  These maxi coats look great with heels!

Avoid puffers as these can overwhelm your frame.  However, if you are in a very cold climate or stuck outside on a freezing cold day you may not care what you look like so long as you are warm.  Again, proceed with caution.

 

Tips for Neckline and Tops

At the risk of sounding repetitive, elongate your body vertically by choosing a neckline that helps you achieve this.  Do this by choosing a V neck, sweetheart, asymmetric, scoop, halter, or square neckline.

Finding a top in a petite size is very beneficial in that your sleeves will not be too long or sloppy looking. Better yet, the armpit holes will be in the right place.

¾ sleeves look great on petites as well!

 

Tips for Skirts

Skirt options that work well on petite women include high waisted, A-line, mini, and maxi. If you do choose a mini skirt, consider avoiding pairing this with a revealing top.  Don’t reveal all your assets at once!

Mix up the details in your skirts with slits and asymmetrical hemlines. Avoid busy, loud, and large prints.

Remember that midi lengths are difficult because of the location of the hemline- it just does not fall in an ideal spot.  If you can pull off a midi length from regular sizing and it lands near your ankle, you may be able to work it out.

Consider fitted tops or tucking in your top when wearing a skirt. If you can pull off a crop top, good on you!  I wish I could!

 

Tips for Shoes

love shoes but as always, remember who you are and what you are working with.  Avoid those horizontal lines petite ladies!

Avoid shoes with ankles straps – they are adding a horizontal line that disrupts your vertical silhouette.  Ankle straps cut off your leg length when you need it most! If you can’t avoid an ankle strap, get a skinny one or use it on a nude shoe.

Say yes to pointed toe shoes. These shoes elongate your legs beautifully. Low vamp shoes (shoes that show toe cleavage) are a yes for you too!

Square or round toe shoes are not as flattering, so proceed with extreme caution.

Nude shoes are your friend in this area as well.  This color will visually elongate your legs.

Booties are another excellent option.  If you can match them to your pants, they look even better!

Types of shoes to avoid include platforms and bulky shoes. Chunky heels and wedges also add too much bulk and draw your eye downward.  If you must have a wedge shoe, get a thinner wedge to reduce visual heaviness.

Sadly, gladiator and strappy sandals tend to work against petite interests – there are simply too many horizontal lines added to your legs, which cut off length visually.

 

Tips for Boots

We can do boots, petite ladies.  We just have to choose them wisely. Ankle boots will work. As will over the knee boots.

Knee high boots are a gorgeous option that are fantastic for us petite gals! However, it is fraught with challenges.  We must find a shaft height that hits right under the knee.  But when you’ve got short legs, this is difficult.  If you can find a boot with a shaft height under 15.5 inches, give it a try.  If your petite body type has long legs, you may be able to get away with 16 inches.  But if your legs are short, a 14-15 inch shaft would be better.  Some brands that make knee high boots with this shorter shaft height include Duoboot, Taryn Rose, Naturalizer, Geox, Sole Society, and Born.

Avoid slouchy boots. There are simply too many visual horizontal lines added to the leg.

Midcalf boots will not work well either.  This height adds a visual horizontal line that cuts into the leg, making it appear even shorter.

 

Tips for Purses

Remember who you are ladies.  Are you wearing a purse, or is your purse wearing you?

Choose a purse of small to medium size to match your proportions.  Consider carrying it higher on your body.