10 Fashion tips for petites

Shivam SinghAug 25 2011

Whenever a women is said to be petite, most of us assume her to be tiny, but this is not the true fact as petite basically refers to stature not size. In the world of fashion, the world petite is used to represent the range of clothing which has been designed especially to fit the shorter women who are 5'4'' or lesser in height. Some designers also use 5'3'' as the top height for their petite clothing. Petite clothing is all about creating illusions which help shorter women look better in their clothes. If even you want to appear leaner and longer, then all you need to do is to follow the simple styling tips given below. The basic idea behind petite clothing is to show more height and less bulk.

Fashion tips for petites
Fashion tips for petites

1. Wear well fitting clothes

Loose fitting apparel must always be avoided as they make short women appear even shorter in height. Also, clothing that incorporates extra fabrics for the purpose of design ease adds bulk, hence it will be best if you make a distance from such garments.

2. Choose garments with V-shaped necklines

Jackets and tops with U or V-shaped necklines are very effective in creating the illusion of height, also they aid your style statement. Therefore, fashion experts always recommend garments with V-shaped necklines for petites.

3. Avoid bulky garments

It's always better to avoid garments which have high textured fabrics or which are bulky. Fabrics which have a lot of loft make you appear broader which consequently goes against our will as we want to appear taller. For winter clothing, thin woolen apparels are much better than the thick ones.

4. Watch out for mini-skirts and mini dresses

Mini skirts look great on women with long and slender legs but unfortunately they don't have the same effect for petites. While wearing mini skirts, the hem of it makes the thick part of the thigh even more noticeable thus making short legs appear even shorter, so it's always better to skip the mini skirts.

5. Go for pants that have straight legs

Pants and jeans with bulky pockets, pleats and cuffs must always be avoided as all these things make you appear shorter. For short women, pants and jeans with straight legs are best suited.

6. Dress entirely in one color

This has been one of the most successful and broadly used styling technique for petites. All that you need to do is to make sure that your entire outfit including stockings and tights are in one color from your top to your shoes. Also, dark colors make your appear slimmer so its better to try navy, burgundy, black, charcoal, purple or deep green color clothing.

7. Choose garments with vertical lines

Another noticeable trick is to go for garments which have vertical lines. Also, your cloths don't need to be striped, as vertical seam lines are enough to create the illusion of height.

8. High heels are the best friend of petites

High heels are the easiest and the most effective way to add height. But you must avoid ankle straps as they break the desirable vertical line, thus making you appear shorter than your actual height. Sling backs and pumps are best suited for this purpose. Nowadays, comfort factor is also kept in mind while designing high heels in order to cushion your feet so you need to not to worry even if your previous encounter with high heels was not worth remembering.

9. Over-sized handbags must be avoided

Handbags are one of the all time favorite accessories of women. However, when it comes to petite clothing it's always better to go for medium sized bags instead of the over-sized and bulky ones as they appear to overwhelm short women.

10. Select narrow belts

Fashion gurus always recommend narrow belts for shorter women. Also, the belt needs to be slim and must match with your outfit. Belts with contrasting colors or the wide ones disrupt the desirable vertical illusion which we want to achieve as they cut your figure in half so they must be avoided.

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