- Styling Tips for Petites, According to a 5'3" Fashion Editor
- 1. Show Off Your Waist
- 2. Wear Short Dresses With Pointed-Toe Shoes
- 3. Try Cropped Trousers
- 4. Wear High-Waisted Trousers
- 5. Tailor Your Pieces
- 6. If in Doubt, Go Monochrome
- 7. Balance Out Layers
- 8. Invest in a Long Coat
- 9. Kitten Heels Go a Long Way
Ava Gilchrist
Ask anyone who is petite, and they’ll tell you how most of their lives have been spent being told about the fashion trends short women should avoid. Nowadays, however, we know this rhetoric is not only damaging to self-esteem but also entirely inaccurate. Style isn’t prescriptive, and there are no specific styles and styling tips that petite women should keep away from at all costs. (We are speaking about clothes, not the bubonic plague after all.) In saying this, there are certainly fashion trends that short women could find value in seeking out.
When you're short, shopping for clothing and creating a capsule wardrobe is a bit of a battle. As someone who's under 5'3", I've regularly found myself in fitting rooms trying on laughably long jeans or jackets that make me look like I've come straight from the '80s with unintentionally oversized shoulders. If you're nodding along in empathy, rest assured that I feel your pain. But it doesn't have to be this way.
While we should all embrace whatever size, shape or height we are, I know that for me, sometimes appearing a little taller helps with being more confident. It's this exact feeling—one I know that you yourself can relate with!— that's compelled me to compile some recommendations for dressing a smaller frame in a way that won't impede on self-expression or personal style, but still enable you to feel like you're taking control of the pieces you wear, not the other way around.
Looking at fashion insiders, including the stylish petite celebrity outfits I've bookmarked over the year, I also noticed that there are a few commonalities that petite women share. (And no, it's not just about looking like we've grown a few extra inches.) Instead, it's about accenting the proportions you've been blessed with and showing off that impressive wardrobe collection you've spent your whole life curating.
Now, without further ado, on to their secrets…
Styling Tips for Petites, According to a 5'3" Fashion Editor
1. Show Off Your Waist
Style Notes: An outfit that nips in at the waist is an easy way to avoid swamping a smaller frame. Waisted tops are a great way to achieve this effect. However, you can also rely on design elements like shirring and smocking. Want to just use the items you already have in your possession? Simply pair a classic form-fitting white tank top with sculpting denim jeans.
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This Who What Wear editor-approved top is made of a really lightweight and breathable knit that helps conform to the contours of your body.
Dark wash jeans, at least in my opinion, will always look far more expensive than lighter tones.
A delicate fine jewellery piece to add to your collection—and really any look.
2. Wear Short Dresses With Pointed-Toe Shoes
Style Notes: The beauty of this combination is that it's so simple but undeniably elevated. There's just something about pointed-toe shoes that directs the eye down and can make legs appear slightly longer.
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Very Saint Laurent coded.
Even a kitten heel can give you a little more loftiness.
You can easily swap out the mini dress for a fine-knit top and skirt to achieve the same silhouette, albeit a more wearable version.
3. Try Cropped Trousers
Style Notes: So many petite friends of mine always turn to me when looking for trousers—they are notoriously hard to nail for frames under 5"4'. Still, I always have a solution. From the best capri pants for petites to chic cropped trousers, wearing bottoms that give a clever flash of ankle will always provide the impression that you're more refined and bigger in stature.
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A perfect colour to go with other warm neutrals like grey.
A crop will also show off a great pair of shoes.
The textured effect on these pointed toes will have your friends asking if they're designer.
4. Wear High-Waisted Trousers
Style Notes: Anything high-waisted is a winner for petite women, and it's easy to find tailored pairs that help create a polished and tailored silhouette. The high rise gives the illusion of longer legs by emphasising your waist. To get the right length, head to petite sections at the likes of Reformation, Nobody's Child or M&S.
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This H&M tank top is one of the best I've ever seen—durable, structured, non-see through and sweat-proof.
We can't sing the praises of Reformation's Mason pants any higher, especially when they're cut to suit petite frames.
A chunky pendant necklace will also help draw attention without truncating your build.
5. Tailor Your Pieces
Style Notes: Many clothes these days have a relaxed or wide-leg fit, so they can end up being too long and too big. If you find one you love that isn't in the petite section, finding a great tailor is the trick. The Seam is such a good site to use to find a local one in your area. You can still pull off these cool trends and different silhouettes, but they'll be perfectly tailored to you, making for a flawless, one-of-a-kind, outfit.
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One can never own enough of these kinds of basics.
"I once believed pencil skirts were matronly. Oh, how wrong I was," says Who What Wear SEO Writer Ava Gilchrist. "At 5"5', I'm not technically petite, though still on the shorter side, but I adore the way this style falls so elegantly down the body."
These look like they could be from Jil Sander.
6. If in Doubt, Go Monochrome
Style Notes: Monochrome and tonal outfits are a go-to for shorter girls. A top-to-toe look in the same colour can lead the eye all the way down, whereas different colour separates can often highlight a shorter torso or legs. Make like Coco Chanel and go for a polished all-black outfit. (As she once said: "When I find a colour darker than black, I'll wear it. But until then, I'm wearing black"
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I love the fit of this T-shirt.
Made from suiting fabric, this Abercrombie skirt will add an elegant contrast against any cotton top.
Bring the studded bag trend to your footwear game.
7. Balance Out Layers
Style Notes: The one thing petite street style stars all know to be true? Layers can be difficult as they tend to drown shorter people in fabric. If you want to do the relaxed silhouette look, opt for one key piece and team it with something sleek and tighter on the bottom half, like leggings and boots.
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A great affordable alternative to Toteme's chic coats.
From the loafers to the cardigan, this entire outfit looks so rich.
A timeless boot style.
8. Invest in a Long Coat
Style Notes: Sabrina Carpenter is a fan of this trick. (She knows a streamlined silhouette is always going to make you appear taller.) A long coat will instantly make any outfit look smarter. Plus, many of the world's knee-length will be long enough to do the trick, so you've got more options to play with.
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Prepare to look like you've walked right off the streets of Paris.
This is slightly larger in size, so petites can get away with wearing something that falls at the knee.
The curved heel trend is coming for boots this season.
9. Kitten Heels Go a Long Way
Style Notes: We saved the most obvious rule for last. Of course, wearing heels will make you look taller. And if you can't bear high heels? Fear not, kitten heels are back and do the trick too.
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The cosiest sweater.
White cropped trousers are so underrated for cooler months, but I find them a true year-round staple.
The style is so elegant, and one of the most iconic shoes of all time.
