If you have a petite frame, it’s challenging to find clothing that fits well and flatters your small frame. As a petite woman, I know how hard it can be to find the right styles for dressy or professional occasions. As a personal stylist, I’m here to share some game-changing petite styling tips to improve your style.
5 Petite Styling Tips
Here are 5 petite pro styling tips that petite women can incorporate when buying clothing and creating your wardrobe. It doesn’t matter what your body type or weight is, if you are short, these petite styling tips will work for you.
1. Use Vertical Lines
Styling is about creating illusions. One way to create the illusion of being taller (and slimmer), is by using vertical lines in clothing. This can be in the form of actual vertical stripes or construction features such as seams, buttons, and textures. Here is a list of vertical line features that give petite bodies the illusion of length:
Pro Tip: Avoid horizontal lines, as they make the body look shorter and wider
2. Use Monochromatic Colors
Monochrome or very similar colors create a seamless line. This illusion makes the body look longer.
Pro Tip: Avoid drastic breaks in color at the waist. This cuts the body in half and will make petites look shorter
3. Use High Waistlines
If you are a petite girl, leveraging the style trick of creating a high waist will draw the eye up, making your petite frame look taller. Here is how to do this:
Pro Tip: Petite women should avoid drop-waist dresses and low-waisted pants. These styles will drag the eye down and make you look as if you are closer to the floor (making you look shorter).
4. Be Mindful of Hemlines
When it comes to styling the petite body, hemlines are one of the most important considerations. Hemlines that end at the right part of the body can make petite women look taller. Here are the best places for hemlines to end for petites:
Hemlines and Layers
Be mindful of making sure that all hemlines are even or proportional to the scale of your silhouette and other layered pieces. Avoid big brakes and gaps in between hemlines as this will cause a “choppy” look and make you look shorter.
Pro Tip: It’s never flattering to end a hemline at the widest parts of your body. This makes the silhouette look wider. Avoid hemlines that end at the widest part of the thigh and calf.
5. Wear Tailored Clothing
If you are a petite woman, investing in tailored clothing is a must, especially for professional and formal attire. Oversized, or even worse-ill fitting clothing can make petites look frumpy! Here are some tailoring tips for petite women:
Oversized Styles
If your personal style includes oversized clothing, choose colors in monochrome or vertical stripes to achieve a longer, taller appearance. If you like oversized styles, be mindful of the scale.
Scale down this look to fit your frame. Always be mindful of proportion. Having a good tailor is essential or shopping for oversized styles in petite sizes is essential.
Pro Tip: Avoid bell sleeves and wide sleeves as they will make the petite body look wider and shorter.
Tips For Petites and Prints
Petite women don’t have to shy away from prints, especially if prints are a part of your personal style. Here are some tips for Petites when choosing prints:
Pro Tip: Petites should avoid large-scale prints as well as loud color prints, as this will make you look wider and shorter. Also, avoid high-contrast color prints. as well as geometric prints as these are too harsh for the petite frame.
Professional Petite Styling Tips
Petite women need tailored suits or petite-size clothing for professional dressing. Petite women can also wear tailored sheath dresses to avoid the hassle of tailoring expensive suit pants and blazers. Lightweight materials in professional styles can also improve the look of professional clothing. Choose high-quality fabrics such as silk, satin, etc.
Petites, Proportion, and Scale
Fashion and style are all about illusion which can be achieved by leveraging proportions and scale. Petites need to consider this when styling outfits. Depending on your unique frame, weight, and body type, you’ll need to consider the “rule of thirds”, 3:1or 2:1 Here is a great video on this topic:
Petites and Shoes
If you are petite, it’s easy to go straight for a high or platform heel to add height. There are also other tricks to give the illusion of height. Here a few pro tips:
What Does Petite Mean Anyway?
Petite has nothing to do with weight. It has everything to do with height. Generally, you are petite if you are 5 feet, 4 inches or shorter. Now, based on your specific personal attributes such as in the Kibbe Body Type System, even though you are petite (Romantic or Theatrical Romantic), you may have physical attributes that make you “seem” taller. These attributes are things like lines, long legs, arms, and long vertical body lines.
Love Your Petite Frame
Learning to dress for your unique petite body is a skill that will pay off in the long run. Investing in tailored petite clothing and using these petite styling tips, is the first step to improving your wardrobe. No matter your personal style or weight, if you are under 5ft, 4 inches, you are considered petite. Celebrate your unique style with these game-changing petite styling tips.
Best Retailers for Petite Clothing
Here are some of my favorite petite clothing retailers:
