I was looking around the internet for tips on how to make my legs look longer being the petite 5ft nothing that I am. That’s when it hit me, there are tips, there are pictures but guess what they are tips from girls taller than 5ft 5 and pictures of girls definitely taller than 5ft! That’s not fair right, I want to see pictures of people closer to my height! So I decided to pull together all my tips with pictures. These tips are tried and tested girls! I am 5ft (4ft 11.5 inches to be exact) and my husband is 6ft 1, so I use these tricks all the time!
The Figure
Trick 1 – Shift the Focus
What do I mean by this? Well it’s about playing with your waistline and where it appears to be. The higher the waistline the longer your legs appear. So go in for high-waisted jeans, skirts or an empire dress. Accentuate the waist with a belt or a scarf.
Banana Republic Skirt
Shop High Waistline Items
Trick 2 – Wear Vertical Stripes
Vertical stripes draw your eyes into wanting to look up and down and this will elongate you. It also has a slimming effect! So try to pick pants, skirts and dresses that have a vertical pattern. On the flip side try to avoid horizontal stripes if you want the slimming effect.
Loft Skirt
Shop Vertical Stripes
Trick 3 – Tuck It!
If you want a refined and lengthening look then always be sure to tuck your top in! Leaving it out cuts the length of your legs and therefore you get a stumpy look. You want additional inches added to your legs then pair it with a high waited pair of pants!
Loft Blouse
Trick 4 – Make It Cropped!
A shorter jacket or blazer will shorten your torso and make your legs appear longer. Jackets with some taper in the front can also give a similar illusion. Make sure to tuck your top in always!
The Loft Blazer
Shop Cropped Blazers
Trick 5 – Monochromatic!
When your outfit is monochromatic then you create the illusion of one continuous silhouette. This way it’s difficult to tell where your torso ends and your legs start giving you an elongated effect! Now you know why I love my monochromes so much 🙂
The J.Crew Dress
Shop Monochromatic Dresses
The Power of the Hemline
Trick 6 – The Shorter the Better!
Want longer legs then wear shorter shorts (or dresses or skirts!)! Raising those hemlines always helps 🙂
The Shorter the Better!
Shop the Leg Lengthening Shorts
Trick 7 – The Asymmetrical Hem!
When you have a horizontal hemline it will break the illusion of a continuous leg by interrupting the eye. To avoid this an asymmetrical hemline provides a smooth and soft silhouette effect thereby making your legs look as long as the highest point in the hemline!
Stay Fierce Boutique Dress
Shop the Asymmetrical Hem
Trick 8 – The Low Hem
The best part about being petite is that you can wear the short stuff and the long stuff with equal ease! The wonderful part about the low hems is that you can wear a high heel under it! Make sure your hemline covers your heel for maximum lengthening effect!
One thing to note is that you should avoid calf length outfits. This tends to give you a stumpy look as it stops at the widest part of your leg.
Anthropologie Skirt
Shop the Low Hem
It’s All About the Shoe
Trick 9 – High Heel with no Ankle Strap
I know what you’re thinking, duh that’s obvious! Yes it is 🙂 Wear a heel. A heel with a platform works best for me because then my foot isn’t as arched. Also the ankle strap is your enemy unless it blends with you skin tone. The strap cuts your leg at the ankle and thereby shortens it!
Joan and David Shoes
Shop the High Heel Sans Ankle Strap
Trick 10 – Match It!
Make sure that your stockings and your shoes match. This creates a continuous illusion until your toe thereby including your shoe heel/platform in your leg length. Avoid different colored shoes than your leggings/stockings because then you lose the inches your shoe gives you.
Steve Madden Shoes
Trick 11 – The Pointed Toe
Again it’s all about the illusion. A pointed toe has more space at the tip than a round toe, this easily adds inches to your feet there making you look longer! Also the smaller the vamp the better for a leg lengthening effect.
Alice + Olivia Shoes
Shop the Pointed Toe
Trick 12 – The Nude Shoe
If you wear a nude that matches your skin tone it will lengthen your legs. It’s the same trick as when you match your leggings to your shoes. one is a winter trick the other is for summer!
The Nude Shoe
Shop the Nudes
I hope that these tips help all my petite girlfriends out there! These tips don’t mean that you have to use all of them all at once! But you can combine a few depending on what your ultimate look is going to be and viola you will have a leg lengthening effect!
Pin It!
All The Tips In One Pic
XOXO
Links à la Mode, August 18th
- Aesthetic Distance: No Points for Pants
- Al-Balsam Life: Beat the Summer Heat {Even When You Have to Work}
- The Antisocialista: Guest Blog | The Mini in Me
- Cat Eyes & Skinny Jeans: {Fashion Folio} Autumn Calling
- Everest Says: Styling August in Red and White
- Fashion Panache: Travel Style | Black Jumpsuit & Multicolor Accessories
- Five Foot Nothing Shopping: Petite Girl Style Tips | Make Your Legs Look Longer
- Goldwill Digger: Going from Desk to Drinks in 5 Minutes Flat
- Grazielle Camilleri: The Perfect Hour
- Happy.Pretty.Sweet.: Sweet Mary Jane Pumps
- Have Clothes, Will Travel: My Summer Uniform
- I’m a Norbyah: Style Minute | Put a Belt On It
- Lucy Van Dean: What Fashion Bloggers have to Thank Snapchat for
- Ms. FABulous: Paris Shopping Guide | Where I Spent My Money
- One Awesome Momma: How I Got Through 2 Pregnancies Without Buying Maternity Clothes
- Sassy Ethnic Bohemian: I Automated My Blog with Polyvore and Doubled My Followers
- Simplicity & Coffee: Building the Perfect Wardrobe | Part 1, Perspective
- So Versailles: Let’s Talk about Jeans
- Style With Nihan: Mid-Mod Vibes at the Hotel Valley Ho
- The Wanderbliss: Flora
SPONSOR: Shopbop ZAC Zac Posen, Commando Lingerie, Stuart Weitzman Boots, No.6, GUM, Bag Studio, Floral Dresses, Wide Leg Pants, Low Heel Booties, Men’s Club Monaco
Wonderful advice, thanks so much for sharing with Vis Monday! xo
-Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com
Author
Thank you and I am glad you like it 🙂
What an incredible post!! These are wonderful tips! Seeing as I am 5′ 1″ I need all the height I can get!!
Author
I am so glad it’s helpful and you like it <3
LOOOOOOOVE every single one of these looks.
Terry
http://styleofterry.wordpress.com
http://terrystwocentsblog.wordpress.com
http://createdbyterry.wordpress.com
http://whatterrylikes.tumblr.com
Love this. My sister is 4’11 (she’s 17) and could use these tips. 🙂
These are such great tips! I’m 5’4″ but people either think that I’m like 5’7″ or 5’1″ based on what I’m wearing hahaha
XO Amanda | http://www.glitterandspice.com
Fantastic tips!! As a ‘vertically challenged’ gal, myself, I so get and appreciate these kinds of posts! Great job!
xo,
January
http://www.januaryhart.com
My mom is a tiny gal, she 5 ft tall and she could def use these tricks.
XO,
Anna
http://www.blushingrosestyle.com
These are such great tips, and I’m loving all your looks!
Rachael
http://www.threadsforthomasblog.com
These are all such fantastic tips! As a fellow 5′ person I can totally relate! Hugs, Kait
http://www.makeminemaroon.com
How fabulous are you darling?!?!? I’m loving all of these outfits and I honestly couldn’t tell you were petite from the photos so clearly all your tips and tricks are working! Such a great and in depth post!
http://stopdropandvogue.com
Author
I am so glad you like it <3
Wonderful advice! Thank you for such a great post for petite ladies!
~Jessica
http://www.petitestylescript.com/
U look so very pretty here <3
Fringes n Red
Author
Thank you love!
I LOVE all these outfits. Your post was so beautiful and although I am not petite, I can totally appreciate all the fashion!
XX-Samantha | chicserendipityblog.com
oo thanks so much for these tips! I’m all about trying to elongate the figure any and all the time! thanks for sharing these 🙂
All great tips!! I can even use some as a tall girl (I’m all torso)!
Jenna from http://www.visionsofvogue.com
Great elongating tips! I’m not petite but I still love looking for ways to make my legs look even longer. Supermodel leg goals haha (:
Hi Audrey, Interesting post! I’m 5’9″ so I’ve always had the opposite problem. I was always told to wear different colors of blouse, jacket and skirt or pants to break up the long line from my feet to my head! So monochromatic is the way to go to look taller, in my opinion. Men love shorter women so be happy with your short stature. Too high a heel can make it look obvious that one is trying to look taller – be comfortable and don’t sacrifice safety! Blessings, Janet
Great post for us small girls! I love that striped Loft skirt so much! You have fabulous taste in all your outfits and definitely know how to dress for you body!
http://www.mylittlenest.org
Wow you look amazing!!
I’m excited to start a two-peat collaboration with Los Angeles-based brand TOBI this week at the blog via a sexy outfit – come check it out & lemme know what you think!
Happy Friday!
Rebecca
http://www.redtagchiclosangeles.com
thank you for sharing your great outfits and all those clever tips in one post. I totally agree with all your points. Please give us more
https://lookingfabulousat50.blogspot.com.au
Great tips girl! I’m 5’9 so I can’t take them but I’ll pass them along! lol
These are so great tips! I am on the shorter side as well and use many of these tips to help make me appear taller 🙂
Thank you for being a part of TBT Fashion link up and hope to see you soon!
Alice
http://www.happinessatmidlife.com
Author
Thank you so much for hosting! I’m glad you liked the post 🙂
I am not petite but I still like to make my legs longer, too. These are fabulous tips appropriate for all women! Thanks so much for linking up On the Edge of the Week! I hope to see you again this week.
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
These are all great tips and I think you look amazing in all of these styles!
~Jessica
Jeans and a Teacup
These tips are all really great for vertically challenged people such as myself. I know I’m always trying to look taller which is why me and my heels never part ways unless I’m with the kids running around. I love the higher waist as I think that’s the one that works most for me. I would love if you can link up to http://the-wardrobe-stylist.com/2016/08/14/back-to-school-essentials/
Such a great post!! And congratulations you are this weeks most viewed beautiful blogger from #LINKUPWITHLISA @ http://www.beauty101bylisa.com/2016/08/linkupwithlisa-63-navy-blue-halter-dress.html
Author
Thank you so much! I’m so excited to be the most viewed
I’m vertically challenged, so I love this post!
Great tips. I love using high waisted clothing to elongate my legs
http://www.michellespaige.com
Thank you for posting this awesome post. I’ve been reading for a while but I’ve never left a comment.
I’ve bookmarked your blog and shared this on my Facebook.
Thanks again for a really good post!
Author
Thank you so very much! I am super glad you like my blog and thank you for sharing 🙂