Whichever way you look at it, there’s always been something quite painfully ironic about the differences between catwalk model measurements and those of women in the real world. We all see the most fantastically fashionable figures on earth dressed from head to toe in the latest finery, only to soon realise that it would be nigh-on impossible to replicate the same look on a frame not even close to the five-feet mark.

It’s a pain shared by millions with an interest in women’s fashion – how to make the very most of what your momma gave you as a shorter female. These days, the web is absolutely littered with all manner of manuals and guides which for the most part tell you exactly what not to do as a shorter woman.  Nevertheless, the world’s leading fashion gurus have as of late begun taking the opposite stance – as far as they’re concerned, the rulebook needs to be torn to pieces and burned.

Petite Pretties – 7 Fashion Tips For Shorter Women To Live By

In fact, it’s going against the grain that allows the world to discover new trends and fashions year after year – if we all followed the same rules, we’d have been wearing the same clothes for centuries.

So with this in mind, here is a quick overview of just a few of the more positive tips for making the most of a smaller frame which in some instances go very much against apparent convention:

1 – Try Monochrome

It’s often said that single colour outfits that are the same from top to bottom have the potential to rob a woman of her shape and dimensions. This is the kind of rule that applies in some instances but not in others and therefore does not necessarily need to be followed outright. Nevertheless, when it comes to making the most of the shorter frame it can be extremely effective to create a sharp contrast between two different monochrome garments. The most obvious example of course being the classic white top and black skirt which immediately gives definition and can also add perceived length to the body.

2 – Go High with Heels

If you’ve ever been told to take things a little higher than ‘normal’ with your heels as a shorter woman, here’s another example of a rule you can forget. Of course there’s a difference between adding height to your frame sensibly and hobbling around in a pair of heels you can barely stand up in, but exactly where the line is drawn will differ from one person to the next. There’s a very good reason why quality high heels have always been the most obvious of all tricks and tips for shorter women – they’re the simplest and most effective. Try on a fair few pairs and ignore any advice which says you should remain below the four-inch mark.

3 – Maxi-Dresses…Why Not?

Another of the longest standing rules of all when it comes to adding perceived height…or at least avoiding perceived shortening…is that of giving maxi dresses a miss altogether. Exactly where this rule came from we might never know, though it is in every respect the kind of rule that should have been eliminated many years ago and really has no place in today’s fashion world.  The simple truth of the matter is that if even the slightest amount of thought is given to the style, print, pattern and colour of the dress, max dresses can look simply outstanding on women of all sizes…end of story.

4 – Short Skirts, Long Legs

Another of the most obvious and effective approaches to creating the illusion of additional height is that of showing off your beautiful legs with a short hemline.  It’s often said that shorter legs with longer hemlines have the opposite effect and this in some instances can be the case. What’s more, you can also forget the rule of this particular tip only applying to bare legs and shorter hemlines too – it’s just as effective with tights, leggings, long socks and so on.

5 – Baggy Babes

Last but not least, perhaps the single most universally followed rule of all which rarely gets so much as a second thought from the shorter woman is that of staying away from baggy clothing at all costs. The problem here however is that while it would indeed do absolutely nothing for your look to drown yourself in gigantically oversized clothes from top to bottom, this doesn’t mean that everything you wear has to be tight or even form-fitting. There are brilliant ways of pairing loose-fit bottoms or tops with tighter garments to ensure proportions are preserved and figures flattered – approach baggy clothes with care by all means but don’t ever write them off entirely.

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