5 Style Hacks for Petite Girlies
My dream height has always been 5’ 7”.
If you’re 5’ 7” (170 cm) and reading this, just know I’m insanely jealous of you 😡.
My actual height? 5’ 2” (157 cm).
AKA, I am petite. Not Kibbe petite, but like, literally small.
As a petite girl, I have to be very mindful of the length and width of my clothing to avoid looking overwhelmed by fabric.
If you can relate, these style hacks might be just what you need!
Dress in the rule of 1/3, not 1/2.
If there’s one rule of thumb to remember as a petite girlie, it’s to not cut your vertical line (especially when it comes to leg length).
The 1/3 rule does this by dividing your body into thirds, with your clothing proportions aligning accordingly—think of a shorter top covering one-third of your body and the bottom two-thirds covered by pants or a skirt (like the photo on the left).
This approach elongates your legs and vertical line.
In contrast, the 1/2 rule divides your body into two equal halves, typically seen in outfits where the top and bottom pieces are of similar length (like the photo on the right).
While the 1/2 rule can create a balanced look, it often cuts your vertical line, which then reduces your perceived height even further.
2. Avoid high top booties or shoes that cut off at your ankle.
Another visual trick you can use is to avoid wearing shoes that cut off at the ankle (see middle photo). This style can visually shorten the legs, making the wearer appear shorter.
Shoes that cut off at your ankle create a horizontal line right at the ankle, which interrupts the natural elongation of the legs.
The illusion of longer legs also makes us look taller, so this interruption can be counterproductive.
Instead, opt for boots that rise above the ankle, such as knee-high or thigh-high boots, which can help elongate the legs and create a more streamlined, flattering silhouette.
The other option is to wear shoes that end below the ankle (like the photo on the right) which also elongates your legs.
3. Focus on elongating your legs – this could mean short shorts or long pants.
We talked about shoes, but what about clothes?
In order to elongate your legs, avoid wearing midi-length skirts because this style can make your legs look shorter and disrupt the overall proportions of your body.
Midi skirts (like the photo in the middle), dad shorts, or capris typically end somewhere between the knee to mid-calf, which is what I call the “No-No Zone” for petite girls like us.
Clothes that end at the “No-No Zone” create a horizontal break in our line of sight going from top to bottom, visually cutting off the length and making the legs appear shorter.
This can result in a less balanced silhouette, especially if you’re like me and were not ~ gifted ~ in the height department.
Instead, I like to go for skirts, dresses, or shorts that end well above the knee (like the photo on the left) or maxi skirts, or pants that reach the floor, both of which can create a more elongated and flattering look.
By choosing lengths well above the knee, your legs are the vertical line.
By choosing lengths that reach the floor, the fabric itself creates the illusion of a long vertical line.
4. Avoid adding too many horizontal elements to your outfit
Another hack I use to de-emphasize my petite-ness is to avoid too many horizontal elements in my outfits.
I always aim to create the illusion of length and a taller silhouette, which means I opt for vertical elements such as vertical stripes, long necklaces, and high-waisted pants can help elongate my figure, drawing the eye up and down and creating a more streamlined and flattering look.
Design elements such as horizontal stripes, baggy clothes, or flared cuts draw the eye across the body, and can make us emphasize our short frames.
For example, the woman in the top left is wearing a baggy sweatshirt and slightly baggy pants, creating two horizontal elements in her silhouette.
In contrast, the woman in the top middle picture is wearing a fitted bodysuit with a flared skirt, where the skirt is the only horizontal element drawing our eyes side-to-side.
In the top right photo, the woman is wearing a baggy shirt paired with fitted pants, resulting in just one horizontal element.
Lastly, the woman in the bottom left photo is wearing a relatively fitted sweater and skirt, meaning there are no significant horizontal elements.
My rule of thumb is to limit horizontal elements to one piece of my outfit to avoid looking overwhelmed by fabric.
If you do want to add extra horizontal elements, the woman in the bottom middle photo has done so masterfully—by keeping her jacket open, it looks more like an accessory rather than a part of her outfit.
5. Keep color palettes similar to avoid harsh color blocking.
The last hack I like to follow is to avoid harsh color blocking (like the photo on the left) and to keep my color palettes similar.
Color blocking can visually divide our body into distinct sections, which can interrupt our vertical line and make us appear shorter. Here’s why:
Visual Segmentation: Color blocking creates clear, horizontal breaks in an outfit, which can segment the body into shorter blocks rather than a continuous line. This segmentation draws the eye horizontally across the body, emphasizing width rather than height.
Interrupted Silhouette: For those of us aiming to create a taller appearance, a continuous, unbroken line is essential. Color blocking disrupts this line, making it harder to achieve the desired elongating effect.
Focus Shifts: Color blocking often draws attention to specific areas of the body, which can detract from a cohesive, elongated look. Instead of guiding the eye upward in a smooth, vertical line, color blocking can create multiple focal points that break up the visual flow.
To create the illusion of height, I tend to opt for monochromatic outfits or use vertical elements like high-waisted pants or skirts.
An example of this can be seen in the middle photo where Ariana Grande has:
✅ Utilized a monochromatic black color palette to create a cohesive and sleek look
✅ Minimized the use of horizontal elements. Although her sweater introduces a horizontal element, her thigh-high boots extend the line of her legs without adding any horizontal breaks.
✅ Minimized the color-blocked portion between where her sweater ends and her boots begin, allowing our eyes to seamlessly follow the continuous line of black fabric from her sweater to her boots, creating a polished and elongated silhouette.
Another example can be seen in the photo on the right, in which color blocking is minimized through the use of a monochromatic look and the sheer black leggings allowing our eyes to follow her vertical line without any breaks in the silhouette.
Some might find these outfits boring or uninspiring, but if you are like me and want to achieve the illusion of height, I hope these techniques help you maintain a streamlined, uninterrupted silhouette to make you appear taller!
