How to Dress for Your Body Type

Being short in stature should have nothing to do with being short on style. Although being a petite woman has challenges, it also has amazing advantages. Like any body type, learning to offset the challenges and take ownership of the advantages will best work the assets. We can’t feel too sorry for you, however. Although challenged by height, the average petite woman wears a size two.

Knowing an amazing tailor is priceless. This is especially true for this body type. Although most people tend to use tailors for event-specific garments or vintage, clothing off the rack are typically a challenging fit for the petite woman. With a tailor, every garment on the shopping list can be made to fit like a glove.

When shopping for garments, finding the right length is the first priority. Most often, leg and sleeve lengths create the biggest issues. Surprisingly, when pant legs are too long it actually makes one look shorter. When sleeves are too long, it often looks as if one is wearing someone else’s clothes. Also known as ‘the-shirt-swallowed-me-up’ look. This might be kind of attractive when wearing a significant other’s t-shirt, but even then it is usually just attractive to the significant other.

The bottom lengths that petites work best are floor length, or above-the-knee. Pants that skim the floor, without bunching, are a must. Anytime bunching occurs it means the pants are too long, and will most definitely make one look shorter. Floor-length dresses also work, as long as they hit at the ankle. In fact, this look is preferred because it elongates the body, allowing one to appear taller.

There are many options that work for above-the-knee. From Bermudas to daisy dukes to miniskirts, all options show off the legs and elongate. Another reason we always see models in shorter-than-short bottoms. Even though they are 6’ tall, wearing the right pieces makes them look 10’ tall. The garments to be sure to stay away from are those that hit anywhere from the knee to the ankle. This will actually do the most injustice to a petite woman, cutting off the legs and shortening an already short stature.

For tops, fit is crucial. This doesn’t mean shop for skin-tight garments, but finding pieces that fall at the right places on the body. First, make sure the bottom hem falls at, or right above, the waist. Second, sleeves should go no further than the wrist.