Seven Quick Takes for the Petite Lady

According to the infallible information source known as Wikipedia, roughly 40% of American women fall into the clothing category of petite (i.e. 5'3" or shorter). Though I myself am 5'7", I come from a long line of petite women, the tallest among them reaching the bold height of 5'2". And do you know what? In all my months of posting about personal style, I have not once thrown a petite specific post your way, loyal readers. So here goes, some style tips for the petite lady.

The objective of dressing for the petite woman, and any other, is to give the illusion of a longer line and create proportion, ultimately to draw the eyes to the face. Here are a few pointers on how to do just that.

Tops:

Make sure your bra is keeping the girls up high, where they should be!

Show some skin around the neck and décolleté, to lengthen the neck and draw the eye to your face.

For cold weather coats worn with skirts and dresses, choose one the same length or
slightly longer than your hemline.

For blazers, try those with one button that hits just below the bust-line.


Bottoms:

Keep hems just above the knee, never right through the center of the knee.

Remember that pinstripes elongate.

Try pants with a crease to create the illusion of length.


And on the very bottom - Shoes:

Try those with a pointy toe or a narrower/elongated toe box.

Show as much of the foot as possible.

Be mindful of creating a harsh visual break with ankle straps. Not all ankle straps are equal in this regard, so try them on with an open but critical mind.

I decided to add the shoe pointers in there, which brings us to more than seven quick takes, so... Bonus! 

Have a great weekend!