13 Ways To Instantly Look Taller and Slimmer

If you're on the petite side (or just shorter in general) and need to eke out every bit of height you can get, these tips will help you do that! I'm here to point out some of the unconscious fashion mistakes I see women making that are making them seem shorter than they actually are. I'm not saying that being taller is where it's at. I believe all women of all heights are beautiful, and I'm in no way saying we should all strive to be 6'2" to be happy (because Lord knows being tall has its own issues). I'm just giving some ideas on how to make your body look longer, slimmer, and more attractive in general. So let's get started!

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1. Wear skinny jeans and leggings with the right inseam.

Ladies. Inseam is everything. If you're buying jeans with a 32" inseam and only have 28 " of available leg, that extra fabric has to go somewhere! It needs to either be rolled up or tailored to your exact need. If not, it's going to end up bunched up around your ankle and looking frumpy.

2. Don't wear tennis shoes with a tongue that goes up high onto your ankle.

I'm shocked that I've never heard this applied before. Anywhere.

It took me years to discover why I don't look as fabulous in the new Nikes as the model wearing them. And then I realized I didn't have the height to pull off the high tongue. I've had to purge multiple adorable tennis shoes from my closet because the tongue went too high onto my leg.

If you're already a tall person, this has probably never affected you. But when you don't have as much leg, it's not always flattering to have the tongue of tennis shoes come up onto your upper ankle.

You really want your tennis shoes to show as much of the top of your foot as it can. This extends the length of your leg more and gives you the illusion of more height.

3. Wear high waist pants/skirts.

This is an amazing way to add more height! Wear high rise jeans and do the "front tuck" with your shirt. Add some heeled boots and bam.

Avoid low cut everything.

4. Wear cropped blazers, sweaters, etc...

I know the oversized look is in these days, but it's not doing any favors for my shorter girls. By all means, continue it if you love it! But if you're looking to add some height, opt for a cropped sweater with high rise bottoms. :)

5. Avoid chunky shoes.

This one might be painful to hear, but I learned long ago that chunky shoes really add width and take off length from my legs. Try it out! See what I mean. I'm sure there are ways to wear chunky shoes that aren't that bad for shorter girls, but in my experience, I have yet to find that sweet spot.

For those of you who just splurged on the Balenciaga shoe trend, sorry!

6. Choose midi or maxi coats and dusters.

The midi and maxi length for coats and dusters is a total illusion-maker! I've actually been mistaken for someone much taller than me because I was wearing a midi duster cardigan which made me look taller than I really am. The person who mistook me said that the duster I was wearing made me look way taller than normal, and she was right. I just hadn't thought about it before. Score!

To my taller girls, these coat and duster lengths are killer on you. Get it, girl.

Coats are funny when it comes to petite dressing. You either want really short or really long. If it hits at the hips, it's probably not doing you many favors.

7. Don't wear shoes with ankle straps, gladiator sandals, or ankle boots.

Avoid any shoe that cuts off at your ankle if you can. Shoes without ankle straps make your legs look longer because of the longer amount of space that's not interrupted.

There are ways of wearing ankle strap shoes that aren't terrible, however. You can choose a nude heel with an ankle strap to minimize the amount of abrupt cut-off.

If you absolutely have to wear ankle boots, get them in a color that best matches your skin tone!

8. Wear vertically striped clothing.

This one is an age-old tip. Don't wear horizontal stripes. Instead, opt for vertical ones! If it's a jumpsuit, even better. All the more length for you. If it's fitted rather than flowy, it will also enhance your height.

Hint: high waisted, vertically-striped flare jeans are a fabulous way to look super tall.

9. Tuck your tops.

I'm in love with the front tuck. I do it all the time, probably with way too many things. But if it works, it works. My favorite way to front tuck? My Levi mile-high skinny jeans, a loose cropped tee, and pointed flats!

Not only does the front tuck extend the length of your leg, but it also creates the illusion of a smaller waist.

10. Choose mini skirt over midi skirt.

While midi skirts are very trendy right now, a mini skirt (or skirt above the knee) is going to be more flattering on a shorter person because the more leg you see, the more there appears to be. You're probably thinking "Obviously". Haha!

Make sure it's not too short! Otherwise, it will be giving off a vibe you might not intend.

11. Wear monochrome.

Monochrome continues the idea of one color from top to bottom, giving the lengthening illusion. It's also super classy, so if you're trying to be elegant in your style, monochrome is a must for that. I'll touch more on that in other elegant-dressing posts!

12. Wear turtleneck tops for a longer illusion.

The longer neck gives more length to your torso, therefore giving more length to your body in general. For the ultimate turtleneck sweater look, pair with pants of the same color.

13. Choose small or medium-sized bags.

Large bags will look oversized and diminish your frame. Unless you're on the taller side, stick to small and medium-sized bags to maximize your height.

Small shoulder bags are trendier right now anyway.

Thanks for reading! I'll be coming out with more content on extending your height, so stay tuned. Until then, check out my blog page for similar articles! And if you're not subscribed to the email list, you should totally do that. You'll get freebies and exclusive content. See you there!

Kyrstyn