SHORT GIRL STYLE SECRETS

It has come to my attention that I’m a good faker. Girls I meet often tell me I’m much shorter IRL (I use slang like that to prove that even at 28 I can keep up!) than I look in pictures. I know, I know…I’ve been this height–5’3″ to be exact–for many years and have pretty much perfected the angles that work for me. I can look very shrimpy in certain angles, and I can look kinda leggy in others. In all honesty, when you’re a short girl it’s all about proportion. And angles and proportion aside, there are certain ways to dress that will help in this department as well.

I’ve taken the liberty of sharing all my short girl secrets when it comes to getting dressed, and even threw in some photo-taking tips in case you also want to document your OOTD. More slang / acronyms for ya!

SHORT GIRL SECRETS:

–Never wear flats. Yeah, sneakers and cute and all, but not unless you’re wearing them with a super short dress. Even then, prepare to be on your tippy-toes if you’re trying to take a pic in them. Ok, I’m exaggerating a little. I wear sneakers with jeans sometimes, but I’m probably boarding an airplane or something.

–Wear heels. You don’t have to be in stilettos. Most of my shoes have some sort of chunky heel in varying heights, and that way I can be casual in a bootie and still be comfy.

–Go for a short(er) hemline. I promise I’m not trying to dress you like a hooch (short skirt + heels = ……). Shorter girls need to show off their legs to give the illusion of height. When I wear shorts, skirts, rompers, or mini dresses I always make sure the hem hits the middle of my thigh. Anything longer will definitely stump you.

–High-waisted is your friend. Ughhhh…are my feelings about high-waisted. Sure, it LOOKS great, but it doesn’t FEEL great. I cannot ever wear my high-wasited jeans if I’m going out to dinner. It digs so hard into my belly it’s like trying to eat with a corset on. No thanks. So, pretty much anytime I go somewhere that I’ll just be standing, walking, chatting, sipping (no eating) I’ll rock my high-waisted jeans. And obviously only rock them if you plan to tuck in your top, otherwise it’s pointless.

–Boyfriend jeans are not. I love me a boyfriend jean, but again, I know it’s not the most flattering on me. When I wear a boyfriend jean (I have many) I usually wear a strappy heel to balance it. So much for the effortless I’m-just-going-to-the-farmers-market-brb look.

–Loose on top, tight on bottom. On that note, the one perk we do have is the ability to wear loose fitting tops to balance out the tightness on the bottom.

–DO wear cropped. Most likely a cropped jean is the perfect length for us vertically-challenged girls 😉

-Go nude. Nude shoes is the age-old trick to making your legs appear longer. I have quite the nude shoe collection these days…

–Take pictures from the lower angle. You might be getting ready to completely write me off as CRAZY but I promise you it is truly the best angle for full body shots. It will elongate your legs (well, in the photo at least), which makes for a much more flattering picture.

Bend your leg. Might seem counter intuitive from the above, but actually having a little bend in your step (or while seated) will also make your legs seem a lot longer.