Posted in Fashion

My Tips On Dressing As A Petite

Ladies….. today let’s talk about MY TIPS ON DRESSING AS A PETITE. I get a ton of comments on PETITE EVERYTHING! How do I get away with wearing a maxi? How do I get away with wearing a jumpsuit? How do I get away with wearing pattern and print? Before I started my blog, I never knew there were these ideas about petite fashion. I’ve always thought that I could wear whatever I wanted, as long as I thought it looked good and I felt good in it!

These ideas are MYTHS! So I wanted to talk about my tips and my ideas on how to dress as a petite woman. What is considered PETITE…….

PETITE refers to stature not weight….. petite is the term used in the fashion industry to describe a woman who is 5’3 tall or under. Petite women come in ALL shapes and sizes, whether they’re a size 0 or 14.

So let’s start with my height. I’m 5’1.5″. That half inch does count and DOES matter! I wear a size 0-2 or 25 pant and a small top. I can get away with wearing a lot that isn’t necessarily PETITE sized, because my upper body is pretty normal. I’m not small framed at all, and mostly need petite sizes for length.

MY TIPS ARE THESE…

1- Blousy on top means fitted on the bottom or fitted on top means loose on bottom. THINK about a triangle when putting your outfits together.

2- Accentuate the positive…. for me it’s my waist. Bring everything in with a half-tuck or pulled in with a baby elastic or a belt. My outfit above was a great example of this. It’s a tank, joggers, and cardigan. The cardigan is long and loose and wearing it long and loose swallows me up. So I tucked in the tank and took the cardi and pulled it in with a loose tie in front. I LOVED it this way. It made it appear like a jumpsuit almost.

3- Heels will always look better, even in a sneaker. Lots of platform sneakers are available.

4- Wear a high waist. This will help your legs appear longer! This is a great choice for jeans.

5- Nude heels will elongate the legs if showing your legs or wear the same color of shoe with pants.

6- The length of your top is key….. a more cropped type can be more flattering. And cropped doesn’t mean you have to show your belly. The point at which your tops hit is critical with a petite girl!

There are all kinds of other tips out there roaming around, but I usually don’t follow them so don’t want to post them as one of my tricks. As I talked about HERE in my LIVE with CHICOS this week, CONFIDENCE is more important than you might think. If you put something on and YOU like it…. it’s more than likely going to work! I really REALLY believe this. The vibe you send out in an outfit is so key and so believable! If you feel you look beautiful, MOST others will think the same thing!

Hope that my tips on dressing as a petite, have helped all you little girls out there!

Shauna XO

CHICOS has a GREAT SELECTION of PETITE styles!

12 thoughts on “My Tips On Dressing As A Petite”

    1. Hi Peggy….. without seeing you, I would tell you to just keep things fitted, and I don’t mean tight. I’ve found that when I wear something super loose that floats from my bust area, it can make me look pregnant! This safari dress I think would be flattering on someone with your shape, because the torso is very fitted and then the dress flows out from there really beautifully.

      DRESS~ https://rstyle.me/+U_Z4KFFVNV0tu_4H_LO8Gg

      A V-neck will lengthen you too. I hope this helps? Over on Chicos Instagram page, they/WE are giving away a STYLING SESSION WITH ME, PLUS AN OUTFIT! You just have to go over there and comment and use the TAG #ChicosGiveaway Would be fun to do that with you!!! XO

  2. Slightly off topic… well actually totally off topic. Your eyebrows are fabulous! Did you have them micro bladed?

      1. Hi Susan…. micro bladed and very glad I did. It really helps maintain the shape! Have you micro bladed? Xo

    2. Hi Carol…. yes micro bladed and LOVE that I did!!!! They’ve been done about three times a year apart! Thanks for stopping by! XO

  3. Just for clarification purposes, (as I am chubby petite…size 14) you stated that you wear a 0-2, but you are not not small framed at all…..to me if you wear a 0-2, you definitely are small framed. What did you mean by that statement? Also, you look great in all of your clothes, and I do think being slender helps your proportions.

    1. Hi DJ…. what I mean is that my bone structure is not petite. My ring finger is a size 8.5! That’s almost as big as my husbands finger!!!! I am quite a big boned girl! I can’t wear many bangles because they don’t go over my wrist! So that’s all I meant by it. Hope that helps!!! XO

  4. Loved your blog on petite dressing do’s and dont’s. I am NOW 4’11” but was 5’0″ for so many years but as I have aged, gotten shorter! Ugh! I am about 118 pounds and would love to lose about 5-7 pounds, which are the hardest to lose. You look absolutely fabulous in all your outfits! You are my inspiration!! God Bless!

    1. Hey Paula! You are a tiny little thing! I would feel super TALL around you! 🙂 Those last pounds truly are the hardest! Just keep at it and think BABY STEPS! Lifestyle changes are the best way to achieve your goals I believe! Take care and THANK YOU for stopping by! XO

  5. Love your “talk” on petites. I think I’m going to get me a pair of platform sneakers!

  6. I’m 5’3 1/2” and I strrrrugle with bottoms. Petite sometime, most of the time, only good with flats and average size only good with heels…see where I’m going with this? Petite in fashion, is a relative term, when your right at that 5’3” mark. I wear jeans mostly, so I’m happy that ankle and cuffed styles are the current. To the contrary, my sister is 5’ 10” and she too has a tough time with bottoms. LOL

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