PlayPetite
Our resident stylist Helen Boyle offers up her top tips on how to flatter your tall or petite figure.
Click play to watch our tall and petite makeoversPetite
- You need to create the illusion of height. A heel will always help and you are lucky to be able to wear any styles. I’d recommend a wedge for the summer, or with a pointed toe that will elongate the leg.
- If you are petite, I.e. 5ft 2 and below I wouldn’t advise wearing a long line ¾ skirt or dress, or a long shirt that falls below the thigh or a ¾ cardigan for example. These will just drown you. In the same way, you don’t want anything too boxy or anything too busy as this will drown your frame.
- With accessories, make sure that they are in proportion with your size. Huge bracelets, statement necklaces or huge glasses will look ridiculous.
- Always think to yourself that “shoes should be on show” You don’t want to have something too wide in the leg or too long that it hides your feet! High waisted trousers will elongate the body and cropped trousers or jeans with a heel without ankle straps will look great too.
- Dresses and skirts of all styles are great. Just check out the proportions and make sure that the item fits around the bust, hip and waist. Use a belt to cinch in at the waist which will create shape, roll up the sleeves of your jacket as this will show off the wrist and will create the illusion of a better proportion or simply wear your hair up as this will accentuate and elongate your neck and shoulders.
- Wear similar shades of colours and tones in your whole outfit so that it doesn’t chop you in half.
- Recommended shops that cater for the petite frame include Banana Republic, Marks & Spencer, Wallis, Topshop, Next, Littlewoods, Miss Selfridge, Précis Petit. Monsoon, New Look and Evans. But do shop around as other retailers do work on a smaller frame: for example Debenhams, Kaliko, Karen Millen, River Island and H&M
Tall- Again, proportion is key if you are 5ft 11 or above. You need to make sure that trouser lengths are long enough, dresses fit and arms fit to the wrist. Key long trouser lengths are 34" or in the specialist ranges 36"
- Key retailers for Tall include Topshop, Tallgirls.co.uk, Boden who do longer length as do Wallis, Dorothy Perkins, Zara, Next, M&S and of course Long Tall Sally
- Try this season’s hot new story of colour blocking so don’t be afraid of clashing colours as it will essentially give a shorter illusion
- Don’t be afraid to wear statement jewellery and a bigger rather than smaller bag. If you wear a smaller bag then it will just accentuate your size.
- Double breasted jackets will give the illusion of a shorter body although if you have got a bust be careful
- Again if you wanted to minimise your size then wear a long trouser with a cuff as it will make the leg look shorter than it actually is.
- The perfect length for skirts and dresses are an inch above the knee or an inch below.
- Regarding your shoes, favour a kitten heel or flat.
