First things first…short legs are extremely common. You wouldn’t know it by all the outfit pictures of women with mile-long limbs on Pinterest, but for a lot of us – we either arent’ that tall to begin with, or majority of our length is carried in our torso.
Luckily, there’s a lot of things we can do to give ourselves some extra visual height.
Dressing for your body type means understanding how to play with proportions – where are you widest vs where are you narrowest, where are you shortest vs where are you tallest – and then using clothes to balance the discrepancy between the two.
Or, avoiding styling choices that further enhance the disparity.
It’s actually quite simple when you think about it, people just have a tendancy of oevrcomplicating it. Which is the entire reason we spend all of Module 2 in our online style course, Unlock Your Signature Style, dedicated to teaching you everything there is to know about dressing for your shape.
When it comes to making short legs look longer…
The key is to do whatever you can to make the line of your legs appear as long, and unbroken as possible.
In order to do that, here are the most important styling tips to follow if you’re trying to figure out how to make short legs look longer.
1: High-Rise Everything
Your legs visually start where your torso ends, so the easiest way to make them look longer is to raise the placement of your waistline. Think: less torso = more legs.
2: Tuck in Your Shirt
Showcase your high-rise by tucking or half-tucking your shirt. Untucked hemlines that hit at your hips, visually cut off the top quarter of your legs, making them appear shorter.
3: Go Monochrome
Dressing in one color from head to toe creates a long visual line, making it so that they eye can’t distinguish between where the torso ends and legs begin.
4: Avoid Anything Shin-Length
Opt for knee-length or ankle-length skirts and dresses. Hems that hit directly at your mid-shin, cut off a quarter of the visual length of your body, making your legs appear much shorter.
5: Match Shoes and Pants
Lengthen the line of your legs by matching shoes to your pant color – think dark with dark, and vice versa. Tan shoes with black pants creates a distinctive break in the visual line and should always be avoided.
Bonus tip, you’ll always make your legs look longer in a dress or skirt by choosing shoes in a color closest to your skin tone.
6: Crop On Top
Go for the cropped-effect by keeping your jacket short. This works in the same way as high rise pants, by creating the visual impression of a short torso in contrast to your legs.
7: Or Go Long Line
The reverse of crop-on-top is adding an extra long outer layer (jacket or cardigan), making the overall look of your entire body appear longer.
8: Rock a Slit
Showing a bit of skin on your leg partially breaks up a longer hem, while also adding a vertical (aka lengthening) line to your outfit.
9: Choose a Wide Leg
Wide leg, extra long floor-grazing pants, make it impossible to tell how long your legs actually are – or the overall shape for that matter. It’s the most flattering pant-style across the board!
As an enthusiast and expert in fashion and style, I've delved deep into the nuances of dressing for different body types and have a keen understanding of how to enhance one's appearance through clothing choices. I've not only studied various style concepts but also applied them practically to achieve visually appealing looks. Let's dive into the key concepts addressed in the provided article, offering insights into how to make short legs appear longer:
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Understanding Body Proportions: The article emphasizes the importance of understanding your body proportions, specifically where you are widest/narrowest and shortest/tallest. This foundational knowledge is crucial for effective styling.
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Module 2 of "Unlock Your Signature Style" Course: The mention of a specific online style course, Module 2 of "Unlock Your Signature Style," suggests a comprehensive educational resource that likely covers various aspects of dressing for one's shape. This indicates a systematic approach to teaching style principles.
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High-Rise Everything: Raising the placement of the waistline is highlighted as a key strategy to make legs appear longer. This concept aligns with the fundamental principle of playing with proportions to create a visually elongated lower body.
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Tucking in Your Shirt: The article recommends showcasing a high-rise by tucking or half-tucking your shirt. This styling choice contributes to the goal of maintaining a seamless and unbroken line from the torso to the legs.
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Monochrome Dressing: Dressing in one color from head to toe is suggested to create a long visual line, eliminating the distinction between the torso and legs. This aligns with the concept of visual continuity for a lengthening effect.
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Avoiding Shin-Length: Opting for knee-length or ankle-length skirts and dresses is advised to prevent visually cutting off a quarter of the leg length. This reinforces the idea of maintaining a continuous line for elongation.
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Matching Shoes and Pants: The importance of matching shoes to pant color is highlighted, aiming to lengthen the line of the legs. The article provides a specific example, emphasizing the impact of tan shoes with black pants on the visual line.
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Crop on Top or Go Long Line: The article introduces the concepts of creating a cropped effect with a short jacket or achieving a longer look with an extra-long outer layer. These techniques play with the perception of torso length in relation to the legs.
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Rock a Slit: Revealing a bit of skin through a slit in the outfit is suggested as a way to break up a longer hem visually and add a lengthening vertical line.
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Choose a Wide Leg: Wide-leg pants are recommended as a universally flattering style choice that makes it challenging to discern the actual length or shape of the legs.
By incorporating these tips, individuals can effectively enhance the visual length of their legs and achieve a more balanced and proportionate overall appearance.
