The clothes you have in your closet can help you gain a few inches and look much more stylish.
For short people, the idea of visually gaining a few inches by using one of the most powerful tools at our disposal, clothes, can be quite attractive. Thanks to fashion, your figure can look slimmer and more stylish. All you need to do is to know how to use and combine the clothes that are already in your wardrobe. If you want to look taller, read on as we reveal how to make it happen.
Tips for looking taller
Go for a one-color look. When you choose monochromatic clothes, you create a very powerful vertical effect, and the silhouette looks bigger. You can choose any color you want, but if you choose black, as you probably know, this color will stylize your body even more and go well with everything. If you don’t have clothes of the exact same color, the visual effect can still work, as long as the clothes are of the same color range (or intensity).
Wear vertical lines. One of the most popular “tricks” for looking taller is to wear clothing printed with vertical lines; the narrower the lines, the more slender you will look. Enhance your figure with dresses, tops or pants with vertical stripes, as these decrease width and promote height.
Use tops with V-necklines. Anything that brings a vertical feel to your outfit is welcome. That’s why tops with V-necklines are ideal for gaining height. Scarves and long necklaces can also amplify this effect.
The high waist is your ally. Luckily, high-waisted clothes are very trendy in the current streetstyle, so you should take advantage of it. If the waist of the pants or skirt is higher, you will gain a few inches, especially in the legs, because they will appear much longer. To combine the bottom and the top, opt for a thin blouse or a short top that will allow the bottom to be fully visible.
Mini or maxi. To improve the verticality of the legs, it is best that there are visually as few cuts in the body as possible. This means that the skirts or pants worn should be either short (at the upper part of the legs) or long (the cut is at the lower level). In this way, an optical effect of unity is obtained, because what we see are either long legs or, if it is a long garment (maxi), a monochromatic effect.
It is better to prefer narrow belts. As we said, the fewer visual cuts to the body, the better. But if a visual cut is absolutely necessary, such as a belt, for example, it will be necessary to reduce its volume as much as possible and choose the thinnest you have. Thus, it will mark our waist without increasing the horizontal effect.
Look for balance in clothing. Finding the right size of clothes can also help you look taller. If your clothes fit snugly (but not tight or bulging), your figure will look much more stylish. When you buy new clothes, try them on and make sure they fit – don’t go up or down a size. It is not recommended to choose risky cuts like pirate pants or shorts for the bottom, or small boleros for the top.
Use your hair to gain a few inches. Just like clothing, hair is a very useful tool for looking taller. If you want to leave your hair loose, it’s best to keep it shoulder-length or even a little shorter. If you tie it up, it’s best if it’s fairly visible, such as a high tail or a topknot.
Go for small accessories. If you are short and choose large accessories, the contrast will be greater and you will look shorter. That’s why thinner, smaller accessories will help you give a more balanced body image. This is especially true for bags.
Choose your shoes well. Properly fitted shoes can be essential when it comes to gaining a few inches visually. The more visible your feet are, the longer your legs will appear and the taller you will look. Open-toed sandals will enhance this effect, as will flesh-colored shoes. If you’re lucky enough to have pants and shoes in the same tone, don’t hesitate to combine them as they will also elongate your figure.
Wear heels. Obviously, the star accessory of height are the heels. But not all will have the same visual effect. Shoes with thin heels are the most recommended because they add verticality to the silhouette. Thicker heels will visually widen the feet and create a horizontal effect.
What to avoid?
Just as you can play with your clothes to look taller, you should be aware that they can also make you look shorter. It is better to avoid certain details and combinations if you want to look taller.
For example, and as we said before, it is better that skirts and pants are either short (shorts, mini skirts), or long. Mid-rise cuts shorten the legs. Also avoid loose clothing or horizontal stripes that widen the figure instead of adding verticality. It is also dangerous to wear a lot of layers, because if they are cut at different heights, your body will be segmented while what you should be looking for is a uniting effect.
When it comes to hair, remember that the more skin you show, the taller you will look. That’s why very long hair will make you look shorter, so don’t hide behind bangs and get that boyish cut you’ve always wanted.
Finally, avoid sandals with thick straps and those that go up to the ankle. The former will make your feet look too big and the latter will create a cut effect that will make you look smaller.
