Friday 11 April 2014

Tips for looking taller

If I'm being totally honest with you, although I would like to look taller (as I'm only 5' and a bit), what I would really like is to look thinner. As I've said before, when you're short every extra pound shows. I'm not helped by the fact that I'm rectangular in shape, so when I do put on weight it makes me look dumpy rather than curvy. My view is that if only I were a little bit taller, then I would appear to be a lot thinner!

One of the first tips that I have found when researching this topic is to wear a column of colour. The obvious example is a black top with black trousers, however this isn't a good combination for most over 60s as black can be too harsh a colour. Another possibility, which is a bit more flattering for most women of a certain age, would be a navy jacket or cardigan worn with navy trousers or skirt plus a brightly coloured top in your best colours underneath. The general aim is for your eyes to be drawn downwards, creating an illusion of being taller than you are. It will of course be a bonus if this makes you look thinner at the same time.


It's clear that the model in the photo above is tall and slim anyway, but hopefully this illustrates the point that I am making. Wearing shoes that match the colour of your trousers also helps to elongate you.

Another tip is to wear outfits with vertical lines rather than horizontal ones. The trousers from Zara shown below are a good example, however I think a more subtle stripe would be better for petites, who can be overwhelmed by bold patterns. I own a pair of navy and white striped trousers that I usually wear during the summer months as they are cropped. The slight stripe means that they are more flattering than ordinary cropped trousers would be on a shorter person. As mentioned above, wearing cropped trousers with shoes of the same colour helps to create a longer line. Alternatively, they can be worn with shoes that match your skin colour.


I love stripes, but most of my striped garments are tops with horizontal stripes, which goes against all the rules for looking taller and slimmer. Take a look at the outfit below, as an example. I usually avoid monochrome outfits, so although I am wearing navy jeans, a navy and white striped top plus a navy and white floral scarf (scoring points for the column of colour), I have added a red belt and red shoes. These of course break up the slimming effect and make me look shorter! Does this really matter? I don't think so, as I enjoyed wearing this outfit and that's the most important thing in my view. At the end of the day I am a short person, so though it's good occasionally to create the illusion that I'm a bit taller, I'm not really deceiving anyone!











13 comments:

  1. I think this outfit enhances how you appear in photos - cute, gamine, pixie. You seem to have a twinkle in your eye and a great smile. Sombre neutrals would look alien on you. Wearing all brights would overpower you.

    Sharon-Canada

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    1. Thanks, Sharon, what you say about colours is very true. I think it is a good example of my style, which at my style analysis session was defined as Natural Gamine. My style has also been described as colourfully, comfortably relaxed.

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  2. I think you look so cute in your striped shirt! The risk of vertical stripes is that one can often come across as looking like a sports referee.

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    1. I laughed out loud at your comment about looking like a sports referee - I guess I'd better stick to my horizontal stripes!

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  3. Sue, I am in the same boat as you! I feel every pound as I don't have the length to put them. I avoid full length mirrors and side views of myself. I did lose 6-8 lbs recently and feel better for it. But I could stand to lose more.:-) Your outfit looks fine!

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    1. My tip for looking in mirrors when carrying a few extra pounds: take a deep breath and pull in your stomach! It works for me every time!

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  4. You look great! Thanks for the tips. I usually wear what I'm in the mood for at the time and what feels comfortable :).

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    1. That the best way of getting dressed in the morning, as you'll feel good in your clothes all day.

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  5. Looks good! I'm smaller than you, this will be useful for me. Just one thing we can't deceive, do not stand beside someone taller ;)

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    1. Absolutely! My husband is over 6' tall, and his niece is almost as tall as he is, so when she visits us I make sure that the two of them walk ahead of me! As they both have long legs, that happens a lot......!

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  6. Sue,

    I tried to leave a comment the other day when your post was about the difficulties in clothing fit for petites---but the Comment Gremlins ate it.

    I am on the opposite end....not as tall as your niece, but at 5-foot 8, regular pants are never long enough....and Talls, which must be ordered from a catalog or online, don't fit well either. Sleeves are another issue.

    My mother, like you, was just 5 feet "and a bit," and I towered over her by age 10! I laughed at "not standing next to a tall person" because when I am standing next to a petite person, I feel like the Jolly Green Giant!!
    We won't even go into standing next to a shorter man...
    Remember there are legions of us out here who envy your petite status!

    The red-white-blue outfit in today's post is one of my favorites on you. You look very trim, and I love the horizontal stripes. Top and bottom fit beautifully, and I love the red accents.

    Andrea

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  7. Thanks for your comments, Andrea. My youngest daughter is about the same height as you - she was definitely taller than me by the time she was in her teens. I used to drag her to the supermarket with me as she could reach things on the top shelves that were out of my reach!

    The outfit in this post is definitely one of my signature looks and I always feel good when I'm wearing it.

    I know what you mean about the Comment Gremlins. I spotted a mistake in one of my comments above, but I'm convinced that I typed it correctly......!

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