Standing at just barely five feet tall, I have always been envious of friends who were blessed with long legs. In some pictures, one of my tall friends and I even look like mother and child. It’s tragic, really. But the real struggle comes when I go into pretty much any clothing store and nothing seems to fit the way they do on girls that are average height.
Jus recently though, I was looking through the fashion website lookbook.nu, and came across Filipino fashion blogger Kryz Uy. Not only does she have a cool, edgy style, she’s also only 5-feet-2-inches, and manages to look both stunning and tall at the same time. That pretty much makes her my hero.
Uy has graciously shared with petite fans on her blog, Thirstythought, tips on how to achieve the illusion of having longer legs for those of us who, unfortunately, do not.
Here are 10 of her genius tips:
1. Pointers out. Pointy shoes can elongate your leg, especially when they match your skin color.
2. Waist Line Wonders. High waisted anything will give the visual illusion that your legs start higher than really do.
3. Lines Lines Lines. Just as horizontal stripes make you look wider, vertical ones will make you look longer and leaner.
4. Nude it up. Wear shoes that match the color of your skin to give the illusion of an extended leg.
5. Monochromatic. Wear a single color to lengthen your silhouette without any breaks.
6. No to breaks. Similarly, anything that breaks the vertical line of the body will visually shorten. Try going sans ankle strap to keep the line going.
7. Hey shortie. The higher the hem, the more skin exposure, the longer your legs will look.
8. Geometry. Play with asymmetric cuts or geometric patterns that elongate.
9. Maximum length. Don’t be afraid of skirts and pants that are too long. They are the perfect place to hide high heels, making you look naturally longer.
10. Posture. Stand tall, shoulders back and walk with confidence. The less you slouch your back and hang your head, the longer your entire silhouette will seem.
