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So many women aren’t aware of how their Energy Type and body shape play into their personal style. While we all have our own tastes, there are certain rules that can make style less of a guessing game that leaves us frustrated and defeated in the dressing room. As a stylist that takes more than body shape into account, I can help you find the perfect style that feels as good as it looks on you. Above mentioned is the common advice that would look good generally for petite women with a short torso and long legs. The waist of the shift dress isn’t defined in the least.
The next piece of advice I have for my short-waisted women is to look for dresses that are either shift dresses or drop waist dresses. There are a number of clothing options that will increase attention on a short torso. While you should always feel free to wear whatever makes you comfortable, here are clothing designs that will highlight your short torso and make it appear shorter. With a visibly shorter torso, you will have a high waist that is above your bent elbow line. When you gain weight, it will typically start to settle right around the waist area .
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It is super easy, effortless, and a go-to fashion piece to have. What I mean by that is you should wear a bra that enhances and lift your breasts. Stand up without wearing any shoes and measure from the top of your head until the bottom of the pelvis, Like the red line in the picture above.

If it lays somewhere around your bum , it will lose its flattering slimming effect. First classes in machine pilates were so tough because I wasn’t strong enough, but with time and after about 3 to 4 months, I noticed a big difference in my body’s proportions. Wearing a loose dress will save you from thinking about what kind of top or pants to wear and how to style. By doing so, it will look like your torso is longer and create a balance of between your torso and your legs. Because you are petite, you want to make sure you choose the right length for the dresses.
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It will achieve the visual proportion I’m referring to. It’s incredibly simple to achieve visually using only stylistic tactics. Wearing V or scoop neck tops is one of the initial suggestions. Knowing if you have a long or short torso is a big part of it. Cute T-shirt dresses or A-line frocks are great for warm summer days. Treat yourself with a bunch of those for all sorts of weather and your mood.
Don’t get disheartened if you try on a number of dresses with waist defining elements and they don’t quite fit you correctly, or if you try on a peplum top and it doesn’t quite fit you right. You’ll want to wear a belt that’s incredibly thin, like a half-inch or an inch and a half at the most. The term “mid rise” refers to a rise of eight to nine inches. However, if you are not petite and have a short waist, you will probably want to shorten the length of your legs.
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Wearing different color belt and top will basically give the observer a clear line to divide your body. A true wrap dress will emphasize where your natural waist is. But a faux wrap, i.e., a dress that gathers fabric to one side and can’t be adjusted, is a great option for faking a longer torso and masking the situation with the added fabric. The shift dress is very attractive, simple, and will not define your body by any means. You can wear a medium-length neckless over it, which will contribute to elongating your upper part, or you can try and experiment with other tops, such as wearing a scoop neck or boat neck top.
Most petite women with short torsos get lost when choosing what fits their body type and what kind of pieces will look flattering. A balanced body type will have the hip joints right in the middle of the head-to-toe measurement. If your spine is just a few inches longer or shorter than that, then your proportions will be unbalanced with a long or short midsection.
If you are busty and don’t feel comfortable when wearing a V neck, that’s okay. Scroll down for items that are great for women with shorter torsos. When you have a short torso, a raising bra that creates a little extra space between your stomach and your chest will be really helpful. You don’t want to do these large oversized wide belts or these really big giant belts because they’ll take up your entire torso and your chest will simply sit on top of it.

And rather than sporting, say, tan pants with a black belt, you wear a brown belt, again, thus it blends, and does not cut you off at the waist and cause your torso look even shorter. Low-rise pants are the best way to create proportion for your figure and flatter your long legs. To elongate your short torso, light wash and colored denim will bring the eye downward to emphasize your gams. Here I’m going to share styling tips for those of you who are short waisted or how to dress if you have a short torso. Anyway, these tips, though aiming at balancing your look, are just some guideline to make you feel more comfortable in your own body.
I’m super curious which one of these outfit formulas is your favorite? Leave a comment for me below, let me know and be sure to tune in next Saturday for style Saturday where I’m answering your biggest style frustrations. Mid-rise jeans or pencil skirts tend to fit more like a high-rise. If you love belts, choose a very skinny one with a 1 inch maximum in width. A drop-waist dress is a dress that has a waistline anywhere below your real waist, and it will look flattering on you if you choose a mini length.

This is something I mentioned in one of my prior articles as a strategy to lengthen the upper body, and that’s exactly what it does. My objective is to make you look and feel your best, and one of the ways we do that is by having a thorough grasp of our body shapes. A classic outfit combining a grey sheath dress, trendy statement necklace and pearl white blazer and pumps. A fashion look from April 2009 featuring satin party dress, gold top and abstract shirt. Opt for one where the waist seam sits just where a T-shirt would end .
Therefore, going with a mid waist style is a better choice for you. That said, we do want to look at how to dress your short torso properly in order to achieve the vertical balance. Belts are flattering on all body types and shapes, with the exception of circles.

In this short video, I’ll share with you a few tips for dressing if you’re petite or have a short torso so you can elongate your silhouette and flatter your figure. Dresses that hit below the natural waistline, such as those with a drop waist, will create length through your midsection. Shorter dresses will draw the focus to your legs and further lengthen your lower half. A faux wrap dress in an A-line shape is a great fitted option to give you a defined shape without drawing all the attention to your waist. A wide belt is one of the fashion pieces that petite women should avoid wearing, whether she has a short torso or not.
I don't like shirts that draw your attention to my belly. This angled hemline top is the perfect top to balancing your short torso and long legs. Take your style quiz, schedule a Fix, and relax as five curated pieces arrive at your doorstep. Shipping and returns are always free, letting you scoop up another dress or two. Now that you have some tips up your sleeve, you’re ready to shop for figure-flattering pieces. Wear matched top and belt color make the torso appear longer because it gives off a unified look and minimize the attention to the waist.