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Keeping in mind the goal of creating the illusion of greater height and a slimmer look, here are some helpful, rule-breaking style tips for the petite woman:

• If you add more volume or fluff at the crown of your hair it will add 1 to 2 inches to your overall look.
• Adding accessories near the face, such as necklaces or earrings, and wearing collars with interesting details will attract attention upwards to the face, and make one appear taller.
• Wearing the same color scheme from head to toe will add height to your look.
• If you want to wear contrasting colors, repeat the contrasting colors with at least two items such as a red blouse and red earrings with a navy suit.
• Wear the same color top and bottom on the inside with an accent out piece (i.e. black turtleneck sweater, black trousers topped with a bright yellow jacket) or wear the same colors on the outside with a contrasting color (i.e. white jacket, white skirt with a peach blouse.).
• Avoid bold or large horizontal stripes and designs that can cut up your figure. Instead, chose narrow horizontal stripes in low contrasting colors such as pink and white.
• You can wear cuffs on trousers if you blend your hosiery and shoes to the color of the trouser. This looks best on petites who are long legged.
• To elongate your figure, blend your hosiery and shoes to your hemline whenever possible.
• Do not limit yourself by just wearing tiny earrings; try on larger scale earrings, which help to bring the eyes up and frame the face. Select earring to balance the size of the face, the fullness of the hairstyle and the width of the shoulders.
• When selecting a hat, make sure the brim is no wider than the shoulders and is proportional to the face and figure.
• When selecting a large print, use the size of your hand as a guideline.
• To maintain balance and proportion, match oversized tops, blouses or jackets with a tapered skirt or pants.
• Full or gathered skirts are fine if the fabric is lightweight and soft. Avoid bulky and stiff fabrics.
• When wearing two or more layers of clothing, avoid heavy fabrics, which tend to give you a bulky look.
• Avoid using high contrast colors in separates, like a white blouse with a black skirt, which can cut your figure in half and make you appear shorter. Instead, add a third piece such as jacket, sweater or vest in the same color as the bottom garment.
• Do wear vertical designs or patterns, such as vertical stripes, pleats, buttons, or vertical boarders.
• Do keep your belt the same color tone as your outfit, and avoid high-contrast belts such as a white and extremely wide belts which can cut up your figure.

A final tip: In some of the more fashion-forward countries in East Asia, such as Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea or Taiwan, the styles are usually well-suited to the petite body size. As a petite, I am always thrilled to find such a great selection of shoes, trousers, jackets, suits, and undergarments in those markets. So the next time you plan to travel to that area, try and budget for some fashions, always keeping in mind the value of what you are considering purchasing.

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