Dress: Nordstrom (Sold Out) Similar here and here | Earrings: LOFT | Shoes: J.Crew Factoryย (on sale!) | Clutch: Banana Republic (sold out) similar here and here
For those who don’t know me, I’m 5″ 3′ so the midi dress/skirt trend has always been a struggle for me. It took me a really long time to feel comfortable styling a dress or skirt that hit my mid calves or ankle area. I’ve always felt like I have big calves/ankles and I thought this style just would just accentuate them. However, as of late, midi skirts/dresses have become my go to especially for the office. I thought I’d share a few of my tips for shorties like me who want to wear this style.
- Wear a barley there heel:ย Really any heel will automatically help to elongate your legs and make you look taller , but I’ve found that it’s best to wear a very simple “barley there” strappy heel. This will give you the extra height you need without drawing attention to your ankles. I also suggest picking something neutral that blends in like these J.Crew Factory heels. Something too bulky will just chop up your legs making them look even shorter.
- Stick with a light weight fabric:ย It’s easy for us shorties to look like were drowning in fabric so you’ll want to go with something light weight that has some movement to it.
- Cinch in your waist: Stick to high waisted a-line skirts and midi dresses that cinch in your waist – like the style I’m wearing in this post. Cinching in your waist will help to elongate your legs. If you find a midi dress you love that doesn’t do that for you, you can still get the same effect by belting it.
- Long layers: This is something to keep in mind especially going into the fall and winter months. When throwing a sweater over this style dress, try to stick to something longer. This rule is kind of similar to the shoe rule in the sense that you don’t want to add another layer that cuts you off at your hips. That will just make you look shorter. If you don’t have a long enough sweater, but you need an extra layer, throw a light weight button down shirt (like a chambray) over the dress and tie it up to chinch in your waist.
- Get a great tailor: This tip goes for every short gal even if you’re not into the midi dress trend. About 9 times out of 10 the pieces I buy are always just a little too long in the arms or legs. One of the biggest style mistakes anyone can make is wearing something that isn’t well tailored. For the Midi trend – everyone has their own sweet spot as to wear the dress should hit. For me its just above the ankles or right below the knee!
Hope these tips help all the shorties out there! As I mentioned in this post – I love the midi dress trend for the office so I highly suggest giving it a shot!
