Tips for Petite Women to Look Taller

Ola bonita chica’s!

How is everyone doing today? Now as you peruse through your favorite site looking for updates on all the latest makeup and beauty items, I know not all of you will need help in the looking taller department, especially since some of you are blessed in the height department. But if you are vertically challenged then stick around because I have a few tips for you to help elongate your body to help you avoid the next meddling aunt coming to pinch your cheeks and calling you chutki. Now I am 5’5” myself but since I got married, I am the shortest in my new family of giants where the average height is over 6 feet. So I hope you find these helpful as some of these tips are ones that I have been using myself to not look like a dwarf in family photos.

Tips for Petite Women to Look Taller

Disclaimer: Love yourself because God made us in all shapes and sizes. If you are petite and loving it, more power to you and know that I am secretly jealous of you because you truly are a ‘chota package, bada dhamaka’. I only write this for people who are looking for help especially in this department so I hope that this does not offend anyone.

1. Heels are your new best friend. The easiest thing you can do is adopt a pair (or twenty) of a sturdy pair of heels. Now I see women at the hospital that I work at saving lives yet looking fabulous while lengthening their frame with a myriad of heels that are available in the market. If you are saving traditional break-your-ankle heels only for the five hours your feet can bear those at your cousin’s engagement, try other alternatives. Wedges and espadrilles can be a girl’s best friend, especially in the height department. These also pair awesomely with Indian suits! Avoid ankle straps like the plague! Kitten heels also help give you some height while looking office appropriate and not making you sound like a clippity clopping horse across your office floor. You can also buy shoes which have a full heel across your whole foot (which camouflage your heel) to avoid looking like you are literally standing inches above the floor. I would also suggest you invest in a good pair of gel foot protectors. It might hurt initially but eventually those defined calves will be the envy of everyone.

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2. Fix your posture! With us sitting more throughout the day today than our counterparts did 20 years ago, we have all messed up our posture. Long hours at the desk with companies not investing in the best lumbar support in those tacky plastic swivel chairs has taken a toll on everyone’s spine. Remind yourself to sit up straight every time you catch yourself slouching. Also get help from a family member or friend to pull your shoulders back for a few minutes every day to slowly correct your posture to add those extra inches to your height.

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3. Tease your crown. Sure you can wear a tiara all day too but I mean add volume to the top end of your head. Longer tresses can shorten your height so chop of those split ends (you will definitely thank me for it in this heat) and invest in a fun shoulder length bob. Shorter length gives the illusion of a taller person but remember to give your new do volume at the crown. If your hair is flat at the top or even if you have styled it smoothly it will cut down your height. So invest in some bobby pins and find an easy tutorial for pompadours on YouTube, you will not regret it!

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4. Wear monochromatic outfits. Do not worry about looking drab and boring in one colour. Add a colourful clutch and heels to elevate your outfit! Wearing a single colour throughout is an effective illusion to add height. This works best with darker colours like black of course but you can also experiment with a deep blue, dark grey, rich mahogany or even a royal magenta. You create a vertical line in anyone’s sight when you wear the same colour throughout your body which makes you look taller. If monochromatic dressing is not your thing and the summer heat makes your jeans unbearable then match your pants/palazzos/trousers/khaki’s to the colour of your shoes elongating your look.

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5. Vertical stripes are your new best friend! Stay away from bold flowers or heavy prints and invest in some zebra stripes. Not I do not mean horizontal, which will just make you look wider rather than taller! Find clothes with thin vertical stripes which also have the added bonus of a slight slimming effect while also adding to your height.

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6. Change that neckline. I know chunky neck pieces have been in for a while but ditch them sister, if you want to impress a mister. With your height that is! Opt for a v neck or plunging neckline which will not only flaunt the regular curvy Indian body, but also give a longer and leaner look to your body.

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7. Ditch the booties! Ankle booties are my favourite type of shoes but unfortunately they do nothing but make you look shorter! Yes, even if they have massive heels attached! The vamp of ankle boots (the part of the shoe that covers the top part of your feet) come all the way to your ankle which creates a block effect making you look shorter. Stilettos will always be the most slimming choice because they show the most skin on the top part of your feet but know that you will look taller even if you are wearing ballerina flats showing some toe cleavage rather than wearing those hep ankle boots with heels. If you, like me, are in love with ankle boots, try finding them in a nude colour (or your skin colour) to add height but remove the stubbiness factor they create.

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8. Fix those arm holes! I personally own so many tops with Dolman sleeves and have even found pyjama tops with these super comfortable bat wings type sleeves that are really in at the moment. But they do nothing but make me look shorter and broader, especially if you are heavy chested. Now these kinds of sleeves would look amazing on a Victoria’s Secret model, but if you are looking to add length to your frame avoid loose sleeves around your arm hole. They make you look frumpy and only take away from your frame. If you have to cover up your arms wear fitted long sleeves to help make you look taller.

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9. You have to wear flats? Quick tip- insoles!

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10. Avoid carrying bulky oversized bags. Yes they might be super trendy and I literally carry my world in my huge purse but avoid any bag that is larger than an A4 sized sheet. The smaller your bag, the taller you look. The only exception I will let you make is if you are travelling and like me always need to pack a crap load of stuff and have already hit the limit on your check in luggage. I’ll possibly loan you the biggest beach bag I have in that case!

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11. Accessorize with skinny belts. If you are wearing something baggy and need to cinch in that waist use a skinny belt rather than a wide one to help yourself look taller. This will style your outfit and avoid a large block right in the middle of your torso.

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12. Change up your jewelry. Put away those large chunky earrings my love, they will come in handy at the next wedding season (think of it this way- 5 more months till a decent winter time!) and swap them in for long flowy necklaces. Long draping flowing necklaces and scarves will create the illusion of a longer torso and add more to your height!

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13. Dedicate your pants to the 90’s! Now there are plenty of ways to do this without looking as gawky as you actually did in the 90’s but high waisted pants can elongate your frame and add inches to your height! See, isn’t fashion great at tricking people! High waisted trousers can look like you’re elongating your pins, which is basically what we are going for right? If you want to try out a pair of high waisted jeans make sure they are flared at the ends. Tapered jeans and excessively tight jeans will minus the length of your legs which is a no-no!

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14. If you are not a heels person at all- That is completely okay! I want to give you all the possible suggestions to make sure I can help you look taller so if you are not into heels (and I do not blame you for it) invest in pointy shoes. So if you are wearing flats all the time, avoid ballerina flats which are rounded at the toe end, but rather pick pointy ended shoes and still stick some height boosting-insoles in them!

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15. Adopt my current looking lean and taller workout. This is a part of my circuit training twice a week that I started earlier this year because I was at a family function and despite being the national average in height I looked like a tiny child among my husband’s family. They are Sardar and their pagadis do not help either. You can do this before you hit the weights, after you sweat through cardio or just take time out every day to help elongate your body for that taller effect!

Complete 3 rounds at least, work up to 5 rounds by the end of 4 weeks. No resting between these exercises!
a) Hang from a bar for 15 (work up to 30) seconds. If you do not have a bar then stretch up with your arms in the air and stay on your toes for 20 to 30 seconds and walk while you do so.
b) Lie on the floor and do scissor kicks for 30 seconds.
c) Get back up for 10 Grand Pliés. Stand with your feet apart wider than the width of your hips and your toes turned out. Keeping your back straight squat as low as you can and dangle your arms in front of you and as you come up swing your arms outwards to gently bring them up over your head by the time you are standing fully (just like a ballerina!).
d) Get back on the floor for side planks, 30 seconds each side.
e) Get on your belly to do some swimming for 30 seconds. No pool needed not to worry. Just lie on your belly and lift both your arms and legs off the ground while flutter kicking them like you are swimming to go save a life!
f) Stretch for 1 minute as you get up doing the upward dog stretch.

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Aaaand you’re done!

Hope all of these tips and tricks help you to elongate your frame, get a lean body and give the illusion of a taller you! I have tried to cover shoes, clothes, accessories and exercise to help you find what works for you and give you the best to choose from. Again, please know that you are beautiful just the way you are. And like I always say love what you have, flaunt what you’ve got and work what your mama gave ya!

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9 thoughts on “Tips for Petite Women to Look Taller

  1. Brilliant post samrita like always 🙂 Even i am 5’7″ but I too feel need of looking petite as neha said coz I usually commit all mistakes to look “chutki” 😛
    I ditched heels ever since married and became a mom for sake of pregnancy and nw I need lot of courage to walk in heels knw. This is wt I needed to bring back old charming days 😛 lol 😉
    This is definitely gonna help many of us.. 🙂 kuddos gal!!

  2. Very nicely written hun. As the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. I am 5’9 and I so wish sometimes to be shorter:P

  3. Nice post dear!!! I am 5’8.5 and sometimes wish to be shorter 🙂
    it allows us to wear heels and in my opinion, shorter people look younger 🙂

    1. They do!! My 5’2″ or under friends always pay the kids fare everywhere. They just show up in two pigtails or braids. So unfair! Haha!
      But thank you to you and everyone above for the kind words! Definitely try the lean, mean, slimming machine workout. It’s become my favourite!

  4. Great post Samrita.. This is for me :P, I’m 5’2 🙁 my friends call me kiddoo 😛 😛
    will try following some of the tips..

  5. What a great post! Loved the disclaimer. I am extra petite–5 feet even. One more thing I experimented looks good in adding fake inches are cropped pants paired with same color shoes. Cheers to many more such fun posts!

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