[melpaganlibran]

Hi I am only 5 feet tall. It is very hard to be stylish for me.
My inseam is 26 inches.
Does anyone have suggestions on what type of pants, skirts and tops to choose? I ~cannot give an illusion of height, I just want to know what fits best and would be most flattering to my figure and hieght.
Yes, I own boots and heels. I am getting to a point where I am tired of sacrificing my comfort for them though. My feet hurt too much.
If my measurements help, I am 36/size 10/39 1/2. If my "body type" needs to be considered I am the sort who is medium on top with a thick derriere and a tummy that ~can not~ be shown.
I want to learn how to look feminine and ~sexy~ without showing too much skin or looking trashy too.
I don't want to dress like an old maid, either...wanna know how to be "in-between" in clothing style. I hate being hot so in summer in the past I have worn very itty bitty shorts and dresses. I'm tired of people's assumpitons and name-calling though. Time to conform and blend in. Hah!
Thanks for any response and peace to you all.
~~Mela

[Liz]

try boot cut pants.
tops with a v-neck. if there's a bit much showing, you can wear a tank or camisole underneath and have that little bit of lace poking out.

right now, a lot of the stores i shop at are breaking into more the srping/summer stuff. so there's gonna be a lot of tanks and camisoles.

[girl_geek]

I am more average height so I don't know much from experience, but one interesting thing I saw on TLC's "What Not To Wear" is that short people don't have to wear tall heels to look taller! Heels that are too tall can look disproportionate, and chunky shoes (regardless of heel height) will weigh you down and make you look shorter and/or younger! (Since chunky shoes are usually a young look!) A skinny kitten heel 1-2 inches high with a pointed or slightly pointed/elongated toe will give you a little height and elongate your leg without weighing you down! You don't have to wear extremely pointed shoes if you don't like, I actually prefer shoes where the toe box is elongated but is still just a little square or rounded on the end instead of a sharp point.

Liz is right in that v-necks will elongate anyone's torso and neck. I think most v-necks in the stores today are too low for me to feel modest, so I am building a little collection of tanks and camisoles to wear underneath

Another thing I remember from makeover shoes is to avoid super short or super long skirts. Knee-length skirts are going to the best length for most people, actually -- longer skirts will weigh you down, make you look shorter, and hide any sexy curves leaving only your skinny ankles exposed! (Or at least I hate how only my ankles and skinny lower calves are exposed when wearing a longer skirt!) And really short skirts are probably too young and/or immodest for the look you're going for Skirts that hit the top of my knee are my favorite length and I think would also work great for shorter people!

For pants, any sort of straight leg or slight flare/bootcut is going to create a long, vertical line regardless of your height. Large flares will make short people look shorter by adding extra bulk to your lower leg, and tapered legs just make your hips look wider and your calves and ankles look skinnier!

Good luck and may some other girls will have some more helpful advice!

[cute]

I'm only 5 feet,too. I read somewhere said that you should not wear bootcut paints or jeans because it will make you shorter .
I recommend ,
- wear jeans or paints with lines along with the length
- bootcut jeans ( buy from newlook or river island coz they have jeans with inside lags about 30'' )
- high heels shoes , you should buy from good quality brand . Maybe chose flatfrom or wedges you will feel less tried

[whoislain]

Interesting tip about the small heels. I've always preferred small heels anyway!

I am 5 feet tall too and I have a hard time finding pants that are short enough and will not break my budget. Right now I'm wearing a pair of Gap ankle length pants and they are still 2-3 inches too long on me (I have the cuff turned up). Any suggestions?

[melpaganlibran]

dear whoislain,
Do you have a box of safety pins around the house? I would suggest buying at least 3 sizes of them and putting them to use. The pins can be seen, but if you put them in carefully with an eye for symmetry they are hardly noticeable.
I turn my pants inside-out with the extra material folded up, so the cuffs we petites endure are inside the pants. People that are great at sewing tell me to iron the hem we would make to make the cloth stay put better. You could try that as well, it works nicely. Afterward, you put the saftey pins around the hem as the pants are inside out. When you wear your pants they can hardly be seen.
I fasten the pins along the bottom hem, holding the extra cloth up on the inside. I also fasten one from the inside where the side stich is on the inseam. It usually takes me around six pins to make sure the hem won't bunch or budge. It works rather well!
Another tip: have you seen "iron-on hem" tape? In the sewing section with the cloth and thread, stores often have a "tape" in a box. We lay it inside the pants and iron the leg so that the material binds together. The "tape" looks just like a thick peice of tape in size, the material is a cottony color and is pressed very flat-it won't stick to anything at all unless it is very hot & pressed. I wish I could remember the brand name of it but I don't. It works ~great~ for thin material or a quick fix but it doesn't "stay" for long...one must repress it with an iron or use more because it falls out fast after washing/drying one or two times. It is perfect for dress-pants but probably would not work well on jeans or thick pants.
For example, my father, who hates suits, bought a suit for my cousin's wedding, he "fixed" his pants the hem the day of the wedding! He used the tape, which he had bought with my complaints in mind (aww, I love my daddy!) I asked him if he would ever bother to have them hemmed, he replied,"Oh, what for? I'll never wear it again unless I have to!" (heh!)

I hope either of these tips can help you, they work pretty well for me. I cannot grow any taller so I am taking up sewing specifically so that my pants will always fit!

I can relate to pricey pants in petite sizes....seems I end up liking the ones that are not on sale yet the best....I usually buy them or a second favorite that is more reasonable in price, or I buy "regular" pants and doctor them up. Mom used to tease me and tell me I had exquisite taste when I liked the priciest pants best.

Hope this helps the other "shorties" as well and thanks to all of you for your helpful tips and responses! Love and Blessings to you all! ~mela

[girl_geek]

Or you can always take your pants to a tailor or friend who knows how to sew and get the hems fixed permanently, it seems like a lot less work Because if you want the material to last longer, you will want to take the safety pins out each time you wash your pants... Just be careful about hemming up several inches on a pair of flare or bootleg pants, because the flare may not look quite right since they're designed for a much taller figure! Straight leg pants are probably the easiest to hem, I would guess!

[missprissy82]

Im only an inch taller than you! and i love gaucho style pants. i usually get my clothes altered by a tailor- make sure you get them done 1-3 inches longer then they are when she measures you with shoes off(enough lenth to wear with flats or heels). look into the petite section- ann taylor/loft, ralph lauren, baby phat, even akademiks( urban style, if youre into that) has 30' inseam. the tailor should chargeno mare than $15 per pant if you want the original inseam included. if you take clothes in bulk, you will get a discount. usually, i only get bebe, guess and lucky brand jeans altered, and they look great with alteration

[cardboardboxed]

Yay short people! I'm 5'1... I can't really give tips though, I'm not very modest...

[cute]

or sometime you should try look for children clothes

[melpaganlibran]

"CUTE"not funny, hon-....I look young for my age but I am nobody's baby. I also hate it when people tell me I look sixteen. (I know, duh, say something original...try something I haven't heard at all yet!) ~WE ARE NoT amused.~

I am quite small but I am all woman, thank you very much. My bust is 36 C, I wear a 9/10 in womens so that means I have hips...I measure 39 1/2 hips and am kinda proud of my lush derriere.
Why don't you pick up some Dr Suess and brush up on your literature skills?
kiss-kiss,
mela.