My top ten style tips for petites

One of the most challenging aspects of finding the clothes that look good on me is my height. I don't actually mind being 5ft 2, it doesn't bother me at all but finding clothes that fit and suit me can be problematic. Over the years, I am slowly starting to work out which styles of clothes do suit me as a petite. The problem with being petite is that clothes can easily swamp you and make you look even shorter (and wider than you are). So here are my top ten petite style tips.

• Fitted clothing is always best for petites. You can just about get away with a moderately baggy top as long as it is balanced with a more fitted piece of clothing on the lower half.
• 3/4 length sleeves work really well, not sure why but perhaps they make the body look proportionately longer.
• Moderate size heels or wedges work really well for petites, mega high heels look too much.
• Dresses work best when really long (maxi) or just below the knee.

Dakota Cropped Trench

• Cropped jackets and cardigans worn with long thigh length tops seem to make the body look longer.
• Avoid any horizontal lines across the body and obvious belts as they will cut it in half making you look shorter. If you must wear a belt opt for a thin one in the same colour as your clothing.
• Use scarves, v necks, necklaces and vertical stripes to create vertical lines which make your body look longer.

Marks and Spencers Petite Cotton Bootcut Jeans

• Shop in Next, Marks and Spencers and Dorothy Perkins petite collections for trousers to fit. Other fitted clothes such as dresses and jackets also look better if bought from a petite collection otherwise the waist will fall too low and the shoulders too wide and the neckline may be too low.
• If wearing patterns look for small scale patterns like polka dots and small florals. Larger scale patterns will swamp you.
• Wear outfits in one colour including tights and shoes, this will make your body look longer.

All fairly obvious points, but they really do work. Sometimes it can be easy to get carried away with the latest fashions and forget that paying attention to looking stylish over fashion and wearing clothes to suit will always look best. You can still follow fashions though, just pick out the bits that work well for petites.