How to Dress a Petite Lady

Being any size other than the average can be frustrating. Shopping for clothes becomes a big ordeal, and you may not enjoy it as much as you should. Clothing tailored for average sized women are usually too large for petite women. Capri pants become full length pants, and mini skirts become regular length skirts on petite sized women. Knowing how to dress a small frame is as challenging as dressing a tall or large woman. Hemming will almost always be required, and finding a good tailor to get the rest of the proportions right on your small frame is a worthwhile investment.

Things You'll Need

• Blouses
• Trousers
• Skirts
• Dresses
• Shoes
• Tailor

Instructions

1. Find shirts and blouses that fall down and rest at the hips. Anything longer will make your legs look short. Sleeves need to rest at the wrist. Longer sleeves will cover the hands and be annoying to wear.

2. Hem trousers to end at the bottom of the foot. Pants that are too long will drape onto the ground and get dirty and torn. The inseam needs to follow up the leg, leaving just enough room in the crotch. Too much room will make the legs look shorter. A tailor may be needed to make these types of adjustments. Pants often need to be taken in all over, which is somewhat difficult to do, especially if you are an amateur with a sewing machine.

3. Find skirts that fall above the knee. Anything lower will make the person look shorter. Pencil skirts or pleated skirts work on a small frame, as long as they do not fall below the knee. Petite ladies may even be able to wear short skirts since it lengthens the leg. Once again a tailor may be needed for proper adjustments. The skirt may need to be taken in at the waist or around the hips. The skirt may be to full to begin with, which overpowers the petite frame.

4. Finding dresses that fit correctly is difficult. The skirt part needs to fall above the knee, and the top of the dress needs to fit somewhat close the body. Many styles work, as long as the dress is age appropriate. Use a tailor if needed. A dress that is to big for a petite lady will make her look like she is playing dress-up.

5. Finding shoes for petite ladies is not very hard. The most common shoe size for a petite lady is size 5 or 6. Shoes often come in narrow or wide sizes as well. The one thing a petite woman will want to look for in shoes, is a small light weight heel or flat. Large, chunky shoes tend to shorten the stature . Instead look for strappy heels, light weight flats and pointed or rounded toe shoes. These types of shoes will increase your height and look more appropriate on a petite frame.

Tips & Warnings

• Since many stores offer petite sections, search these sections first for better fitted clothing.