5 Short Girl Style Lessons Anyone Under 5’5 Can Learn from Florence Pugh

Woman, you are all about flouting fashion rules—like in 2022, when commentors tried shaming you for a revealing dress, and you doubled down with an eloquent Instagram post defending all women’s right to embrace their physicality. The coat situation might not be as titillating a fashion choice, but for short women who are told they’re never supposed to wear a long, long coat for fear it will make them look short, your choice is a revelation. What makes this work is the attention to detail—the sleeves aren’t too long and the hem of the coat doesn’t drag. And also, the white column dress underneath, along with matching white pumps, helps to define your petite bod under all that volume.

Here’s you showing some real Hollywood wardrobe magic, Pugh. By wearing a matching ensemble that has an exposed midriff, you’re not only accenting your toned tummy, but the fabric is actually forming a triangle shape that draws the eye upward, lengthening your frame. This look can be replicated with any knit that’s only buttoned halfway down, leaving the ends to drape backward. And while this top is cropped to just hit the top of the trousers, petites can rock the look with longer sweaters too—just as long as the sweaters are clingy and not draped, so that the look is intentional.

Pugh knows that a short shift is proportional and flattering, showing off our legs. Pro tip: Even though Pugh is wearing a couture dress from Valentino, which presumably was hemmed to her proportions, we’re keen to adapt the silhouette on our own. A shift dress—that is, one that swings comfortably on the body and isn’t bodycon tight—in a short shape is ultra-flattering and comfortable. As shorties, we can work this look with longer tunics, as well. And when paired with a knee-high boot in breezy weather (or a pair of black tights), the shift dress becomes a whole outfit.

So many of us stress about how precisely our cuffs are folded, hemmed or styled. But we’re rethinking all that now that we’ve seen Pugh out and about with her high-waist white jeans just folded up, nbd. While this casual cue isn’t going to work on fancy pants or trousers, it's totally an option with jeans. And also: High-waist jeans are beloved among the tiny dancers among us, since they make the line of our legs extend longer, and upward. Here Pugh’s white jeans and white heels additionally make a unified, sleek outfit.

It’s always been an unspoken—and sometimes spoken—assumption that shorties should wear clingy outfits to look less bulky and therefore appear taller. Well, forget that—here Pugh shows us that a loose button-front tailored shirt worn open over a wide-leg trouser looks so comfortable and flattering. Sure, there’s a hint of bodycon sensibility with the undershirt, but paired with sneakers, the effect is more sporty spice than sexy tight. Finally, the restrained palette is so stylish—just keep that status handbag on display so you’re not mistaken for a cater waiter.