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8 Easy Outfits That Will Make You Look Taller

Just because you weren’t born with the measurements of a Hadid sister doesn’t mean you can’t fake modelesque height. All it takes is a little strategic styling and visual trickery, as demonstrated by the following eight outfits.

6 Clothing Items Every Short Lady Should Own


woman wearing black pants top and coat
Matthew Sperzel/Getty Images

Wear Something Monochromatic

Dressing all in one color creates a long line from your head to your toes and makes you look taller automatically. This works for any color, but an all-black ensemble has the extra perk of being simultaneously slimming and lengthening.

Get the look: BP. shirt ($17); Madewell jeans ($128); Topshop coat ($95); Marc Fisher LTD boots ($95)

woman wearing high waist jeans and gray sweater
Christian Vierig/Getty Images

Wear All Things High Waist

One of the easiest ways to look taller? Wearing high-waist pants and skirts. By faking a higher waistline, your legs look like they begin at least a few inches before they actually do. Beyond easy.

Get the look: AG sweater ($138); Treasure & Bond jeans ($79); Vince Camuto boots ($90)

woman wearing short skirt jean jacket and boots
Christian Vierig/Getty Images

Pair A Shorter Skirt With Tall Boots

Knee-high or over-the-knee boots are a game-changer when it comes to making your gams look miles-long. Worn with a skirt that hits above your knee, they’ll make your legs look, like, twice their actual length.

Get the look: Rails jacket ($229); Maje skirt ($265); Stuart Weitzman boots ($655)


woman wearing orange skirt and top and nude heels
Gotham/Getty Images

Wear Pointed-toe Shoes In Your Skin Tone

Pointy, skin-colored shoes (or those that are see-through) visually extend the length of your legs without a break in color. Nude flats will do the trick, but for maximum lengthening, opt for a heel.

Get the look: Milly dress ($425); Lauren Ralph Lauren coat ($150); SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker shoes ($365)

woman wearing striped pants and a cropped faux fur jacket
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

Wear A Cropped Coat Or Jacket

Here’s another optical illusion for you. Just as high-waist pants make it look like your waist is higher, a shorter coat does the same. Since outerwear typically hits at your natural waist, raising the hem a bit makes it look like your waist is much higher than it is.

Get the look: Amuse Society pants ($56); Scripted coat ($245)

woman wearing white dress boots and small bag
Christian Vierig/Getty Images

Opt For Smaller Handbags

Scale, scale, scale. A giant tote can make a petite frame look even tinier. An itty-bitty handbag, though, looks way more proportional and will make you appear to have a taller stature.

Get the look: Theory coat ($595); Jeffrey Campbell boots ($183); Sole Society bag ($40)

woman wearing striped top black pants and blazer
Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images

Wear Stripes Vertically

Horizontal stripes are well and good, but vertical stripes are kinda magical. In a simple top or full-on dress, they draw the eye up and down, creating the illusion of longer limbs.

Get the look: Topshop top ($68); Bailey 44 pants ($168); Elie Tahari blazer ($398)

woman wearing cropped pants and a checked coat
Christian Vierig/Getty Images

Wear Cropped Pants

Remember when you went through a growth spurt as a kid and all your pants looked too short? Cropped trousers create the same, leg-lengthening effect. No one has to know you haven’t gotten any taller in decades.

Get the look: J.Crew shirt ($70); Eileen Fisher pants ($248); Vince jacket ($795)



sarah stiefvater

Wellness Director

Sarah Stiefvater is PureWow's Wellness Director. She's been at PureWow for ten years, and in that time has written and edited stories across all categories, but currently focuses...