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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

  • Oversees wellness content
  • PureWow's resident book reviewer
  • Has worked in lifestyle media for 11 years