I was told in the 7th grade by my family doctor that I was already done growing. Yes, you read that right: the 7th grade. I was 5'0 on the dot at that point. Turns out I had a miraculous "growth spurt" if you will, in my twenties and I hit a whopping 5'2. Honestly, I don't mind being short and I'm pretty accepting of it at this point. Is it hard to reach the microwave sometimes? Yes. Do I have to crawl up on my countertops to grab things out of my cabinets? Yes. Do I struggle seeing over my steering wheel? Yes. Is it hard to find absolutely any dresses, maxi's, let alone any jumpsuits that fit me? Yes, yes, and YES. If you're a short girl, you get my struggle. Sometimes trying on clothes is frustrating because you look in the mirror and it looks like you're sporting an actual camping tent. But, have no fear because I have some awesome tips on finding the right clothing for you!
If you're someone who keeps up with the trends of this fall, you've surely seen all the jumpsuits that are circulating through social media. Most likely, they're being modeled by super tall, elongated girls. But what about us vertically challenged gals? Sure, I could buy all these cute jumpsuits I see and take them to get altered & hemmed. But who wants to actually take the extra time to do that when normal-height people can just buy the jumpsuit as is it comes? Working in a boutique the past few years, I've learned some helpful ways to find jumpsuits that cater to short people.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
1) Cropped Styles
While most jumpsuits are meant to fall at your ankle, cropped jumpsuits have been trending this year. These cropped styles are meant to fall high above your ankle, almost at your lower calf. While these cropped styles look cute on taller girls, they're PERFECT for petite girls. Why? Because the cropped fabric won't fall high at your calf like it's meant to, it will fall right at your ankle instead - achieving the perfect length for petites! This cropped trend has actually saved my life. Refer to the pic below as an example!
I found this adorable culotte cropped jumpsuit at Forever 21 (it was $16.00 and such a steal) and it was meant to be cropped at the calf. But guess what, it turned out to be the perfect ankle-length for me! I'm telling you, if you're petite, cropped jumpsuits are the answer. Linked below is my exact jumpsuit I'm wearing!
Ribbed Culotte Jumpsuit: Forever 21 | Wearing Size Small, $15.90
Forever 21 has super cute jumpsuits for fall. If you're petite, definitely check out these two retailers for affordable ones that'll fit just right!
2) An Elastic Waistline
Y'all, this is an important one! If you're petite and the jumpsuit or maxi you're trying on is heavily dragging the ground, an elastic waistline is a LIFESAVER. This way, you're able to grab the elastic at the waist and continuously bunch it under. This will gradually pull the excess length off the ground and you can achieve the perfect length for your height! This also applies to knee-length dresses as well. I have the hardest time finding dresses that hit my mid-thigh like the rest of the world. If you have this elastic waistline, you can do the same bunching technique which will shorten the dress. This trick has actually really helped me over the years!
3) A Belt Tie
This comes hand-in-hand with an elastic waistline! If you can find one or the other, or even better, BOTH - this will help remove a lot of that excess floor-length. A lot of times, if there is an elastic waistline or belt, the fabric may be chiffon or similar. A chiffon tie-belt is SUPER easy to work with. You can tie the chiffon belt as tight as you like, and tuck the fabric under the waistline to pull up the length that's dragging the floor. I also sometimes take a safety pin and pin both sides of my jumpsuit to keep the fabric from coming un-bunched throughout my day! Below is an example on how I shorten my chiffon jumpsuits.
I purchased this cute, tulip jumpsuit at ivy & leo in late summer! It's unfortunately no longer available on the website, but you can tell how I pinned the sides with safety pins to keep the fabric how I wanted it - and you can see I have the belt tied just right.
Linked below are some similar jumpsuits with tie-belts & tulip style pants - oh, and they're under $40.00 and in cute fall colors!
Striped Tube Jumpsuit | $32.00
Striped Tulip Jumpsuit | $32.00
4) Adjustable Straps
If there is one thing I've learned in my life, it's that adjustable straps are a game changer for petite people. I try tops and dresses on sometimes, and I kid you not my neckline is down to my stomach. It's actually a terrifying sight in the mirror at first, tbh. If the item has adjustable straps, you can tighten those suckers up as far as they'll go and you'll be good as new! Sometimes adjustable straps can help pull the jumpsuit up a little bit, which will pull the fabric off the ground slightly if it's still dragging.
These are four tips that have helped me have a much easier shopping experience as a petite customer. I have plenty of girls say they "wished they were petite" and how their life would be so much easier, but being petite can actually be pretty frustrating! Especially if you're super petite like me with a shorter torso, extra smalls work best for me - but they're SO hard to find these days. So sometimes you have to search for shortcuts to find cute clothes. These tips worked for me, so hopefully they'll work for some of you!
Thanks again for reading, have a wonderful week!
xoxo,
Holly J
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