FASHION SOLUTIONS FOR THE SHORT WAISTED WOMAN

Yesterday, there was a lot of good feedback regarding “should I tuck or not.” I think that a lot of us struggle with the middle-age spread, so tucking your shirt in might make you self-conscious. In many of the comments, what really stood out to me was that you struggled with this issue because you are short-waisted. So, today, all of you short-waisted gurls are going to have the blog tips dedicated to you.

The first thing that we need to determine is if you are long or short-waisted. Grab a measuring tape and get ready to take a couple of measurements. There are a couple of different methods that you can use to measure yourself.

Am I short-waisted or long-waisted

Measure the distance from your underarms to your natural waist. To determine your natural waist, look in the mirror (without a shirt or with one that is tight) and bend over sideways. The spot of the bend is your natural waistline, and it is normally a few inches about your belly button. Then, measure the distance between your natural waist and your hip bone. If the distance is longer between the arm and the waist, then you are long-waisted. If the distance is shorter between your arm and your waist, then you are short-waisted.

I prefer this way to measure; maybe it is because I have too many rolls when I bend to the side to figure out which one is my natural waist. Lol! Measure the distance from the crown of your head to your crotch. (I placed a book on my head to get the idea of where the top started) Then, measure the distance from your crotch to the floor. (I held the measuring tape between my feet so that I could pull it up) If the measurement is longer from the head to the crotch, then you are long-waisted. But, if it is shorter from your head to your crotch, then you are short-waisted. This tells you if you have a long or short torso, and normally, it correlates with a long or short waist.

I am long-waisted, which I had always thought, but now I have the numbers to back up my claim. Several of you mentioned that you were short-waisted in the comments on yesterday’s post, which got me thinking that you might like a short “tips and tricks” type of post of how to dress if you are short-waisted.

What clothing does is camouflage and trick the eye. I can style things to help me appear taller and thinner and make it appear like I have a waistline. If you have a short waist, you might actually have longer legs, which is a good thing. However, if you are petite, then your legs might not be long, but we can still make them “appear” longer.

TIPS FOR DRESSING WHEN YOU ARE SHORT-WAISTED:

V Neck Tops

You hear me repeatedly say that a v-neck is so flattering because it elongates your neck. It brings the eye down, and the neck looks a mile long. You appear taller and thinner just by wearing a v-neckline.

Wear Long Necklaces

Tricking the eye is something that I do all of the time. Wearing a long necklace will give you the same effect as the v-neck top. It brings the eye downward and gives you a long vertical line that is flattering, especially if you are short-waisted.

Longer Tops

When you choose a top, if the top hits you below your waist, it elongates your waist. Even though crop tops and crop jackets are having a “moment,” I would steer clear of them. A cropped top would emphasize the short-waist.

Wear Your Tops Untucked

This is the same concept as wearing longer tops. When you tuck your shirt in, then it calls attention to your shorter waist. Leaving the top untucked tricks the eye into thinking that your waist is longer than it is.

One Piece Items

Dresses and Jumpsuits are great if you are short-waisted. Separate items break the body in half, but a one-piece garment creates one long, lean look. You can trick the mind into thinking you have a longer waist with a one-piece outfit unless the garment has a drawstring or an elastic waist.

Monochromatic Style

Dressing in all one color, or at least in the same color tones, will elongate you. I use this trick all of the time to appear thinner and taller. When you break your body into two separate colors, then it draws attention to the break line. If your eye doesn’t see the line break, then it helps you to appear longer. A column of color with a different colored cardigan is fine.

Things to Avoid:

Don’t pick anything with an empire waist; this will make your waist look even shorter. But, a drop waist would be a great choice. Avoid wide belts, even if they are what’s in style. A wide belt will make your waistline look even shorter. A skinny belt would work much better or wearing a belt that matches the color of your shirt. You don’t want to draw attention to your top half, so avoid things like large pockets on tops and jackets.

I hope these tips helped. Since I am not short-waisted, I am not an expert on this topic. So, experiment and see what you like and how it makes your waist appear.

Even though I do not have a short waist, I am still using a few of the above tips. I have on a v-neck top that is longer and untucked, and the long cardigan hides my natural waistline placement.

This is one reason that I don’t like shopping from my closet. This gorgeous baby blue cardigan is a previous purchase, and it is no longer available online. So, instead of linking to one item that you can see me wearing, I will link to several similar items for you to choose from. These items are available in the blue color, but I couldn’t get one of the items to show that color for you.

This outfit started with a basic 3/4 sleeve v-neck white top. The top is a thick tunic tee in 100% Pima Cotton, and I like that you can’t see through it. The front panel is shorter than the back, and you can see the two slits that run down each side. I am wearing a medium in this top, and I think it fits me fine, and I still have room to spare.

As you can see from the back view, there is no visible back fat showing. That is a win for me.

These linen-stretch slim-leg pants in a tapestry print are super cute. Do you like wearing prints on your bottom half? Many people prefer to wear prints on the top half of their body and wear solid colors on the bottom half.

This pair of printed pants reminds me of the beach and would be great for taking on a summer vacation. They are ankle-length and sit below the waistline. They are also almost sold out, so I’ll link to other pants that might give you a similar look.

I styled the look with two separate shoes trying to see which ones that I like the best. My choice was the Sperry Crest Vibe sneakers! How in the world did this lover of high heels suddenly start loving sneakers??? Something is wrong with this picture. I did size down in these sneakers to an 8 1/2 instead of my usual size 9.

If you don’t have or don’t like the longer cardigan, I styled the look also with a classic jean jacket. This is an old as the hills jacket that I had before I started blogging. This one is from Old Navy, and I’ll link to a few similar ones for you.

The widget that I use to create the Shop The Post won’t work for today’s post, so that is why you don’t see one today. Hopefully, I will be able to get one working for tomorrow’s post.

I am celebrating this month because it is Joe’s Birthday month. He told me that I couldn’t make a big deal out of his birthday. I don’t think that announcing for the entire world to see is making a big deal. Lol! So, randomly, each week, I am going to pick a winner for a gift. The gifts will vary in size and price, and I will pick the winner from the comments that I receive during the week.

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