Don't Cry if You Think Your Legs Are Too Short and Your Torso is Too Long... I'll Fix It.

After my last post a friend requested that I write about how to dress if you have a long torso and short legs. I had already had this on my list of things to write about in this series, but since I like her, I bumped it up! If you are like my friend and have (as she put it) "an abnormally long torso" for your height than this post is for you!

The key to lengthening your short legs and shortening your long torso is a higher waist. If you wear low waisted pants or skirts it will make your torso look even long and your legs even shorter. Higher waists (either hip bones or trust waist for skirts/pants and true waist or empire waist in dresses) will elongate your legs and make your torso look more proportional.

This is one of those posts that I really wish I could show you real people with before and afters. Maybe we'll do that soon just to help you out! For now though, here's the best I can do for you.

 

1). Belts: Belts help to define your waist up higher than your hips so that your legs look longer and your torso shorter. Also, they just look darn cute on dresses and longer shirts!

2). High Waists: Higher waists help to elongate your legs. Those slacks in the far right corner will make your legs look a mile long while defining your waist up higher as well. Both good things. Also, wearing heels with slacks and longer fuller skirts helps that long leg affect as well. The shorts, the grey skirt, and the jeans are other examples of higher waisted bottom halves. Make sure those high waisted shorts aren't too short, we don't want to see that.

3). Jackets or Sweaters with Peplums: Jackets or sweaters with peplums also help to create a higher waist and the illusion of longer legs. Make sure you don't create two waists though. If you have a jacket or sweater (or shirt) with that defined of a waist let that be your waist line. If you're wearing pants or a skirt either make sure your waist band on your pants or skirts either hit at the same waist line or you can camouflage it. Just don't wear a top with a really defined waist and then pants with a defined waist at a different place. Make sense?

So there you go. Your three keys to balancing your legs and torso. Really, it's all about defining your waist in the right spot.