Photo by Matt Iwasko
If you are petite, like us, then you’ve probably stayed away from certain trends and styles because of your height. Most of us are not born with perfectly proportionate bodies, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try a style that your heart desires. I’ve always wanted to wear thigh high boots, but struggled to find a pair that fit me well. I finally ordered a pair online on a whim & to my joy these grey boots from Shoe Dazzle fit me well! Unfortunately, I was clouded in doubt when a fellow blogger mocked me about my choice of shoes & style. I took it up as a challenge to make tall boots work for me. This is what I learnt as I went through my wardrobe trying to get my outfit right, I hope these tips help you rock a pair of over the knee boots!
Photo by Brandon/Objective Photography
Show some skin: The trick to wearing thigh high boots is to create an illusion of long legs. As someone with short legs, I’ve found that keeping in mind a simple rule helps: wear something short with tall boots, wear something long with short boots. For thigh high boots, I try to keep a gap of 3-5 inches between the hem of my outfit & the top of my boots.
Find the right fit: As a petite, if you are planning on buying knee high boots or thigh high boots, you need to pay a bit more attention to the fit around your calves, knees and thighs. Personally I am not a fan of slouchy shoes or heavily lined boots, as they tend to visually weigh you down. Thin legs look like chicken legs with the material sagging around your legs and thicker calves look even chunkier. A well fitted pair all the way from ankle to thigh is the way to go. Sometime the fitting around the thigh may not be perfect, but if you love the style & shoe you can always get a cobbler to fix it for you.
Manage the proportions: I have to admit, I borrowed this tip from the tall ladies! Petite women are afraid of lengths. Long coats, dresses, skirts, tend to swallow us up in fabric, but I found that layering correctly helps in continuing the illusion of mile long legs. Wearing a coat, cape or jacket with an open front, but a few inches below your knee helps maintain your modesty (considering the short hemline) yet keeps your outfit stylish & sexy. Do ensure that you choose a well fitted, slim cut jacket. An oversized, slouchy or boxy cut will just make you look frumpy. I wore a dress to NYFW (also worn here) as a jacket.
Pic by Matt Iwasko (we shot this in a tunnel and might not work with the rest of the street/fall set, but love the picture! )
I used all these tips in styling my outfit for the day, and both Matt & Brandon- two amazing photographers I shot with thought I looked swag 😉 Don’t forget to look up both Matt’s gallery on Facebook here & Brandon’s here. Connect with them for holiday family portraits, weddings or your personal portraits!
I’d love to hear what you think of the styling and do feel free to share any additional ideas on how you’d wear over the knee boots!
Outfit Detail:
OTK boots: Shoe Dazzle | Blue fitted dress: Forever 21 | Hunter green dress (Worn as jacket): Loft
Bag: Ralph Lauren | Statement Ring: HMxBalmain | Umbrella: Hunter | Watch: Apple
