Styling tips for petite and tall women

Everybody deserves to feel elegant and beautiful. However, sometimes the clothes you get off the rack don’t always make this easy. Outside of dedicated petite and tall ranges, most brands simply increase the length of garments as sizes go up, even though that’s not how bodies work.

The average height of an Australian woman is around 162cm, yet many brands still create clothing to fit models who are taller. This means that, for many of us to look and feel our absolute best, a wee bit of tailoring can make a big difference.

Of course, there are no strict rules when it comes to style, and you don’t need to dress a certain way because of your height. Our guide is to help you understand proportions, discover what feels good on your body, and find pieces that feel balanced, comfortable, and more “you”. 

Key takeaways

• Off-the-rack clothing is designed around standard proportions, which is why petite and tall women often struggle to find pieces that fit properly
• There are no strict fashion “rules” when it comes to height; instead, tailoring helps clothes feel more personalised to your body
• Small alterations, like adjusting the hems or sleeves, can make any item look more polished

The reality of off-the-rack sizing

Sizing can be a mysterious thing for many women. While you might be a size S in one brand, you could be a size L in another. Realistically, you never really know until you try things on yourself. And for women who don’t fit the fashion industry’s narrow “standard” (170cms) height range, the whole endeavour becomes even more complicated.

In recent years, movements across the fashion industry have pushed for more inclusive sizing and body representation. However, standardised proportions still dominate most retail collections.

The standard fit model

Fashion sizing doesn’t just make clothes bigger or smaller. Brands also change the length of the sleeves, torso, legs, and waist placement based on one standard body shape. The problem here is that real bodies don’t all grow or change in the same way. One trip to find a pair of jeans will make this abundantly clear. 

Source: Unsplash

The height discrepancy

While standard sizes only work for a small section of the population, petite and tall women have many of the same issues on different sides of the coin. For shorter women, excess fabric can drag outfits down, sleeves can cover the hands, and waistlines often sit too low. Meanwhile, tall women can often only find options that look cropped, have awkward inseams, or dresses that sit too high through the waist.

Fashion has started responding to this frustration through the rise of petite-focused and tall-focused collections, but for smaller boutique brands, this often isn’t realistic. We don’t believe you should have your style options restricted because of your proportions. 

Petite styling tips

There are no strict rules for dressing a petite body, and you should always wear what makes you feel good. However, some cuts and proportions can help clothes sit more naturally on shorter frames, especially when paired with tailoring. 

Petite style icons like Sabrina Carpenter, Jorja Smith, and Melissa McCarthy are great examples of women embracing their height and tailoring their clothes to perfection.

Here are some examples of tailoring you can have to make your wardrobe look made for you.

Bringing up the waistline

High-waisted pants and skirts are popular for petite women because they visually lift the centre of the body and create the illusion of longer legs. Cropped jackets, tucked-in tops, and dresses that sit at the natural waist can create a similar effect.

That doesn’t mean petite women can’t wear low-rise or oversized styles. It simply means that defining the waist gives a more balanced look.

Sleeve and hem lengths

Sleeve and hem length can completely change how clothes sit on a petite body. Generally, sleeves ending around the wrist bone and pants sitting just above or around the ankle help create cleaner proportions.

Too much fabric pooling around the wrists or ankles can sometimes make clothes feel messy. Even a small hem adjustment can make an outfit look much more polished.

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Maintaining proportions through tailoring

Shortening clothes isn’t always as simple as cutting fabric off the bottom. If a tailor significantly shortens a dress or pair of pants, they may also need to adjust the waistline, taper the leg, or reshape parts of the garment to help it keep its original silhouette.

This is especially important for wide-leg pants, structured dresses, or tailored pieces where the cut is a big part of the overall design.

Tall styling tips

Tall women have the ability to wear fashion in a way that feels incredibly effortless. Long coats and dresses, and wide-leg silhouettes can look striking on taller bodies because the proportions naturally allow the clothing to flow the way it was designed to.

Style icons like Taylor Swift, Zendaya, and Karlie Kloss are all great examples of women embracing their height and using tailoring to make clothes feel powerful and balanced.

Here are some examples of tailoring that can help clothes feel like they were made for you.

Embracing the length and drape

Tall women can often carry long silhouettes beautifully without being overwhelmed by fabric. Maxi dresses, wide-leg trousers, oversized suits, and long trench coats can look especially elegant on taller frames because the proportions naturally balance out.

This doesn’t mean tall women need to avoid cropped or fitted styles. It simply means longer cuts and dramatic draping can feel very natural.

Avoiding the sizing-up trap

A lot of tall women end up buying larger sizes just to get extra sleeve or pant length. The problem is that, while the garment becomes longer, it also becomes wider through the shoulders, waist, and torso.

This can quickly make clothes feel baggy or shapeless, even when the overall size technically “fits”. Instead, tailoring can often add the extra length you need while still keeping the garment fitting well through the body.

Source: Unsplash

Making the most of seam allowances

Many high-quality garments include extra fabric folded inside the hems and seams, known as seam allowance. A tailor can let this fabric out to create extra length in sleeves or pant legs without changing the overall fit of the garment.

This can make a huge difference for tall women who constantly struggle with pants sitting too high at the ankle or sleeves feeling awkwardly short.

The power of professional clothing alterations

Fit is often the biggest difference between an outfit looking expensive or unfinished. You can wear a high-end blazer, but if the sleeves are too long or the shoulders sit awkwardly, it won’t look intentional. On the other hand, even a more affordable piece or a second-hand find that fits perfectly can look incredibly polished.

At LookSmart, our expert tailors offer women’s clothing alterations, resizing, repairs, and restyling services across Australia and New Zealand. Whether you need a couple of pants hemmed, a dress reshaped, sleeves shortened, or an old favourite brought back to life, tailoring can completely transform how your clothes look and feel. 

One of the most productive ways to shop is to stop expecting clothes to fit perfectly off the rack. Instead, focus on finding pieces that fit well through important areas like the shoulders, bust, or hips, and then head to a tailor to refine the smaller details. Sleeves can be shortened or lengthened, hems can be adjusted, and proportions can be reshaped to better suit your height.

To get started, pop into your nearest location, email or call us.

FAQs

What styles look best on tall women?

Height can work beautifully, with anything from oversized tailoring to mini dresses. Tall women look particularly elegant in dramatic coats and flowing fabrics, like in wide-leg pants. The most important thing is wearing clothes that fit you well and that you feel confident in.

What should you wear if you are short and curvy?

Short and curvy women can wear absolutely anything. Some women prefer pieces that define their waist or balance their proportions, while others feel best in oversized or relaxed styles. 

There is no mandate to hide or highlight your shape; instead, wear clothes that feel comfortable and stylish to you. We recommend looking online for women with similar bodies to get inspiration.  

What dresses look good on a short woman?

Many petite women enjoy styles that define their waist or show a little ankle because they create cleaner proportions and don’t drag down. Tailoring can also help adjust hemlines and proportions so dresses feel more balanced on shorter frames.

Do wide-leg trousers suit tall women?

Absolutely. Wide-leg trousers often look incredible on tall women because the extra length allows the fabric to drape naturally. Tall frames can carry dramatic silhouettes really effortlessly, especially when paired with tailoring that helps the waist and hem sit properly.