A Petite Women’s Guide to Looking Taller and Slimmer – 3 Simple Tips You Shouldn’t Miss!

If you’re petite or just looking to elongate your body every time you get dressed, this post is for you! Over the years, I’ve found SO many useful styling tips to help elongate my petite, 5’4” frame and look taller and slimmer. We have a big post with 15 petite styling tips here. But today’s focus is all about one key piece that can make or break an outfit…your jeans! Keep scrolling for tips on how to pick the perfect, most flattering and elongating jeans (whether you’re petite or not).
Huge thank you to Saks Fifth Avenue for sponsoring this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Looking for simple but stylish outfit ideas going into fall? Check out our transitional lookbook here and back-to-school lookbook here.

How To Look Taller in Jeans

Tip #1) Choose Dark-Wash

The first step when picking out the perfect jeans to make you look taller and slimmer is a no-brainer… We’re all aware that darker colors make us look much slimmer. But it’s worth repeating! Choose a dark wash pair of jeans if your goal is to look taller and slimmer. They can be dark blue or black. For an even more slimming effect, avoid any fading or whiskering on the front of the jeans. Some jeans have strategic fading that can actually make your legs look slimmer, but when in doubt, avoid any of those wash details.

I’m wearing a pair of dark wash jeans by Cinq a Sept, which is a great example of super dark wash jeans that are elongating. While they don’t have any fading or whiskering, they do have strategic stitching down the front that creates the illusion of even longer legs. I LOVE the stitching details combined with the dark wash. These jeans are just SO good. You can see in the before-and-after photos above how much a dark-wash pair of jeans can make a difference. More on the buttons, rise, and leg silhouette coming up…

Bonus Styling Tip – Shoe Choice

To elongate even more, pair your jeans with comfortable, closed-toe heels or booties in a similar color to your jeans, and you will look taller, slimmer, and feel more confident! And major bonus if they have a pointed toe. I’m wearing the jeans with a pair of platform booties by Aquazzura that add major length to my legs and help with the 34.5” inseam. (If I wanted to wear these jeans without heels, I’d have to get them hemmed about four inches.)

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Tip #2) Opt for High-Rise

Next up, wear high-rise jeans versus low-rise. When you wear high-rise pants and jeans, you create the illusion of more length and longer legs. These jeans have a super high 12.5” rise…that’s above my belly button! The high-rise combined with the button-fly details on the front are additional details that make these jeans incredibly flattering and elongating on my petite frame.

It’s important to note that rises will look different for different body shapes because we all have varying lengths of legs and torsos. You can be petite with long legs or petite with a long torso. It really just depends. So, you need to find what rise works best for you! High-rise ranges from 9” and up, mid-rise is around 8”, and low-rise is 7” and lower. But I recommend staying in the mid to high-rise range to create the most length. For maximum lengthening impact, do not cover the top of your jeans…you should show the waistband.

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Bonus Styling Tip – Top Choice

Make sure you wear similar colors from head to toe if you want that most elongating look. I’m wearing a super flattering black wrap-front top by Ramy Brook. I love this top and already know it will be a heavy hitter in my closet this fall. The wrap-front is super flattering, the material is so soft and comfortable, and the padded shoulders are so chic. Styled with dark was jeans, you can see how it really elongates my body. If I had worn these jeans with a white top instead, it would have looked fine…just not quite as elongating! Pairing your high-rise jeans with a top that has a shorter length like this one (versus something like a tunic) really helps highlight the waist and create a more slimming effect too.

Tip #3) Pick a Wider Leg

(straight, bootcut, flared or wide, dusting floor)

The last thing to consider when choosing your jeans is the leg silhouette. For the most elongating and slimming look, you should wear straight, bootcut, wide, or flared jeans. And make sure they dust the floor. It sounds like a no-brainer, but if you have a longer silhouette, it creates the look of a longer leg. I always feel so powerful and confident when I put on a high-rise, dark wash, flared or wide-leg pair of jeans. These Cinq a Sept jeans have the perfect flared leg and the longer inseam means they perfectly cover your shoes and dust the floor… giving you extra inches of legs and length!

Find more jeans here.

Before & After

Can you see how the dark wash, high-rise flared jeans on the right make me look much taller and slimmer compared to the light wash, mid-rise, cropped jeans on the right? The look on the left is totally fine and something I would wear. But if I wanted to look taller and slimmer, I would choose the jeans on the right, hands down!

More Flattering Jeans

We linked a few more dark wash, high-rise, wide-leg jeans below in case you’re looking to add a pair to your closet this fall, but Saks has SO many great, high-quality jeans to choose from. If you’re new to the Saks site, make sure you check out their Curated Shops. I’m loving the Fall Fashion, Reinvented Classics, and Western Inspired shops for major fall fashion inspiration!

If you’re petite, what is your go-to styling tip for looking taller?? Let us know in the comments below!

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