Q. I work in a highy competitive corporate environment, where image is everything. The problem is that I’m petite and I often feel that I get overlooked in favour of my taller colleagues. How can dress so that I get noticed – without looking over the top?
A. Kylie Minogue is only 5’ 0" and is looking more stylish than ever. Salma Hayek stands 5' 0" in her stockinged feet and although Madonna may fill the room with her presence, at 5' 4" she’s hardly what you’d consider tall. And let‘s not forget the lovely Sarah Jessica Parker, the woman who single-handedly came to define the look of the noughties. Measuring up at a petite 5' 4" the Sex and the City star does not follow trends - she sets them. It just goes to show that you do not need to be particularly young or even tall to sparkle.
There is a strong body of evidence now that shows people are both perceived and treated differently on the grounds of their height. It would seem that this discrimination extends to most areas of life and society - including the workplace. For smaller women it must seem the height of unfairness - not only are they probably paid less because they are a woman - but they’ve the double whammy being discriminated against because they are petite as well. The solution is simple. You want to stand head and shoulders above the competition STAND OUT with an individual sense of style that will get you noticed. Firstly, I’d suggest that you bin all your boring dark suits because they’ll only make you disappear amongst the sea black and grey in corporate land. Instead, wear bright colours and fashionable accessories that show YOU are a forced to be reckoned with.
Be warned that wearing different colours on your top and bottom visually cuts you in half loosing precious inches off your height. A much better idea is to wear a single uniform colour to make you seem taller, so wearing a suit in one shade will not only make you look more professional , it will also create the illusion of height. It’s vital to add some height to your legs by teaming your skirt with a pair of heels. Copy the celebrities’ favourite tip (Victoria Beckham swears by this one) and wear a pair of nude coloured high heel shoes, as this will make your legs appear much longer. Keep your accessories small in size because you‘ll need them to look in proportion to petite frame. A cute little clutch bag and delicate jewellery will help add the finishing touches to your daytime look, so invest in a few fashion forward pieces to bring your look bang up to date.
Where to shop:
The Additions catalogue (0845 304 0008, additionsdirect.co.uk) stocks an appealing range for petite ladies and the good news is that it’s relatively inexpensive too!
Country Casuals (01845 573120, countrycasuals.co.uk) stocks pretty, fashionable clothes aimed at the over 40’s in a wide range of sizes and fits. Dorothy Perkins (dorothyperkins.co.uk) sells one of the best tall or petite ranges: very inexpensive. Topshop (0800 731 8284) also offers good tall and petite collections. Gap sizes are helpful: its trousers and jeans come in ankle, regular and tall (0800 427789). Liz Label (0845 123 2736, lizlabel.co.uk) is a website aimed at the small woman - most of their treasures are to die for!
