Styling Tips for Petite Jumpsuit

Jumpsuit has been so trendy in recent years that you see it everywhere.  Jessica Alba was wearing a black wool Emilio Pucci jumpsuit, Miranda Kerr was in a floral print jumpsuit, and Kate Hudson was in Roland Mouret jumpsuit… You name it.  It seems like overnight jumpsuit had become the go to outfit for Hollywood A listers, and they are worn in cocktail parties, at charity events and even on the red carpet.  That is how versatile jumpsuits are- they fit almost any occasion, and, if worn by the right person in the right way, they could give you that edgy and stylish look that no other clothing can.  They are also made from a wide range of fabrics such as silk, polyester as well as wool, so they can be worn in any season.  What about petite jumpsuit?  While jumpsuits all of the a sudden became the “it” outfit for everyone else, it is not the easiest outfit to pull off, especially by petite women.  We have seen a few of petite celebrities such as Mira Duma (5′), Kim Kardashian (5’3”) and Scarlett Johansson (5’3”) wearing petite jumpsuit, so that means it is possible for petite women to pull it off.  If worn correctly, jumpsuit can really elongate the petite body frame and be one of the most flattering pieces in your wardrobe.  For example, can you tell Mira Duma is only 5 feet tall in the picture below?  If you are interested in trying the look, be sure to follow these tips when picking out petite jumpsuit.

Mira Duma 5′ Photo: Glamour

1 Get a PETITE jumpsuit

First things first, you should get a petite jumpsuit.  This may sound obvious, but I will explain to you why getting the jumpsuit in petite size is so important in a minute. (Read more about What is Petite and petite sizing.) Jumpsuit is a combination of a top and a pair of pants.  For petite women, some of us are quite used to purchasing a pair of regular size pants, and then take them to the tailors for hemming.  While that might work for pants, it may not work for jumpsuits.  The reason is just cutting off the hem may not convert a regular size to a petite jumpsuit.  Because jumpsuit has a top as well, there is too many other things to alter in order for it to fit your petite body frame.  Therefore, it is a good idea to get jumpsuits from petite stores or petite designers.  While there are not too many choices of ready made petite jumpsuits compared with regular sizes, they do exist.  You can find some cute designs of petite jumpsuits at ASOS, Macy’s, and Nordstrom.

2. Wear fitted jumpsuit

Petite jumpsuit needs to be well fitted in order to give you that long and lean silhouette.  Like any other clothing, if they are oversized, they will not look good on petite women.  In this case, even worse, because they would be unflattering from head to toe and they could make you look like walking in a slouchy prisoner’s uniform.  Some petite jumpsuits at ASOS look well tailored, while they may not be very expensive.

3.Pick the right colors and prints

Okay, when it comes to petite jumpsuits, picking the right color is critical.  Because jumpsuits cover such a large portion of your body, the most flattering is solids, especially darker color.  Wearing solid color petite jumpsuit will create the long column of colors and create the illusion of height, which is ultra flattering to petite women.  Darker solids such as black, navy or wine color can also make you look more slender.  We are not saying you should stay away from prints, but they do run the risk of overwhelming your small frame.  Vertical stripes and any other vertical patterns are flattering to petite women.  If you love floral jumpsuit, make sure the prints are proportional to your body.  Be very careful about big prints or prints that look very exaggerated- most likely they are not suitable for petite women.  Remember, you can also wear jumpsuits with different colors for the top and bottoms.  Always opt for darker color bottoms, as those petite jumpsuits will make you look longer and leaner.

4.The rise is key

Here is the thing about petite jumpsuit- the rise can make or break you.  The proportions of the jumpsuit is so important that whether or not it will fit you could depend on it.  The reason is simple- if the rise is too short, you simply won’t be able to get it on!  On the other hand, if the rise is too long, then they will make the waistline fall under your natural waistline, which is the opposite of what we want and look extremely unflattering for petite women.  As a petite woman, the last thing you want is to make your legs shorter than they actually are.  Therefore, finding the perfect rise is the most important part of searching for the perfect petite jumpsuit.

Scarlett Johnhanssen (5’3″) Photo: Daily Mail

5.Low V neck or off the shoulder looks great on petites

There are so many different choices for the tops of petite jumpsuits that you should try on different style and find out what suits you the best.  In general, deep v neck is flattering to petite women, because they elongate your neck and make you look taller.  Likewise, off the shoulder design is universally flattering in petite fashion, because it makes your arms look longer and even your proportion look better.  The same applies to jumpsuits.  Opt for a well fitted jumpsuits with a low neck line or bare shoulders.

6. Try on as many as you can

We talked about how tricky the rise is and how important it needs to be well fitted for petite women.  Finding the right petite jumpsuit is not easy, and it may take a while and many trials for you to find that perfect pair.  Even when it comes to petite jumpsuits at petite section, just that they look great on a 5’3” model doesn’t necessarily mean they will look just as good on you.  The reason is jumpsuits very much rely on the person’s body type.  For example, petite women in general have shorter torso, but there are also petites with a longer waist.  In those cases, where the rise should be totally depends on the individual, and the only reason to find out if they fit you or not is to try it.  Remember, all jumpsuits are not created equally.  If you try on a couple of petite jumpsuits but no luck, don’t get frustrated and decide right away that this look is not for me.  That simply means it will take a few more tries for you to find the right petite jumpsuit.

Kim Kardashian (5’3″) Photo: OK UK