Whether or not petite women should wear jumpsuits is a question you probably have if you are under 5’4″. Without a doubt, jumpsuits are super trendy, but the challenge is how to make jumpsuits look good on short girls.
The best jumpsuits for petites need to fit properly both on your torso and your legs. Since petite women have shorter torso and shorter legs, getting a jumpsuit from the petite department is critical so that you can minimize the alterations needed. The most flattering jumpsuits should have an elevated waistline, because that will improve the proportion of shorter women and elongate your legs. The right petite jumpsuits can create an unbroken vertical line which will make short women look longer and leaner.
How to wear jumpsuits as a petite woman also needs to consider what shoes to wear with it. The reason is jumpsuits are one-piece that covers your top and legs and they are very long. In order to avoid looking swamped in the fabrics, short girls should pair them with heels.
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. The common questions we hear about are “is jumpsuit only for tall girls?” “Is it going to make me look (even) shorter?”
Well, it is quite the opposite! If you want to look taller effortlessly, then wearing jumpsuit is one of the easiest way. Jumpsuits form an unbroken vertical line that lengthens petite women. If worn correctly, jumpsuit can really elongate the petite body frame and be one of the most flattering pieces in your wardrobe. They are especially flattering to women with longer waist and shorter legs.
If you were ever doubtful whether jumpsuits could work for petite girls, take a look at the short celebrities such as Mila Kunis (5’3″), Jenny Dwan (5’3”) and Scarlett Johansson (5’3”). And of course, you will find plenty of petite bloggers wearing jumpsuits too. Pictures in this post are courtesy of our favorite petite blogger Carly, 5’3″ (follow her instagram @carlygala). If you are interested in trying the look, be sure to follow these tips.
Carly, 5’3″ ([email protected])
Table of Contents
Get your jumpsuit in petite size
First things first, you should get the jumpsuits designed for short women. This may sound obvious, but I will explain to you why getting the jumpsuit in petite department is so important in a minute.
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 for you to get jumpsuits from petite brands. The important thing is to read and understand the petite size measurements of each brand in order to find what fits you the best.
One thing you should keep in mind is most petite brands are made according to the measurements of petite models who are 5’3″ or 5’4″. What that means is if you are under 5 feet tall, then chances are even the petite brands may be too long for you.
At Petite Dressing, we carry petite jumpsuit collection for petite women of all height, whether you are 5’3″ or 4’11. The key selection criteria of our jumpsuits is that they should not only fit shorter girls, but also improve the proportion and make your legs look longer.
Find the right inseam
Length (or inseam) is the first step for you to find the perfect fit for your height. To decide how long your jumpsuit should be, these are the things to consider.
- Where would you be wearing it?
- What kind of look you want? Dressy or casual?
- What kind of shoes do you want to wear it with?
For instance, if you are going to wear it to attend a wedding, you probably want to wear it with heels for a polished look. Also, full length jumpsuits look more formal than cropped leg jumpsuits.
If you are looking for a casual weekend outfit, then you may want to consider cropped petite size jumpsuit and pair it with flats or sandals.
Here is the pro tip. Either way, you should try on the jumpsuit with the heels you want to wear to make sure you get the look you are trying to achieve.
Wear fitted jumpsuit
For jumpsuits to look good on petites, they needs to be well fitted in order to give you that long and lean silhouette.
Carly, 5’3″ ([email protected])
Like any other clothing, if they are oversized, they will not look good on short girls. 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. Wide leg jumpsuits are quite on trend, and it is totally okay for petite women to wear wide legs. The important part is to make sure the top is well fitted, if the legs are wide.
Waistline is important
Proportion is the number one in petite styling hacks. That is why waistline is critical when choosing the right jumpsuit for short women. What looks best on short women is the jumpsuits with elevated waistline. What that means is the narrowest part of the jumpsuit sits higher than your natural waist line, making your proportion look better and legs look longer.
Petite jumpsuits with self tie belt or wrap jumpsuits are both great choices for short girls who want to define their waist. If you happen to be petite apple shape or petite rectangle shape, who don’t naturally have waistline, then it is especially important for you to create the illusion of waistline through the belt.
Pick the right colors and prints
Okay, in order for short women to wear jumpsuits and look great, 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 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.
Carly, 5’3″ ([email protected])
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 will make you look longer and leaner.
The rise is key
Petite women come in different body shapes. Other than the most widely known 5 body types of hourglass, pear, apple, rectangle and inverted triangle, there is also vertical body type which looks at whether you have short torso or long torso. Your vertical body type can determine what rise works best for you.
Here is the thing about jumpsuits for short girls- 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 jumpsuit for shorter women.
Use neckline to flatter
There are so many different choices for the tops, in order to find out what jumpsuits work best on short woman like yourself, 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.
If you are petite pear shape, go with the neckline that creates a horizontal line around your shoulder such as off the shoulder or crew neck. Those designs create the illusion of wider shoulder to balance out your hip and are most flattering to petite ladies with pear body type.
Jumpsuits for Wedding Guests
When it comes to wedding etiquette, a lot of women are wondering how formal the wedding guests should wear. Is it only appropriate to wear dresses? The answer is it depends. The dress code of the wedding on the invitation you receive should give you the most important guideline on what you should wear to a wedding. Jumpsuits are acceptable for most wedding dress codes.
In fact, in recent years, jumpsuits are becoming the ever more popular choices for wedding guests, because they are automatically dressy and easy to style. They are also very versatile, suitable to different wedding types from garden wedding to beach ceremony.
Think about it, if celebrities can wear jumpsuits on the red carpet, then that says how dressy they can be and you can totally style them to fit the weddings you are invited to! The key to make the jumpsuit look festival and sophisticated for a wedding is to wear them will heels. Keep in mind, you might be dancing the night away at the wedding, so it is important to pick out a pair of comfortable high heels that can sustain a few hours of walking and dancing.
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 jumpsuit for women under 5’4″ is not easy, and it may take a while and many trials for you to find that perfect pair. Even when it comes to the jumpsuits in petite size department, 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 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.
Everything else you need to know about styling the petite frame
- How to Get Longer Legs
- 6 Tips to Look Taller Instantly
- 6 Best Dresses for Petite Women
- How to Find the Best Petite Casual Dresses
- Best Petite Sundresses
- Best Petite Cocktail Dresses: 7 must know tips
- How to Choose Petite Formal Long Dresses
- Petite Mother of the Bride Dresses: 11 Must Know Tips
- Petite Resort Wear: 5 Must Have Items
- Best and Worst Shoes for Small Feet
