Did you know approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies?
There are many things women do to make themselves feel more confident with their body image through makeup, fashion, or even surgery.
But what if you have short legs? Is there anything you can do about it?
Although you can’t physically elongate your legs, there are a few tips and tricks for fabricating the appearance of longer legs.
How can you create this optical illusion? Read these next 8 tips for longer looking legs!
1. Not Afraid of Heights
For longer legs, high heels are key! Not only will they add inches to your height, but they also force your feet to extend, which makes your calves look longer and more shapely.
A pointed toe can also extend the length of your legs, as they have at least an inch of extra space when compared to a round toe shoe.
Avoid ankle straps. The horizontal line of the strap causes a break in your leg line which creates the look of shorter legs.
2. If the Shoe Fits
So you’ve got the right shoes, but the color can also help or hinder the illusion of longer legs.
Wear shoes that are close to your skin tone. This will create a long, uninterrupted line, and elongate the look of your legs.
Using the same principle, try to match your shoes with your pants or stockings. For example black tights with black heels.
3. Shape of You
Aim for a streamlined silhouette. This will make you look taller than you actually are. Poorly fitted baggy clothes can make you look short and dumpy, but well fitted tailored clothes will make your body look sleeker.
Wear skirts and dresses with the right cut, for example, A-line and pencil skirts. Avoid skirts that fall at your calf, as that is probably the thickest part of your leg.
Wear pants that are low hemmed and wide legged. Be sure that they are not too long or too short. Both extremes can make your legs look shorter. Try wearing a flattering cut that just grazes the top of your foot.
4. The Long and Short of it
A long shirt or blouse can elongate your torso making you look out of proportion and can make your legs look shorter than ever. So tuck your shirt in! And wear cropped or slightly tapered jackets to balance out a longer torso.
Avoid low rise pants and skirts at all costs! Ditch the hip huggers and go for a high waisted look. This will make your legs seem longer than they actually are.
5. Live in Color
For the illusion of longer legs, wear monochromatic outfits. This means wearing outfits that are made mostly out of a single color. This can trick the eye, as it will be hard to tell where your legs begin and end!
Black and darker colors have a slimming effect that will make your legs seem longer. A pair of black skinny jeans or black tights will go with anything.
6. Optical Illusion
Vertical stripes are a logical trick to creating the illusion of additional length.
If you’re bold, you can try out Beetlejuice inspired pants or skirts. There are also various options with more subtle verticals stripes such as piping, straight creases, or even a vertical row of buttons.
7. A Clean Silhouette
Apart from stripes, keep your bottoms free of detail. This means no cuffs, bulky pockets, pleats or gaudy patterns.
A clean simple silhouette will make your legs look much longer.
8. Luscious Legs
Another tip is to keep your legs luscious with no unsightly lumps and bumps. This means hair free, blemish free, smooth and shiny.
You can even contour your legs! Just like many use makeup to contour their faces, for a special occasion, you could try it on your legs. Some apply self-tanner, others use bronzer or dark foundation to create the right shadows and highlights to shape the leg nicely.
If you’re wearing something a little shorter, you’ll also want your legs to be cellulite free. For some awesome tips on this, check out “The Ultimate Guide to Cellulite and How To Get Rid of It!”
Longer Legs
As you can see, longer looking legs can be achieved with a few simple tricks of the trade.
And once you’ve created the perfect “leg-lengthening” outfit, you’ll feel more confident and sexier than ever!
For more trendy fashion tips and hacks, check out our blog!
