Some of us are not blessed with gazelle-like legs that leave us head and shoulders above the rest. Whilst we’re cool with being petite, we know that on your wedding day you might just wish that you were a little bit taller (no, this isn’t a tribute to Skee-lo…), or at least you might prefer to appear a little more supermodel in stature.
Here at Perfect Day Bridal we’ve seen every single body shape and size and, to us, they’re all as fabulous and flawed as each other. There is actually no perfect body on any real human being. However, we also spend all day every day trying to conceal the bits that our brides don’t like and emphasise what they do. So, if you’re a bijou bride who wants to be more of a baller, here are our top tips to rising above the crowd.
Firstly, wear shoes with a big heel.
No, that’s a joke, BUT do think carefully about your choice of shoes. The honest-to-goodness best way of appearing taller is rooted in your posture; you want to be standing up straight with your shoulders back, your tummy in and your chin up. If you’re wearing shoes that cripple your feet, they’re likely to affect the way you walk, the way you carry yourself and ultimately end up having the opposite effect to that which you intended.
Next, it’s all about the neckline. Your décolleté and neck are the simplest way of extending how tall you seem. A scooped neckline or a plunging V-neck draws the eye into thinking your torso is longer than it really is. If you choose a high-neckline or even a boxy strapless corset, you’re sort of chopping your body in half. Avoid cutting your body into visible sections.
If it’s the idea of long legs you’re after then you want to start thinking about an empire line dress. With a lack of waistline, empire dresses create fluid, long line along the length of your body from beneath the bust to the floor.
You’ll probably want to avoid overly detailed dresses as excessive beading and patterns can just emphasise your petiteness. On the other hand, dresses with vertical pleats in the skirt, or indeed simple sheath dresses tend to work wonders in creating more of those magical vertical lines that help lengthen the body.
For our money, you’re definitely going to look beyond gorgeous anyway, but if you are a little bit self-conscious about your height do keep these tips and tricks in mind when shopping for your wedding dress.