It’s been so chilly out there – but SO warm inside espy! Spring 2012 is starting to arrive – so here are some style tips on how to blend the newest trends into your winter wardrobe when you’re a petite!
Charlotte – espy’s petite-sized stylist and assistant buyer – is modeling looks from espy’s Spring 2012 collections. You wouldn’t know it from these photos, but Char is only 5’2!!!!
When you are petite – your number one goal should be to LENGTHEN! There is a theme in all the looks the espy stylists have put together and that is SEPARATING the body into SECTIONS. You do not want to look like a tiny (but we’re sure very cute) blob. You need to tuck tops in, utilize belts with your jeans and skirts, and try something other than a skinny jean! Skinnies are everyone’s go – to, especially during the winter because it is so easy to throw your boots on over top. But why not try a trouser jean? You can still wear your boots underneath! The wide leg, with a pair of heels or a pair of boots with a heel, lengthens the leg like you wouldn’t believe. Trousers are so much more versatile than you think. They look equally as cute with a graphic tee as they do with a blousy top tucked in.
One trend a petite might be afraid of is…..the maxi dress and the maxi skirt. It isn’t the easiest look to pull off, but it is so in style this season. What we did with Char is put her in a bright red maxi skirt, a tight white tank, and a little black blazer. What makes this look work is how we accessorized it. By tying a black scarf around the smallest park of her waist and putting a long necklace with a bright, chunky pendent we’ve added length so the fabric of the skirt isn’t drowning her little body.
Okay – let’s talk about a little petite trick the espy stylists use. We’ve all seen A LOT of crop-tops over the last few seasons. Crop-tops are great for petites because…well…they actually aren’t that short on you! Crop-tops will skim just above the top of your jeans – and that allows you to break up your body into sections. A crop top with a mid or low rise jean helps to create proportion – and when we have good proportions (natural or not) we look longer.
One of the biggest trends for this spring is light, blousy, button down tops. If you are petite, you won’t want to wear one of these tops loose over jeans or leggings because your entire shape will be completely lost – and we lose the body sections and therefore lose the proportions. What we did with Char was take a loose button down top in a pastel pinky peach (huge color this spring!) and tie it just below her waist.
What to take away? – Emphasize the smallest part of your body (either your waist or just below your bust) with a belt or a scarf to create proportions. TUCK YOUR TOPS IN and wear a great chunky belt – your legs will look longer. Be adventurous and try a long skirt – look how chic Char is in the bright red! Accessorize with long, pendant necklaces, bright colors, belts, and headbands.
Look out for Charlotte’s “How to Dress a Petite Figure” lesson next week on our website during #spreadloveyyc. Click here for the full schedule of events. You definitely won’t want to miss meeting NYC artists Pepe and Eva of Studio Marmalade, our #yycnyc Art Party, or kids and adult art classes with local artist Adrian!
xoxoxoxoxox
the espy stylists
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