What’s a Petite pear shape to wear?

Hi Glam Gals,

I still feel young and I’m 5′ tall with a pear-shaped body but I’ve been like this almost all my life!  I search a store full of clothes, but even with tailoring they make me look like I’m playing dress-up. I want a bit of sexy/sensual, a bit of classic and a touch of inner spitfire. Can you help? Glad to have found you.

Janice

Hi Janice,

Our first thought is what is your hair and make-up like? Maybe the clothes aren’t working because you are wearing grown up clothes, but you are tiny and your hair is too girly and  sweet . Have you updated your hair lately? Also, check to make sure your make-up is not overdone like a little girl playing dress-up. Keep it subtle and soft.

If that’s not the problem, then maybe you just aren’t wearing the styles that reflect the true you. You say you want sexy, but it sounds like you’ve been wearing boring. We’ve looked around and here are some classic, sexy looks, and the reasons they suit a pear’s body type.

Don’t wear jackets that end at your widest part Why draw attention to the widest part of your body- your full hips? Pear have nice nipped in waists, so it is better to wear a shorter jacket that just touches the top of the hip and nips in at your waist to show it off. This mustard yellow pea jacket  is bold and exciting.
This can sometimes work too If you are not too bottom heavy you can also wear a long jacket that covers your hips-just make sure it isn’t tight. This lightweight hooded Cayenne jacket by Eileen Fisher is sporty but sexy because of the way it wraps at the waist and gently falls open at the neckline. It is also a great length for petites- not so long as to drag you down. (Nordstrom -Petites)
Play up your shoulders and neckline: When you are bottom heavy a good way to balance things out is to create more of a shoulder. How do you do this? Instead of halters or sleeveless, choose  clothing with shoulders such as jackets, or this Merino wool boyfriend cardigan by Halogen. (A little shoulder padding helps too, and be sure to leave the cardigan open to create a nice long lean line!) To draw attention to your neckline, and not your hips, choose tops with interesting beautiful necklines like this sparkly t-shirt. Don’t forget to push up those sweater sleeves for a cute, sexy look.(Nordstroms-petites)
Choose accessories to point attention to your face: Similar to what we just talked about great jewelery, hat and scarves like this  new ruffle wrap one will put the focus where it should be- your top half. Some scarves can overpower petites because they are so big, but this is more controlled yet still soft and easy looking. (Nordstrom)
Wear lower cut boot leg jeans Too skinny pants will make your hips look larger than life, and too wide legged pants will maker you look elephant like ( and in a petite’s case- drown you). Boot cut are just the right amount of flare to balance you out. Low rise jeans, or these Not Your Daughter’s midrise “Denim Trousers” with the wide waistband,  can make your rear look shorter and yoour torso longer. A dark wash also helps make your bottom half look smaller and the built in stretch is perfect for women with hips. Don’t buy jeans with big pockets, stuff hanging off them etc. as they will only draw attention to your hips.( Nordstrom-Petites)
The right skirt makes all the difference: Short, tight are the worst because they emphasize the tights. Try a gentler wrap dress or A-line skirt that softly falls over the hips but isn’t too voluminous. Wraps are always sexy. To spice this up more add some gold jewelry or a leopard print handbag or shoes. (Nordstroms -petites)

Finally don’t forget this cardinal rule for pears: Wear darker colors on your bottom half, light on top:Color can do magic tricks on your body. Black and dark colors will make your bottom half look smaller. Light colors will make it look bigger, so wear dark on bottom and light on top to balance yourself out.

Do you have a sweater dress?

When running around town, we want to make sure that we Glam Gals are super comfortable, but chic too.

The answer is simple. A sweater dress, leggings and a pair of boots!

Here is our recipe to pull this look together.

• Find a simple straight sweater dress.
• Add a nice wide hip belt
• Layer it with a scarf or loose long sweater (like a Cozy)
• Make sure to wear dark opaque tights or legging
• Find some nice fitting boots that are either flat or have a short heel. (Zappos.com)
• If you want a smoother look, try a full slip from Spanx

Both dresses shown are from Newport News.

For a sexier look, this flattering style would look great on most!

This boot is from Zappos.com

Click below for more styles that will fit your body type!

Chic on the Cheap at Kohl’s

Here is a great offer… free shipping on purchases over $75.00 at Kohl’s.  We recommend this cute sundress from the Elle collection, and it’s under $40!

This Vera Wang jacket is a great transitional piece from summer to fall, especially for petites!

And, if you need a pair of new shorts before the summer ends, these Vera walking shorts are cute and on sale.  

In fact, all these items and many more are on sale now at khols.com!

These are just a few money-saving suggestions.  Right now, we’re working on a new e-Book “Tweak Your Chic: Chic on the Cheap,” to get you looking great on a budget!

Updating your skirt wardrobe

In a recent post, I (JoJami) mentioned that my colorful skirt was a few years old and “not that in style any more.”

So that being said…you are probably asking the question, so what is in style?

Although we’ve seen a ton on pleated, circle skirts with a lot of volume that usually hit above the knee, that’s a style best left to younger ladies. As far as skirts go, if you’re ready for a new one, go with a pencil skirt or one that is a little straighter. The knee-length classic pencil or slimmer A-line skirt is flattering on most body types, and has been around for a few seasons now.  The popularity is growing, so not only are they all over the place, but pencils don’t come in just black or gray anymore! Even though they have a more streamlined look, but you can go for fun colors and jazzy prints to liven them up a little.

Here are a few that we suggest: What we like about these are that you can start wearing them now with sandals and then as we transition into fall, you can add some tights and boots!

	Here’s one from Boden. It’s a slimmer A-line skirt with a bold pattern that can be worn with neutral wedges, or boot like in the picture.  We love the colors in this, and it’s a great example of how you can transition from summer to fall with boots.
	This skirt is from Nordstrom’s. In the picture, it’s dressed up with heels, but pair it with gladiator sandals for casual or brown knee-high boots in fall!  The fact that it has a brown pattern in it makes it a no-brainer for choosing matching shoes.
	Here’s another example from Nordstom’s. We usually find black and white to be a little boring, so make it more fun with a bright top! We’ve been seeing a lot of plaid in stores this season, so make sure you wear plaid in a sophisticated and feminine way (not those shrunken flannel shirts that are all the rage among teen girls).

Petite and Can’t Wear Heels?

Q. Hi Glam Gals! Can you give some advice to a short women who can’t wear heels anymore. Because of foot and knee problems I’m married to flats for life which has me wearing slacks all the time. What’s a girl to do? And being only 5 feet tall makes it even more difficult to look and feel fabulous…Help!!!  Thanks Janine

Hi Janine,

Do you have good legs and slim ankles? If so, you can still wear a shift dress and flats and look FAB!  If not, you should stick with pants, but you can really still have fun with your shoes even if you can only wear flats. Here are some tips:

• Keep colors monochromatic. In other words keep your shoes the same color as your pants ( and top too if you can) and you will appear taller!

• Buy the prettiest flats you can find and create an outfit around them!

• Have you tried low wedges or a chunkier heel? These might offer a tiny bit of height without hurting too much.

• Find a wonderful interesting jacket and keep everything underneath all one color to slim and lengthen. Make sure your flats are simple with this look so as not to take away from the jacket.

• When you see a woman on the street or at the mall who is a similar height and body type, and you like the way she looks, take note of what makes her look good. Better yet, go up to her and ask where she shops! Women love to share their beauty secrets and are always flattered to be asked!

• FIT is super important. You probably already have staggering alteration bills, but don’t forget to keep the sleeves on all jackets and coats altered so they are not too long. The proper fit is half the battle to looking and feeling FAB no matter what your height.

• Finally we highly suggest you check out a favorite site of ours called  The Petite Fashionista. We interviewed blogger  Christa  Jean McLelland and she has wonderful advice for shorter gals. Cheers!