Style Advice Q & A

Petite And Can’t Wear Heels?

Q. Hi, Deborah! Can you give some advice to short women who can’t wear heels anymore? Because of foot and knee problems, I’m married to flats for life, which always has me wearing slacks. What’s a girl to do? And being only 5 feet tall makes it even more challenging 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 still have fun with your shoes even if you 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!
  • Have you tried low wedges or a chunkier heel? These might offer a tiny bit of height without hurting too much.
  • Find an attractive 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 with similar height and body type, and you like how 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 regardless of height.
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2 thoughts on “Petite And Can’t Wear Heels?

  1. Dear LPC,
    Well, I might disagree with you a little on this one. Of course, all legs are good, but not all look good in skirts and dresses. Hilary Clinton is a good example of this. Her legs were not her best feature, so she wore mostly pants. I applaud her for that and agreed that she should keep people focused on her best feature like her lovely face!

    Why not focus on your best parts?

  2. OK. I love you and I love this blog and I do not mean in any way to rampage around being outraged about things. However. Almost all legs are good. Some are just more in line with what we think legs ought to look like. As long as they get you around, however, they are good. Just saying.