Has your height made you feel “less than” others? I describe myself as a Hobbit. I’m barely 5′ tall and somewhat wide, built low to the ground like a small Sherman Tank. LOL I have a couple of girlfriends who are well over 6′ tall. Women are supposed to be right in the middle, remember? Except if you’re a Supermodel. But since few of us are, not everyone is kind about a very tall girl.
In all honesty, us short stacks have it better than a very tall girl who is gawked at like some kind of abnormal phenomenon. The average height for a woman in the U.S.A. in 2022 is 5’4″ tall. In fact, that’s the average height for a woman worldwide.
Men have it worse if they’re short. Men are supposed to be manly (tall) men, right? So what’s short? For a guy, I’d say under 5’7″. If a man is taller, it’s not so bad. If he is shorter, it’s plenty bad. I know many short men who get picked on unmercifully. And just for your edification, the average height for a man in the U.S.A. in 2022 is 5’9″ tall. Seems a bit on the short side, but there’s society telling us we’re not okay again. As my Brit friends would say. . . Bollocks!
It’s all so unfair because you can’t do much about the height that’s programmed into you. Oh sure, men can put inserts in your shoes. It’s common practice in Hollywood. Does that make it harder to walk? I honestly don’t know. Women have been wearing heels for centuries. But if you’re like me and your days of hoochie heels are long over, there are still a few things you can do. Now let me state right here that I don’t know how tall girls look shorter. If anyone wants to clue me in, please leave me a comment. Or do you even bother? As mentioned before, I have friends who are quite tall. Some of them love it. Some not so much. So if you have tips for the taller gals, please leave a comment.
Four Tips For Short Girls Who Want To Look Taller
(1) If you can, wear heels.
(2) If you can’t wear heels, find a nice pair of flat or wedge shoes with as pointed a toe as you can manage in a color that matches your skin tone as closely as possible. This will extend the look of your legs. I didn’t believe this when I first heard it, but it works! Doesn’t matter what your skin tone is. Just match it as closely as possible.
(3) Get a shoe with a diagonal strap. A horizontal strap will cut you off and make you look shorter. The diagonal strap gives you a more graceful line that will extend your legs just a smidge. I wear sneaks all the time. Super comfy. Love my big white ones, but. . . they cut me off at the ankle. I have skinny ankles for my size so doesn’t bother me. If you have thicker legs, you’ll have to try different styles to see what you can do. A classic pump is good for everyone. . . but, of course, if you need sneaks that’s not gonna do. 😉
(4) If you have short legs, usually your height is in your torso. So. . . if you want to look taller, avoid long, baggy tunic tops. It will make you look dumpy. Instead, cut your tops off as close to your waist as you are comfortable with. Yes, crop tops come into play here. The short-on-top effect will make your legs look longer and, therefore, you will look taller.
I can hear you now. . . but what if my stomach sticks out? That short top is not gonna look good! You have to make a choice. If you have what is sometimes lovingly (or not) called a FUPA or a big tummy, you can cover the gut or you can make your legs look longer. It took me ages upon ages to get over this. Now I do the short top all the time despite Jabba the Gut making his appearance known. After 30-odd abdominal surgeries, there is no way of hiding that thing. So I don’t. And I’m no longer ashamed of it either. It takes time to get there.
This is what this Hobbit does to look a little bit taller, but I am NEVER gonna look tall by any stretch of the imagination. I do these things to just make a teensy bit of difference, especially being married to a man who is 14″ taller than me. 😎 If your height doesn’t bother you at all, then simply wear what you love without resorting to tips, tricks and hacks. I suppose I’ll get there sooner or later. I am a lot closer than I used to be.
Now for those tall girl tips. If you have anything that you feel helps you look more “average” than sky high, please leave me a comment.
BOTTOM LINE: You are enough. You always were. You are right now. You always will be.
Oldie But Goodie For All My Beautiful Tall Gals With Those LEGS!!!!