Boot Comparison

I am literally going back and forth on this look…a really can’t tell which one looks better. The look on the left is with the Target knock off Frye boot…and the look on the right is the Arturo Chiang boot. I think the Target boot is almost better…but that goes against what I thought it should be. Uh. I think the longer boot (Target) helps bring the eye up and make a better silhouette. The shorter boot is making my leg look heavier. (Aggggh!). To be honest, I wore the shorter boot (Chiang) because it is less of a heel (maybe that is the difference?) and I feel more comfortable running around in the lower heel. I think I am going to have to get my Frye K.O. in more of a heavier rotation now…they look really cute! The rest of the outfit is Gap petite tee-shirt dress (from Spring of2008) and a Gap body regular size small cardigan in a great modal that is very flowy. The tights are some random gray ones from Old Navy.

I think this outfit comparison is really interesting because it shows how you are never really sure about a look until you try it on. What I am finding now is that to take a picture of what you are wearing is also extremely helpful. From now on when I am looking for a brown boot to wear, I will think of this picture and decide what may look best based on the shaft height of the boot.

Boot height can be really tricky

Boot height can be really tricky

Pant Length

Hemming and Hawing about hem length

What bothers me about this look is my pant length. It looks short. WTF. I am 5 feet tall, why do my pants look too short? Proportion. My legs are on the long size (for a 5 foot woman) and my heels are 5 inch Jessica Simpsons Mina, available on Piperlime. Don’t always assume to put on your highest heel is the best idea. With this pair of pants, I need a little shorter heel to make my legs look as long as possible. I think the pant hem is hanging too high off of the ground stopping the eye, making my legs look shorter. When I wear this boot my pant isn’t hanging as long as it possible can. Some people at this point would begin to buy regular, non-petite pants and have them hemmed. I, on the other hand, prefer to tackle this problem by buying different height shoes. However you feel you need to handle it is just fine.

This best part about taking pictures of your daily outfits is that you can really see what others see. I will not be wearing these shoes with these pants any more.

 

The rest of the outfit is all Ann Taylor; regular size small Ann Taylor sweater, with a cream cami underneath (because it is a regular small and the neckline hangs way too low), size 6 petite pants, and AT jewels.

 

The sweater is actually a regular size small, it just runs a little short. I have a co-worker with a very similar body type and she suggested it to me after she had tried it. So, it just goes to show you really do need to bite the bullet and just try things on sometimes…even if you are sure it won’t work for you.

Gray Sweater

Many days I am in an outfit such as this, running around my neighborhood, picking up kids, and doing errands. The tank and cropped pants are from Target (a great resource for basics…even petites online with free shipping with a $50.00 purchase). I like (don’t love) this long boyfriend sweater from Banana Republic. I got it in a size petite medium and it really doesn’t do what I want it to do. I’d like to be able to button it up all the way and wear it with just leggings, but it is way too snug and unflattering. So, every once in a while I grab this to wear, but I envisioned this working differently in my wardrobe. It is just barely hanging on before I consign it. It better watch out!!

The brown leather belt is from Ann Taylor Loft and the shoes are a few seasons old Ann Taylor (although something similar was offered this year). The belt helps to break up the line and keep my top and bottom half in better proportion. Some feel that petites should not wear Capri/cropped pants. I feel very comfortable in them, but tend to wear them just at ankle length or slightly above.

Anything higher does cut a shorter woman up and can make us look boxy and short. Because I feel cropped jeans work so well on me and my lifestyle, I have several pairs. I tend to buy things that I know are work horses in my wardrobe, so I have more to wear during the week and don’t have to do laundry as much!!

Merino Wool Dress

I wore this outfit to work the other day. It looks like a nice trim, merino wool dress. What you don’t see are my Spanx hard at work. They are High-Waisted Tight End Tights offered from Spanx. And they work. The top of the tight ends right under my bra band and it is smoothing and controlling.

 

What is extra wonderful about High-Waisted tights is that because I am so short waisted, the top of the tights really don’t slip around or drop down. I have very little fussing to do with it. Nice.

The dress and jewels are Ann Taylor and the shoes are Kelsi Dagger (found them on Piperlime). The wedge ankle boots are really great at adding height and are comfortable enough to pull a 5 hour shift on my feet in them. These shoes also work under straight jeans and even leggings.



I think the jewelry works because it is understated. They are on the small side, so that, although there are three of them, because they are dainty, it works on a smaller frame. Also, because I had a little bit more going on with the neckline, the bracelet is a simple spangled bangle.

Baby Shower Bound

Steve Madden’s Intyce boot is kind of the showcase of this outfit (ohhh, dusty mirror!!! Please ignore.) The weather has been a bit warm for northern Ohio in the late fall, so I opted to go tight less under my denim skirt. This is a color palette that is new for me as well; the photo showing the close up of the necklace is close to the color of the sweater I am wearing. The skirt and the sweater are AT Loft, found in the petite sizes. What is nice about this sweater is that it is a bit longer and looser. I find myself wearing this sweater with skinny jeans and skirts a lot. It is a good balance for when you wear a trimmer silhouette on the bottom half and this sweater balances out the look. These sweaters are hard to find for short torso people. I just found another longer, not too fitted sweater in Petite sizes



that I am looking forward to receiving. I found it at the Gap online and used a Black Friday code, so the price was pretty good. I’ll post a look with it once I get it in the mail…no local Gap with Petites, so no instant gratification! The necklace is spring jewelry from Ann Taylor. I think the longer necklace helps elongate my torso. As a mentioned before, the boots are Madden Intyce (I found the best deal from Nordstrom) in the cognac color, they are juuuuuusssst not to high on my frame. Then again, I have a little bit more length in my legs, verses my very short torso, so I am just able to pull them off. Longer torso/shorter leg petites may have more problems and need to look for a shorter boot.