How to embrace being petite

I used to be very self conscious about my height when I was at school. I always wanted to be taller and I used to be teased and made fun of by certain girls at school because of how small I was, which used to get me down. As I grew older, I embraced being petite and now I absolutely love my height and my size. I'm proudly five feet tall, a size 8 in clothing and size 3 in shoes. As I've embraced being a petite girl, I've also learned a few tricks and tips on how to dress and shop when you're petite.

Find the best petite brands

Many fashion brands have their own petite range, such as Reiss Petite, Miss Selfridge Petite, Zara and Asos Petite. These are honestly the best places to shop for trousers and dresses in my opinion, as the fit and length will be just right. There are also plenty of specialist petite fashion brands to choose from.

Wearing vertical stripes 

This Zara dress is a perfect example of a flattering print for my size. As the stripes are vertical this creates the illusion of my body being taller and the stripes elongate my figure. A tailored fit also looks great.

Shopping in the sales

If you're my size, you'll know that you can pick up some amazing bargains when shopping in the sales. I get most of my shoes when they're on sale, as size 3 seems to be the only one left in stock! These ankle boots from Wallis were in the sale and they are the perfect heel, whilst being super comfortable. I also picked up this dress in the January sale this year at Zara for an amazing £12.00!

Avoid baggy clothes

Although your clothes don't always need to be skintight, I would recommend wearing fitted clothing rather than ones with extra layers of cloth. I really like how this dress I'm wearing is fitted towards the bottom as well, creating a flattering look.

Whatever size you are, the most important thing is to be happy and comfortable with what you're wearing and how you feel. Just like me, you can learn to embrace your size and height, and find a style that you love.

Photography by Kirstie Melville.