Read these style tips for the best dress for short waisted women. This is the ultimate guide to understanding if you have a short torso and how to style your natural waistline!
I never understood the importance of dressing for your specific body shape until I realized some trends just didn’t look quite right on me. This is when I discovered I needed to adapt my personal style to my body type!
Dressing according to your body proportion makes a huge difference in how you present yourself. This is the easiest way to give the most flattering and streamlined look
I will guide you through how to find out if you have a shorter torso or a long torso and all the style tips I have to make the best outfits for YOU.
This blog post is all about what is the best dress for short waisted people and where you can find them.
Best Dress for Short Waisted Women
1. How to Figure Out if You're Short-Waisted
We first need to establish whether you even have a shorter torso in proportion to your body. Here is an easy guide to figure out if you are short waisted.
If you search “how to determine if you have a short waist”, you’ll likely find a few different methods. My favorite, easy way to check your proportions is via the two-hand test:
Place both hands under your bust, flat against your torso (check out the infographic below). Do your hands extend past your natural waist (the narrowest part of your torso)? If so, you are likely short waisted! If your natural waist falls longer than a distance of two hands, then you are likely long waisted. If your waist hits right at the end of your second hand, then your body shape is likely more proportionate throughout!
Still unsure? Try looking at yourself in the mirror and think about whether your waist is closer to your bust or closer to your hip bone? If you have a shorter waist, it will fall closer to the bust.
In general, those with a shorter waist will find that dresses or tops that hit the waistline may seem too high and make your torso look even shorter. When I wear high-waisted pants, my legs look long which is great! However, the outfit is visually very bottom-heavy.
2. Characteristics to Elongate Your Torso
Have it figured out? Great, let’s get to the fun stuff!
There are a few general characteristics to look for in a dress if you are short waisted. Our overall goal is to look balanced. This can be achieved by wearing a dress style that visually moves the waistline up further, as to create a loose drape around your waistline, or using the dress to move the waistline lower. Either of these strategies works to elongate the torso.
In the sections below I will outline some ways to draw the eye above or below your natural waistline. But the following dress characteristics can be applied to either category in addition to drawing the eye up or down:
Vertical Lines or Pleating
Vertical lines, either by vertical stripes, pleats, or vertical seams naturally draw the eye up and down, creating visual height to the outfit. Our eyes follow these lines as the flow is uninterrupted, creating the illusion of a longer torso. A horizontal line does the opposite as our eye naturally stops and starts following along from left to right.
A-Line
A dress style that utilizes an A-line shape is another way to create vertical lines. The flair from where the dress is cinched, naturally creates a drape that draws the eye up and down. This style also creates volume around the hips and thighs, which counterbalances a shorter waist.
Monochromatic
If a dress is all the same color or at least similar hues of the same color, our eye is naturally drawn up and down. If we were to wear a green top and a pink bottom, there would be an obvious horizontal line break. A monochromatic look creates an uninterrupted flow, elongating the body.
3. Draw the Waist Up
Let’s check out some styles that will draw the eye upwards, away from the natural waist. I LOVE the way that some of these dresses are different from what you may normally go for. If your personal style is more on the adventurous side, I think you will like these dress styles!
Empire Waist
The Empire waist is a controversial style for the short waisted. However, I think dresses in this style are great as the horizontal line hits right under the bust, making it obvious this is not your natural waistline. The dress style suggests that you have long legs and a long torso, perfectly balancing the upper body and lower body.
Halter Neckline
Not into open necklines? The halter neckline is a detail on some of the best dresses out there. Choose either a twisted or flat halter to make a statement in your next dress! This style works best where there is no defined waistline and the fabric is free and loose, creating a balanced look.
Asymmetry
There are many options to look for when it comes to an asymmetrical dress. Look for an asymmetrical neckline or upper body cutouts if your goal is to draw attention upward. Just make sure to also choose something without a lot of definition to create a proportional look.
3. Draw the Waist Down
Drawing attention downward past your natural waistline is also a great solution to balancing out a shorter waist. These styles are the best dresses to pull off a chic look!
Drop Waist
Wearing a dress with a dropped waist is a great way to elongate a shorter torso and proportion you better if you have longer legs. This is one of the easiest ways to visually move your waistline down. I don’t find this style of dress to be very common, so I think this is a great option to pull off a high-fashion look!
V-Neck
A V-neck top is the most obvious way to draw attention downwards. It’s quite literally a downward arrowhead. There are plenty of great options ranging from a slight “V” to a significant plunge. Showing off your neck and décolletage is the sexiest way to show off your upper body!
Scoop Neck
The scoop neck is the V-neck’s more cutesy cousin! This style of dress elongates the neck and chest in a gorgeous, put-together fashion. I’d highly recommend a scoop neck if you’re not quite ready to take the plunge!
Wrap Dresses
The wrap dress is a staple for every woman’s closet! It flatters everyone from those with petite frames to those with larger busts. Although the waist may be defined by a horizontal line, the diagonal line draws the eye downward past the natural waistline, therefore elongating the upper body.
Best Dress for Short Waisted Summarized!
This post was all about the best dress for short waisted women.
Of course, the best thing you can possibly wear is what YOU like! But if you’re seeking a more balanced proportion, these are my top style recommendations to check out!
