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Stripes dominate the fashion scene for Summer 2011.  Petite women… embrace this trend!!!  Vertical or diagonal stripes are every petite woman’s best friend.  Vertical and diagonal lines will always make you look taller and slimmer because they draw the eye in an upward and downward motion. 

That doesn’t mean that a petite woman should never, ever wear horizontal stripes.  Although horizontal lines do create width, they can be a very effective way to balance areas of the body that are smaller.  For example, if you are a pear shaped petite who wears one size on top and a larger size on the bottom, wearing a horizontal pattern on the top will balance narrow shoulders with broad hips. 

One of my favorite looks for summer is the pairing of crisp, clean white with colorful bold stripes. That is why I love this cute striped dress from Inc. Petites available at Macy’s.  It is a perfect petite silhouette with flattering diagonal stripes and  an elongating ruffled V-neckline.   

Inc. Petites Striped Dress $69.50

www.macys.com

This spring, petite women should celebrate fashion’s return to the 70’s and the comeback of the platform sandal.  What better way to instantly add a few inches of height without worring about falling off a skinny stiletto heel!  Stacked soles and wedge heels provide both comfort and a nice height boost for their wearers.  Look for a variety of cute styles with soles crafted from leather, cork, and rope. 

PETITES BEWARE!!!  These hot spring 2011 trends spell trouble for petite women.  It is extremely difficult for any short women to pull off color blocking, mixing prints, or wearing gladiator sandals.  Here is why…

COLOR BLOCKING – As pictured above, color blocking divides the body into sections of color.  This look will make a petite woman appear shorter.

MIXING PRINTS -     Just like color blocking, mixing different prints chops a shorter body frame up too much. Instead,go for an all-over printed pattern smaller than the size of your fist.

GLADIATOR SANDALS – Any shoe style that cuts you off at the ankle with a strap will make short legs look even shorter.