When the distance between your shoulders and natural waist is longer than average, you are long-waisted. Gals who fit this description should wear clothing that shortens the torso, raises the waistline and lengthens the legs. Here are a few guidelines:
- Wear a waist-cinching belt in a contrasting colour. This breaks up the length of the torso. Belts that match the colour of your bottoms are particularly effective.
- Wear high belted style jackets, coats and blouses. Wrap blouses are especially good.
- Layer with contrasting top colours to visually break up the torso.
- Wear tops that taper above the natural waist like empire lines.
- Wear tops tucked into pants and skirts with mid to high rises to raise the waistline.
- Look for tops with horizontal detailing like stripes, yokes and exaggerated collars. This raises the eye upward and the waistline too.
- Wear skirts at the knee and with a heel to balance out the leg line.
- Wear pants extra long and with heels (my PPL theory).
- Avoid pants with cuffs. They shorten the leg line and draw the eye downwards.
As usual, this is about restoring balance by putting the emphasis in the right place.
Left: An empire blue top with waist-cinching white belt over a pair of white pants shortens the torso beautifully. Middle: A top tucked into a high-waisted pair of pants or skirt does the same. Right: The empire line shortens the length of the torso by focusing above the natural waist.
