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.