How to Wear Culottes when You're Petite

Co-authored by Alison Deyette

Last Updated: February 22, 2021 References

Culottes are great pant options for any time of the year. They’re longer than shorts, but not as long as pants. They can show off your feet and calves and provide you with a pant option that isn’t skin-tight. Culottes can be worn elegantly by any sized women, include petite women. However, there are a couple of things petite women can do to make them feel more comfortable in their culottes.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Picking Culottes That Elongate Your Legs

1
Hem your culottes to be 2 inches (5.1 cm) to 4 inches (10 cm) below your knee. While many taller women are able to wear their culottes hemmed at the middle of their calf, petite or shorter women should hem their culottes higher on their leg. You may need to pin your culottes at different lengths between 2 inches (5.1 cm) to 4 inches (10 cm) below your knee to determine the perfect length specifically for you.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Hemming a pair of pants at home is not difficult. However, if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, you can bring your culottes to a tailor or alteration shop.
2
Select a pair of culottes with a waist up to your belly button. Petite women will likely want to avoid culottes that have a lower waist, as they’ll make your legs look shorter. Instead, petite women should look for a pair of culottes that are high waisted, where the waist is around your belly button, even above your waist or belly button. Higher waisted culottes will show off a petite women’s figure more effectively.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- They key to selecting pants as a petite woman is to make your legs look longer than they actually are. One way to make your legs look longer is to have your pants go higher on your waist.
Advertisement
3
Wear culottes with vertical stripes to give your legs the illusion of length. Stripes on clothing can provide all sorts of illusions and help make certain aspects of your body look different by drawing the eye in a certain way. Petite women, for example, look great in vertical stripes because the stripes make you look taller and your legs longer.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- Petite woman will want to avoid wearing pants with horizontal stripes, not so much because they’ll make you look wider, but because the direction of the stripes makes your legs look shorter than they actually are.
- Try wearing culottes that are part of a matching set or a jumpsuit, where the vertical stripes continue up from the pants to the top. Select a pair of shoes that coordinate with one of the stripe colours.
- If you have a pair of culottes with a vertical stripe, pair it with a solid coloured top that matches the colour of one of the stripes. For example, if the pants have stripes of blue, yellow, orange, and green, find a bright yellow top to go with them.
4
Select black-coloured culottes for a more flattering option. Black has always been, and always will be, the go-to colour when in doubt of what to wear. Not only does black go with everything, but it can also be dressed up or down and tends to make you look slimmer.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- If you are only able to have one pair of culottes, a black pair would be your best option as they’ll go with anything and can be worn any time of year.
- Opt for culottes that have a lace trim on the bottom of each leg to add a more delicate and dressy look to black culottes. Select a top with a unique pattern to go with the culottes and a pair of pointed-toe black heels.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Selecting Accessories for Your Culottes

1
Balance the wideness of the culottes with a form-fitting top. Culottes, by design, bellow out around your legs, as they’re wide and flowy. To balance the wideness of your culottes, it’s best to avoid tops with the same wide-fit or bellow. Instead, look for a top that is form-fitting or one that accentuates your waist.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Another way to accentuate an hourglass figure is to wear cropped tops (or jackets).^{[6]
  X
  Research source}
- In the summer, opt for a tight-fitting tank top to go with your culottes. Add a cropped jacket or blazer in the fall or winter.
2
Tuck-in your top when wearing culottes to highlight your waist. One great way to highlight and accentuate your waist is to tuck in your top. When wearing culottes, make sure your top is at least tucked in at the front to show off your waist and figure. By accentuating your waist, it will give the illusion of longer legs.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- The key to wearing tops as a petite woman is to break up the line of your clothes by distinguishing between your top and your pants. Tucking in tops is one of the best ways to do this.
- A silky white blouse goes with just about anything. Try adding such a blouse to any dark-coloured culottes and tucking in only the front of the top. Add a pashmina layer in colder weather or to dress-up the look even more.
3
Wear shoes that accentuate your legs and make them look longer. Certain types of shoes will help accentuate your legs and give the illusion that they are longer. Select shoe styles such as espadrille wedges, block heels, or pointy toe flats to elongate your legs while wearing culottes.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Another option is to wear shoes that are nude in colour and match the colour of your legs.
- Pointed-toe shoes are also a great option to wear with culottes, as they highlight the wide-leg look of the culottes.
- If you’re going for more of a sporty look, pair your culottes with a pair of sneakers.

Expert Q&A
Did you know you can get expert answers for this article? Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow

Question

How do you wear culottes if you're short?

Alison Deyette
Professional Stylist
Alison Deyette is a Style Expert and TV Host with over 20 years of experience in fashion, style, and television. She has styled and directed photoshoots around the world for a variety of magazines, including Good Housekeeping, People StyleWatch, and Mode. Alison was also named one of the top stylists in Los Angeles by Variety magazine.

Alison Deyette

Professional Stylist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Wear culottes with sneakers for a casual look and swap for wedges when the occasion calls for a dressier option.