As a short girl, flats can be a constant battle. They can look so chic on those fortunate enough to be tall and long-legged, and the comfort level compared to heels can’t be beat. But then I put them on, look in the mirror, and my delusions of looking like a slightly shorter Audrey Hepburn à la Funny Face are dashed to bits. I’ve learned over time that flats with a shorter vamp (the kind that show more of the top of your foot) are more flattering on short girls, but that leaves me with the dilemma of what to do about one of my most lusted after type of shoe…the oxford.
Because oxfords cover the entire foot, they can be especially stumpifying on petites and/or shorter legs. Once that mental hurdle of looking a little stumpy has been jumped, I’ve found that wearing pants in a matching hue to the oxfords are the best option for mitigating said stumpy effect. These black patent oxfords (25% off with code ALMOSTFALL), for example, look their best when paired with black, such as this washed-black denim. Choosing a shoe with a sleek and narrow silhouette also helps immensely.
I’ll add here that trying to find a mid-priced oxford that rivals designer options in style, material, and availability in size 5 has been a challenge. These from J.Crew have fit the bill nicely, and come in regular and patent leather.
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Shirt Ann Taylor (old)
Jeans Rag & Bone thanks to Shopbop
Oxfords J.Crew (25% off with code ALMOSTFALL) (non-patent version)
Handbag Chanel
Belt J.Crew (also love this one)
Watch thanks to Daniel Wellington
Sunglasses Oliver Peoples
Necklaces vintage & Downtown LA
Rings Catbird, vintage & Downtown LA
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nothing. ;)
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Adorable. Love that they’re masculine without looking like they don’t belong on a woman.
FWIW, I think that your proportions are such that you can wear flats as well as anyone taller. You don’t seem to be short-legged, you’re a true petite. Looking at your photo here no one can tell if you are five feet or six feet tall without some sort of scale.
I, on the other hand, am short-legged with a long torso and I couldn’t pull off the rolled jeans as you did here, because it breaks up the leg line and makes me look even shorter-legged.
The oxfords are gorgeous, btw, and I love how you styled them. The striped shirt is fabulous and the rolled jean gives it a fun casual look while still being quite polished.
I love the shoes but you are right about making petite legs look shorter :-(
http://www.petitestyleonline.com
these are great shoes, and a lovely alternative to ballerina flats. you look great, Kelly!
Love this style Kelly! I am also petite – about your size and height. Sadly I cannot wear heels due to a foot injury. I bought a similar looking shoe a while back (I got a good price for it and it fit my requirements of being flat) but had no idea how to style it and make it look modern on a tiny lady frame. You make it look very chic and still feminine, love it! Looking forward to seeing these shoes in more of your outfits. All the best! :)
These Rag and Bone jeans look incredible on you! Do you mind sharing what size you went with? Do they run TTS?
Thanks Crystalin! I took size 23 in these, which is what all my Rag & Bone jeans are except for the Preston wash, which I took in size 24. They are TTS for Rag & Bone. Hope that helps!
I’m late to the party in commenting, but I have a pair of Born oxfords (in brown leather) that were a solid, snug fit and, in my opinion, looked luxe enough to justify adding them to my wardrobe (similar to these: http://www.dsw.com/shoe/born+kika+oxford?prodId=249233).
I’m 5’6″, so not petite, but with a long torso, I have similar problems with flats making my legs look short. As far as fit, though, I generally wear a 6.5 shoe and the size 7 in Born were quite snug when I first got them. After a year of wear they’re snug, but comfortably so. They only have sizes down to 6, but a 6 might comfortably fit a foot that generally wears a smaller size.