Halloween is fast approaching! It's hard enough to find everyday clothing as a petite, let alone costumes that flatter shorter heights. Costumes can easily make a petite look childish or overwhelmed by the clothing, but there are definitely options. Here are some of my favorite outfit ideas to get into the holiday spirit:
Classic Irony: Minnie Mouse
Why not celebrate your shortness? Find a mini-length dress in red or pink polka dots, or a black blouse with a red skirt. Pair with a black belt to accent your waist. This makes a great everyday look that isn't too costumey, and you can add a mouse ears headband and white gloves for the evening if you want to go all out. Avoid adding lots of bows to keep this looking chic instead of young.
Couples Costume: Rocket Raccoon (and Groot)
This works great if your partner is taller than you! They can wear camo clothing, fake leaf garlands from a craft store, and a Groot mask. For Rocket, pick up an orange romper or jumpsuit and pair it with faux fur accessories (boot covers, vest, hat) for Rocket's look from the first Guardians of the Galaxy.
Iconic: Princess Leia
Celebrate petite Carrie Fisher with any number of Princess Leia’s iconic looks. Recreate her cold-weather-friendly Hoth look with a white vest, top, and pants with grey boots - add a braid or hair buns to top it off. For something different, try an outfit from the more recent film with an olive green or khaki jumpsuit, tall boots, and a plum vest.
Pop Culture: Wonder Woman
This will likely be a popular choice so skip it if you want to be unique. Otherwise.. strut your stuff with confidence in this female power outfit and show that warriors come in all shapes and sizes! Wear a form fitting red top, gold belt, blue mini skirt, red boots, and a gold headband. Add a red cardigan if you want to cover up a little more.
Real Life: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
This Associate Justice of the Supreme Court is just 5'1" tall! Check out her Time magazine cover or SNL's recent skit for inspiration. Grab a black sheath dress, long sleeve mini length shift, or power suit. Pair it with glasses, a dramatic white necklace, and pulled back hair. Skip the floor length robe to avoid getting lost in fabric.
Television: Daenerys Targaryen
She has so many different outfits to choose from! Actress Emilia Clarke is petite, so these looks are already designed to compliment short ladies. I love the season three look - try a blue wrap dress over skinny jeans and tall boots. Add dragon themed jewelry or a long blonde wig to complete the look.
Traditional: Cat or Devil
Very simple and easy to do last minute, these looks have the advantage of a monochromatic color scheme perfect for shorter statures. Dress in all red or all black, and pick up cat ears or devil horns from a costume store. Stick with your color of choice and you can wear anything from a bodycon dress to pants and a tee as you like.
Bonus: don't feel like wearing a costume but still want to be festive? Wear a spooky tee like this ramen noodle mummy shirt from Threadless (I love how their women's tees have some shape), or try these petite sized and budget friendly offerings from Boohoo: leopard dress, skeleton hands top, and vampire dress.
What will you be wearing this year? Whether you use your height to your advantage, embody confident female role models, or stick with a streamlined look, have a Happy Halloween!