How to Identify & Style a Short Torso & Long Legs

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What to wear to complement your proportions (plus, what to avoid)

Co-authored by Jordan Stolch and Devin McSween

Last Updated: June 25, 2025 Fact Checked

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• About This Body Type
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• Signs of a Short Torso
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• Styling Tips
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• FAQs
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• Styling a Long Torso
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

Does the top half of your body appear shorter than your bottom half? If so, you likely have a short torso and long legs, which is a common body proportion to have! In this article, we’ll go over what a short torso and long legs looks like and how to tell if you have this body type. We also spoke with professional stylists to find out which clothes and styles help flatter your shape and balance out your unique proportions. Keep reading to learn more!

The Best Styles for a Short Torso & Long Legs

Wear low or mid-rise pants, skirts, and shorts to help elongate your shorter torso and balance your proportions. Choose tops with a V, crew, or high neckline to add length to your torso, too. Wear monochromatic outfits to help blend your torso and legs together to create a long, flattering line.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

What is a short torso, long legs body type?

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1. 
   Someone with this body type has a short waist and long legs. Just like how bodies come in different shapes, they also come in different proportions. Someone with a short torso and long legs has a shorter distance between their shoulders and hips compared to their legs. Their hips sit higher up on their body and there’s a shorter distance between their ribs and waist and their waist and hips.

   • Celebrity examples: Sabrina Carpenter, Hailey Bieber, Meghan Markle, Cameron Diaz, Kylie Minogue, Christina Hendricks, Taylor Swift, Blake Lively, Nicole Kidman
   • Whether you have a short torso and long legs has nothing to do with your height. People who are tall, average-sized, and short can have this body proportion.
   • The other common body proportions are:
     • Long torso, short legs: The hips are lower on the body and the torso is longer in comparison to the legs.
     • Balanced: The hips are midway down the body and the torso and legs are similar lengths.
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Section 2 of 5:

How to Tell if You Have a Short Torso & Long Legs

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   Place your hands under your bust and see where your belly button lies. Place one hand directly under your bust line and place your other hand directly under it. Then, look to see where your belly button is in relation to your hands:

   • You likely have a short torso if your belly button is under your hands.
   • You likely have a long torso if your belly button is far below your hands.
   • You likely have a balanced torso if your belly button is touching or just below your hands.
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   Find your leg-to-height ratio. While standing up straight, use a measuring tape to measure the distance from your crotch to your feet in inches (or centimeters). Then, measure your total height (head to feet). Simply divide the length of your legs by your total height to get your leg-to-height ratio.

   • You likely have longer legs if your leg-to-height ratio is around 48%.
   • You likely have shorter legs if your leg-to-height ratio is around 43%.
   • You likely have balanced legs if your leg-to-height ratio is around 45%.
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Section 3 of 5:

Tips for Styling a Short Torso and Long Legs

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   Opt for low-rise or mid-rise bottoms. Certified stylist and image consultant Sarah McDonald advises wearing bottoms with a lower rise to help make your torso look longer and balance out your proportions. Simply look for bottoms that sit below your waistline and around your hips, whether you’re shopping for jeans, trousers, shorts, or skirts.
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   Wear V-neck, scoop neck, or high-neck tops. According to image consultant and style advisor Jordan Stolch, tops that expose more of your chest “create the length at the top of the body and make the body appear longer.” So, she suggests wearing V-neck and scoop neck tops to help your torso appear longer. High-neck and mock turtleneck tops can draw the eye upwards, which also creates the illusion of length and helps your torso look longer.

   • For instance, select t-shirts, blouses, sweaters, and dresses with these necklines.
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   Choose wrap, A-line, or shift dresses. Most wrap dresses have a V-neck neckline, which Stolch says helps to create length at your torso. They also cinch in around your waist, which is super flattering. A-line dresses, which are fitted around the upper body and flare out from the waist, are a universally flattering option, too. Shift dresses are another great option, as the less fitted style creates a vertical line that lengthens the torso and balances your proportions.

   • Opt for dresses with necklines that lengthen your torso, like V-necks, scoop necks, and high necks.
   • As for hemlines, choose any length of dress that you like! Hem lines above the knee can show off your long legs, while below the knee hems can balance out the length of your legs.
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   Opt for tops with a vertical stripe print. Another way to create length and elongate your torso is to wear vertical stripes, says Stolch. Vertical stripes draw your eyes down, helping to lengthen the look of your torso and balance out your proportions.

   • Generally, tops in horizontal stripes shorten your torso further.
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   Wear monochromatic outfits. When styling an outfit, choose a top and bottom that are the same color. For instance, wear a black top with black pants or a blue blouse with a blue skirt. Monochromatic outfits help your torso and legs blend together, which can make your torso look longer and your proportions more in balance, says McDonald.
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   Highlight your waist. Another universally flattering tip, no matter if your torso is short or long, is drawing emphasis to the smallest part of your waist, says McDonald. According to her, “even if you do have a short waist, your waist is going to be in proportion to the rest of your body” which gives you a balanced and flattering look.

   • For instance, wear tops, skirts, and dresses that hug your figure. Choose styles that cinch in at the waist, like wrap dresses, A-line dresses, and peplum tops.
   • Or, draw attention to your waist with a thin belt. Aim to keep it on the thinner side, as wide belts can make your torso appear shorter.
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   Accessorize with long necklaces. According to Stolch, long necklaces are another great way to “create the illusion of length” and make your torso appear longer. She suggests wearing a simple or statement necklace that hits around the rib cage area.
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   Accentuate your long legs. Since you have beautiful, long legs, flaunt them! McDonald says, “I would say that having a short waist is actually a good problem to have. Because then you can really show off your legs!” She suggests wearing high-waisted bottoms, mini skirts, and vertical striped pants to elongate your already long legs.

   • Fashion stylist Kathi Burns, CPO also recommends wearing pointed shoes, boots, or heels as they help “elongate your overall look.”
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   Avoid crop tops, oversized tops, and horizontal stripes. To keep your proportions balanced, aim to avoid anything that can make your torso appear shorter. This includes crop tops, oversized shirts and sweaters, horizontal stripes, and wide belts. Styles that elongate your legs, like high-waisted bottoms, pointed shoes, and knee-high boots, can potentially make your torso look shorter, too.

   • Remember, these are just styling tips, not rules! Feel free to experiment and wear the clothes and styles that make you look and feel good. The best accessory is confidence!
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    Look at celebrities and visual references for style inspiration. Fashion stylist Kalee Hewlett advises that you “educate yourself on your body type” and “visualize your style inspiration so you get a sense of what it is that you really like.” She says, “It’s always good to have style icons in mind, or visual representations that you want to work towards.” So, Hewlett suggests looking at celebrities for inspiration and creating Pinterest boards to cultivate your style.
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Section 4 of 5:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1. 1
   Can I make my torso longer and legs shorter with clothes? Yes, wearing certain styles and fits can help your torso appear longer and your legs shorter to get a more balanced look. For instance, wear low and mid-rise bottoms and V-neck tops to elongate your torso. Monochromatic outfits can help your torso and legs blend together, making them appear more proportionate, too.
2. 2
   Are there health problems associated with short torso and long legs? It’s possible that your torso and leg length can impact your health. For instance, people with longer legs may be at greater risk of developing venous thromboembolism, or blood clots in the veins. They might also be at greater risk of developing cancer, but a reduced risk of developing coronary heart disease. People with longer legs may also be more susceptible to leg, knee, and hip injuries.
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   Are there any genetic conditions associated with short torso and long legs? Certain genetic syndromes can cause people to share physical features. For instance, people who have Klinefelter syndrome, which only affects males, often have long legs and a comparatively short torso.
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Section 5 of 5:

Tips for Styling a Long Torso and Short Legs

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1. 
   Select fits and styles that elongate your legs. If you have a longer torso and shorter legs, create the illusion of having longer legs to achieve a more balanced proportion. For instance:

   • Wear high-waisted pants, shorts, and skirts. Hewlett says this is a great way to “give the illusion of longer legs.”
   • Wear pleated pants, shorts, and skirts. According to wardrobe stylist Dina Scherer, vertical lines help to “visually draw the eye up and down” and elongate your legs.
   • Wear pants in a vertical striped print. Stolch says “vertical stripes can definitely make your legs look longer.”
   • Accessorize with wide belts to elongate the legs and make your torso appear shorter.
   • Wear pointed shoes to add length to the legs.

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