If you want to achieve a more elongated silhouette, heels alone are not enough to acgethieve a lengthening outcome. Even if this can sound surprising, heels can even backfire, due to the fact that, though they add inches to your height, they may create an extra breakpoint that can reduce the visual length of your legs, and this is particularly true when it comes to shoes in metallic shades.
Therefore, if we want to get a slimming and lengthening result, it’s essential to identify the most appropriate patterns.
Generally speaking, minimal styles (such as low-vamp stilettos or strappy sandals) guarantee the most flattering outcome. As for the design of the heel itself, the perfect option is a slightly curved heel placed centrally under the heel of your foot, as in the picture below.
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Consider that any disproportion in the heel design or a style that is not suitable for your body type can visually enlarge your legs, whereas a well-chosen shoe can elongate your silhouette even if it has little or no heel (as it’s the case of the article below).
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For a faultless choice, consider also the following:
- For a slimming and lengthening effect, low-vamp patterns and minimal designs are preferable since they leave your feet as visible as possible. The more skin you show, the more your legs are visually stretched out. High-vamp pumps make your legs look shorter and larger, and besides, they are anything but fashionable, and the same goes for peep-toe pumps.
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- Ankle-tie sandals with thin straps are very helpful to make your legs look thinner since they highlight the slimmest part of your leg. Pay attention, though: The ties should be tightened exactly at the ankle, and not below (where the leg becomes larger). Otherwise, the outcome will be the opposite.
- Tie-leg sandals can look nice while on the mannequin, but when worn by real women, they can make your calf look similar to a sausage, which is far from being trendy or attractive. Styles as the one in the picture below are suitable if you want to make your legs look fuller, and if you have perfectly toned calves. Otherwise, skip them.
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- Avoid patent leather, even when it’s the latest trend; not only will it make your legs look shorter, but it usually looks cheap even when the shoe is expensive.
- Avoid unnecessary details. The extra chain in the picture below (which was all the rage in 2020) can be useful if you want to make your legs look fuller, but if you want to look thinner, it’s better to opt for minimalist styles.
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- Ankle ties should always be tied above the malleolus (that is, the bony prominence on each side of your ankle). If the straps are below the malleolus, they will visually enlarge your whole leg.
As per decorations, small metal details such as buckles or a reasonable quantity of studs are always lovely, as adding something small, sparkling, and eye-catching helps to make your figure look thinner.
The same goes for rhinestones when used in a thin, central strap as in the picture below.
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Things are entirely different, though, when it comes to pumps that are wholly covered with sequins, glitter, or rhinestones. Even if these finishes happen to be trendy, and even if they pull off kind of a Cinderella vibe while in the store, they visually shorten your legs, and should therefore be avoided if you would like to look thinner or taller.
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