Wear Untucked Shirts and Look Less Lanky

Woman who is wearing an untucked shirt
 
I recently overheard a debate regarding a trend that has become more common, where individuals wear shorter jackets over their shirts which are untucked. It seems that this flies in the face of many individuals who grew up being taught that you should always tuck in your shirt tails and that your jackets should cover the bottom (visible) edge of a blouse. And I have to say that I was one of those people, but I understand the reasoning for the trend and I approve of it.
 
What you have to understand on this subject is that such a “layered” look isn’t appropriate for everyone. The look was designed for those persons who are tall and slender to help them break the vertical focus that makes them appear too lanky. It’s a great look for a woman (or man) who is long-waisted (meaning that the torso is longer than the ideal in proportion to the rest of the body). By wearing a jacket that is shorter and stops at the top of the waist, over a shirt or blouse that falls below the waistline, you create a double-line which breaks up the length of the torso and tricks the eye into thinking that the body is more proportionate.
 
It is NOT a look that would work for a woman (or man) who is short in stature or who has a short-waist. Since the look would make the torso appear shorter still. It’s all about balancing the proportions of the body. (It’s also not a good look for a heavier-set individual, though having a layered look where the shirt and jacket fall to the same point creates vertical lines and makes the body look slimmer.
 
So, if you want to know if this look would work for you, stand in front of the mirror and let your arms hang at your sides. Look at the distance from the tops of your shoulders to the separation of your legs, then look at the distance from the separation of your legs to the ankles. Which dimension is longer? If your torso is longer than the leg, you could easily wear the untucked blouse under a shorter jacket and even out the appearance of your proportions. It will make your legs appear longer and your body appear more balanced.
 
See also: How to dress taller