How to Make Your Legs Look Longer

Co-authored by Dina Scherer

Last Updated: January 23, 2022 References

Many people wish they had longer legs. While you cannot alter your genetics, there are a few tricks you can use to create the illusion of long, lean and sexy legs. Wearing bottoms in the right colors can elongate the appearance of your legs, while making smart choices about hemlines, waistbands, and shoes can also go a long way towards creating that look you've always wanted.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Finding the Right Shoes

1
Wear long boots. Over-the-knee boots create a clean, uninterrupted look from your lower thigh down to the floor. Knee high boots have a similar but less exaggerated effect. Ankle boots, on the other hand, cut your leg off just above the foot. Like ankle straps, they make your legs look shorter than they are.
- An ankle boot with a v-cut at its top instead of a horizontal line is exempt from this rule. A pointed v-cut ankle boot can even make your legs look longer in its own right, as they extend the line of your legs downwards.^{[1]
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2
Go for a pointed toe. A pointed toe will extend your feet (and your legs) twofold: First, shoes with pointed toes typically have at least an inch or two of extra space making them physically longer than a round-toe shoe in the same size. Second, the tapering point also creates the illusion that your feet (and consequently legs) are even longer.^{[2]
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3
Add more high heels and platforms to your wardrobe. The most obvious way to make your legs seem longer is to wear shoes that add inches to your height. High heels will also force your feet to extend, which makes your calves look longer and more shapely.
- Avoid wearing heels too often. Over time, high heels can damage your joints and cause chronic back pain.^{[3]
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4
Wear shoes that are close to your skin tone. A shoe that blends in with your skin will create a long, uninterrupted line when you're wearing skirts or shorts. Both the solid color and added length from your feet will create the illusion of longer legs.
5
Match your shoes with your pants or stockings. You can also create that same uninterrupted line by coordinating your shoes when wearing tights or pants. For example, try wearing black hosiery with black heels. This monochromatic look creates a clean line as the eye travels from the top of your leg straight down to the floor without stopping.
6
Avoid ankle straps. The horizontal straps cause the viewer's eye to pause early, making your legs look shorter. Ankle straps have the opposite effect of high heels and v-shaped cuts. If you love ankle straps, consider wearing tights in the same color as the strap to prevent the line of your legs from being broken up.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Playing with Your Silhouette

1
Tailor your clothing. A streamlined silhouette will make you look taller overall, lengthening the appearance of your legs. Clothes that fit poorly can bulk up your silhouette, making you look shorter. Meanwhile, well-fitted clothes will look sleeker. If you can't find clothes that fit perfectly off the rack, bring your garments to a tailor or learn how to alter hems at home.^{[6]
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2
Wear monochromatic outfits. Try creating outfits made up mostly or entirely out of a single color. When your clothing is all one color, it can be harder for someone to tell where your legs start and end.
- While all colors work for the leg-lengthening monochromatic look, very dark colors like black will have the greatest effect.^{[7]
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3
Cover your legs with dark colors. Black has a slimming effect, making your legs look longer.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Dina Scherer
Wardrobe Stylist & Personal Shopper
Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.} You don't have to go monochrome to benefit from black's leg-lengthening power. A pair of black tights or skinny jeans will go with anything.^{[9]
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4
Add vertical stripes to your wardrobe. Vertical details draw the eye up and down, creating the illusion of additional length.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Dina Scherer
Wardrobe Stylist & Personal Shopper
Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.} This is why vertical stripes are well-known as a "slimming" pattern. Use this to your advantage by wearing pants, stockings, and skirts that feature vertical stripes.^{[11]
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- Piping, sharp creases, pleats, and vertical rows of buttons can create the same effect.^{[12]
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  Dina Scherer
  Wardrobe Stylist & Personal Shopper
  Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.}
5
Choose jackets that are a little on the short side. A cropped jacket will have an overall lengthening effect when worn on a shorter frame. They will also balance out a longer torso, making the legs look longer.
- While cropped jackets will make your legs appear longer, stay away from midriff-baring shirts if you have a long torso. A crop top will further elongate your trunk.^{[13]
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- Jackets with only slight taper instead of a full crop can also give the illusion of longer legs.
6
Wear skirts and dresses with the right cuts. If you're trying to balance out a longer torso, A-line skirts will make your waist appear higher and your legs longer. ^{[14]
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Research source} Empire waists are also good for this body type, as they create the illusion of a raised waist by shifting focus up. This cut also works well for those with overall petite figures, as an empire waist can also elongate one's frame.
7
Look for high-waisted pants and skirts. The eye naturally assumes that your leg starts where your waist starts. By wearing high-waisted bottoms, your legs will appear to start higher on your torso. Consequently, they will look much longer than they actually are.^{[15]
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- For an added effect, focus on pants that are a little bit tapered at the bottom, as they point towards the ankle, which is the narrower part of your legs. ^{[16]
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  Dina Scherer
  Wardrobe Stylist & Personal Shopper
  Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.}
8
Tuck your shirt in. Just like a high waist makes your legs appear longer and your torso shorter, a long shirt will do the opposite. To keep a loose blouse from making your legs look shorter, be sure to tuck it in. Pair a tucked-in shirt with a high-waisted bottom for extra leg-lengthening power.^{[17]
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9
Avoid low-rise jeans or pants. As you may guess, low-rise pants have the opposite effect of high-waisted ones: They make your legs look shorter. If you're trying to make your legs look longer, you should ditch the hip-huggers. If you don't like the high-waisted look, don't go to the opposite extreme. Instead, simply wear pants that rest at your natural waist.^{[18]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Minding Your Hemlines

1
Keep your hems high. A simple way to make legs look longer is to show them off. Wear shorts and short skirts often. The shorter the cut, the longer your legs will look.
2
Wear skirts with asymmetrical hemlines. Straight, horizontal hemlines interrupt the eye as it travels down your leg. Maximize the amount of length you can get from wearing a skirt by choosing an asymmetrical hemline. An asymmetrical hemline will soften the break, allowing the eye to follow smoothly down your legs.^{[19]
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3
Avoid skirts that fall at your calf. Because calves are large muscles, they tend to be the thickest part of a person's legs. When a skirt ends at the calf, it can make even the tallest person look stumpy. Instead, stick to skirts that fall either closer to the ankles or at the knee or above.
4
Consider pants that are low-hemmed and wide-legged. Wide pants that just graze the top of your foot will make your legs look slender in comparison while creating that long solid line that lengthens their appearance. On the other hand, shorter pants will cut the line equally short. Likewise, pants that touch the ground are a bit too long and will make you seem shorter.^{[20]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Contouring Your Legs

1
Exfoliate your legs with a scrub or body wash. Just like many people contour their faces with makeup, others use contouring to make their legs look longer and more shapely. Before you begin contouring, you will need a smooth canvas to work from. An exfoliating scrub will remove dead skin cells, leaving you with smooth, clean, blemish-free legs.
2
Moisturize your legs. Smooth some of your favorite lotion onto your legs. Moisturized legs will be much easier to work with than dry dusty ones. The smooth, satiny finish will also catch natural highlights better, creating a lengthening effect of its own.^{[21]
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3
Apply self-tanner over your legs. Follow the directions on the bottle of your self-tanner of choice. Spread only a thin layer over your legs, focusing on areas near muscles and joints. Use an applicator mitt to perform this step in order to get an even finish and reduce staining your hands.
- For a less permanent contour, you can use bronzer or a slightly darker foundation instead of self-tanner. When using this type of makeup, be sure to blend it into your skin well with your fingers using small circular motions.
4
Use an "instant glow" moisturizer or shimmer lotion for highlights. Select a second moisturizer containing a lightening shimmer. Apply it to where light would naturally hit your legs: along the shins, down the center of your thighs, and around your calf muscles.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I make my legs look longer in summer?

Dina Scherer
Wardrobe Stylist & Personal Shopper
Dina Scherer is an Image and Wardrobe Stylist and the Founder of Modnitsa Styling, based in New York City. With over a decade of experience, Dina specializes in color analysis, style development, closet editing, and personal shopping. She helps her clients elevate their personal style and curate a wardrobe aligned with their lifestyle. Dina holds degrees in Advertising and Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, and a Certificate in Image Consulting from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Dina Scherer

Wardrobe Stylist & Personal Shopper

Expert Answer

Try wearing a pleated skirt or a pleated dress! Pleats help elongate your outfit by drawing the eye from top to bottom, which creates visual length. Just make sure that the pleats match your body size—for instance, a person with wider hips might not look as flattering in razor pleats, while a petite individual might not look as good in larger pleats.
Question

What color makes legs look longer?

Dina Scherer
Wardrobe Stylist & Personal Shopper
Dina Scherer is an Image and Wardrobe Stylist and the Founder of Modnitsa Styling, based in New York City. With over a decade of experience, Dina specializes in color analysis, style development, closet editing, and personal shopping. She helps her clients elevate their personal style and curate a wardrobe aligned with their lifestyle. Dina holds degrees in Advertising and Marketing, Fashion Merchandising, and a Certificate in Image Consulting from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Dina Scherer

Wardrobe Stylist & Personal Shopper

Expert Answer

Wearing dark colors is a great option, especially if they come right from the waist or even higher. You can even try wearing the same colors throughout your outfit, which creates less visual break through horizontal lines. Instead, the solid "column of color" keeps the eye moving, which definitely helps elongate your legs, torso, and the rest of your body.