The Budget Fashionista

It’s estimated that currently the average height of women in the U.S. is 5’ 6’’.  Personally, I am under this average at 5’ 2’’; after having suffered the constant expense and hassle of hemming, I recently found a benefit to my height.  I am a huge fan of dresses, simply because they make it so easy to get dressed, all in one swoop without worrying about matching or tucking-in (not to mention they are great if you can’t quite squeeze into your pants that day).  This summer I have been shopping at budget fashion stores, specifically Filenes Basement, and yes, Forever 21.  My fashionista tip for those of you ladies who are petite as I am is to buy longer, tunic-style shirts a size larger and wear it as a dress.  I’ve managed to cop about 4 dress-shirts in this way this summer, all of them for $20 or under.  Feel free to belt them to cinch in the waist, or if you feel its too short throw on a pair of leggings underneath.  I prefer the shirts that have a fitted elastic or tight cotton at the bottom, which further disguises that you are actually wearing a shirt.  Enjoy your dresses before summer’s over!