The Ultimate Guide to Styling Flats: A Lesson from K-Pop Stars on How to Elongate Your Legs and Achieve a High-End Fashion Look

For petite women, flat shoes can be a dilemma as they don’t elongate the body proportion as well as heels do. Additionally, flats often give a casual feel and rarely offer a fashionable look.

So, how can one style flat shoes in a trendy and stylish way that also flatters their petite frame?

Take cues from Korean celebrities on how to pair flat shoes to make your legs look longer and your overall outfit more chic, as if you’re sporting luxury fashion.

1. Ballet Flats

This style of flats is loved by many celebrities, including model Bella Hadid and singer Jennie from Black Pink, who made these shoes an instant trend.

While Jennie pairs her ballet flats with tights typically worn by dancers, singer Jessica, a former member of Girls’ Generation, sports a checkered skirt set with a coat and thigh-high socks, achieving a youthful yet elegant look.

Black Pink’s Jennie has been spotted multiple times on stage sporting ballet-inspired outfits.

Jessica is also a fan of ballet flats.

2. Loafers

Loafers are versatile, and they go perfectly with regular denim pants. Actress Moon Ga-young looks like a fashionista in her pink cotton vest, paired with a lavender bag. To balance the bright colors of her outfit, she opts for classic black loafers and socks, toning down the overly romantic vibe.

This sweet fashion style captivates men and evokes envy from women.

3. Mule/Backless Loafers

As the shoe trend evolves, mules, which are easy to put on and take off, have become a favorite among the lazy. These slip-on shoes that resemble clogs have been a focus of major fashion brands in recent years.

Singer Kim Tae Yeon, the leader of Girls’ Generation, also loves the unrestricted feel of this style. In her daily life, she pairs wide-leg jeans with a leather jacket and oversized sunglasses, showcasing a comfortable, makeup-free look. The LV-logo mules elevate the simplicity of her outfit.

Tae Yeon looks incredibly stylish in this ensemble.

Red Velvet’s Joy also favors this style, pairing a knitted shirt with light-colored denim and white mules, creating a sweet and feminine look.

4. Pointed-toe Flats

If you want to add a touch of allure and femininity to your look, opt for pointed-toe flats. They visually elongate the foot and create the effect of longer and slimmer legs without the need for heels. These are a top choice for many women who want to appear more fashionable.

Actress Qi Eun-se wears black pointed-toe flats with a long tweed coat, focusing her entire outfit on a black and white color scheme. This combination exudes an elegant and sweet lady-like charm.

Even Western celebrities like Emma Roberts adore pointed-toe flats to cheat their height. Despite her petite frame of 5’2″, she appears taller in these flats. She cleverly pairs them with wide-leg, high-waisted pants, making the flats look sleek and lengthening her legs.

5. School-style Leather Shoes

These super-convenient shoes remain a top choice in the fashion world. K-pop’s new goddess, Jang Won Young, pairs school-style leather shoes with a button-down coat and a pleated striped skirt. Her youthful college-style fashion attracts attention. If you want longer-looking legs, you can swap the thigh-high socks for over-the-knee socks for a slimming and lengthening effect.

Rules for Wearing Flat Shoes

In addition to emulating the styling tips from the female celebrities mentioned above, petite women should also favor the following flat shoe styles to achieve a perfect look like a “luxury goods lover.”

1. Opt for Simple Designs

The easiest way to choose a simple and comfortable pair of flats is to go for a minimalistic design. This is especially true if you want your shoes to make your legs look longer. Simple designs create the best visual effect.

On the other hand, overly complex designs can be challenging to style and may even shorten your body proportion, as seen in the following two examples.

2. Choose a Shade that Matches Your Skin Tone

Selecting flats in a color similar to your skin tone can make your legs appear longer. In addition to nude and beige, white can also blend your ankles and feet, creating a seamless visual effect. It can also blur the boundary between the shoe and your skin, contributing to the illusion of longer legs.

Avoid multicolored flats, as they can shift the overall focus downward, preventing any lengthening effect and creating a bulky appearance.

3. Go for Pointed-toe Styles

When it comes to flat shoes, you can’t ignore pointed-toe styles, especially if you want to look taller and have longer-looking legs. The V-shape of pointed-toe shoes creates an expanding effect, elongating the calf area. So, if you want to emphasize your height, be sure to grab a pair of pointed-toe flats!

In contrast, the round-toe shoes in the image below make the feet look shorter and the sole appear heavier. They fail to lengthen the legs and even make them look wider.

4. Show More Skin

When petite women choose flat shoes, they should opt for styles that reveal more skin. Exposing more of the top of the foot and sides can make your legs look longer. Showing off your ankles can also help elongate your legs. Sometimes, by revealing just 1cm more skin on your legs, you can achieve the miraculous effect of appearing 5cm taller.