Hi Shortie,

How are you? You may have noticed I’ve been a little MIA on Instagram. Truthfully, the closet sale set me back—a bit of déjà vu from last fall's pop-up. But this time, I’m staying on track with the newsletter, so that’s a win!

I’ll be honest—my social media game will stay pretty weak until I get the outsourcing of its production set up. It’ll be some time before I’m fully back, but that’s OK because I’m not letting my foot off the gas on the big stuff: the brand directory and personal style offering!

As much as I’d love to announce a launch date for both projects, the truth is, I have no idea when they’ll be ready. Not setting a hard deadline is helping me enjoy the process rather than fixating on the finish line.

That said, I’m finally at a stage where I have visuals to share and can actually do the “working in public” thing! Now, I just need to figure out how to fit it into my already jam-packed days. As always, thank you for your patience!

Sincerely short,

Lwany

P.S.  I’m looking to outsource video editing—if you’re interested, hit reply❣️

SHORT QUESTION

Q: What are your thoughts on low-rise jeans?

In my mind, they seem to shorten the legs—am I wrong? I’m also really curious about how a barrel jean would look. And then there’s the whole bootcut craze…

There are so many styles out there, but I’m firmly in the high-rise, wide-leg camp and feel totally paralyzed when branching out.

If you aren’t on board with these trends, which styles do you think are the most favorable at the moment?

– Andrea

A: I know exactly how you feel because, until recently, I felt just as lost.

As I’ve mentioned before, it seems like every rise, cut, and inseam is trending right now!

Let’s start with your first question. When I first noticed low-rise jeans making a comeback, I was pretty bummed. Any Shortie knows that high-rise jeans are unmatched when it comes to elongating your stature. Nothing compares!

You’re absolutely right—low-rise jeans shorten the overall appearance of the body. If you styled the same outfit with both low-rise and high-rise jeans, the high-rise pair would undoubtedly create a leggier look.

That said, if we optimized every aspect of our outfits solely for height, our wardrobes would start to feel a little… predictable. And where’s the fun in that? So, for me, the fact that low-rise jeans don’t visually lengthen the legs isn’t a dealbreaker.

Admittedly, my appreciation for them has grown over time. They feel fresh, new, and exciting—and that’s fashion for you! At its core, style is about novelty. Just like in life, the only constant is change.

Personally, the last time low-rise jeans were all the rage, I was many years away from finding my confidence or personal style. I was in my awkward early teens, transitioning from a comfortable middle-class life in a small city in Mexico to a much smaller town in northern Michigan, where our circumstances had noticeably changed (and not for the better).

While many millennials look back at Y2K trends with a healthy dose of horror, I feel lucky to get a second shot at them! I couldn’t buy my 2–3 inch zipper low-rise jeans fast enough. I splurged on a Diesel pair in New York back in 2021 and thrifted a Hudson pair in Las Vegas soon after.

For the record, today’s “low-rise” jeans feel more like mid-rise to me. I specifically hunted down a true Y2K pair with barely-there a zipper—because I wanted to commit fully!

I’ve found that the key to pulling low-rise jeans off as a petite is in the footwear:

HEELS

Whether it’s a low chunky heel or a full-on stiletto, a little lift goes a long way.

SANDALS

There’s something about showing a bit of skin (yes, even on your feet!) that helps elongate the look.

POINTED TOE SHOES

From kitten heels to sky-high stilettos, a pointed toe will always maximize the illusion of height.

In the interest of not turning this into a full novel, I’ll pause here – more on this next week!

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