Who says short girls can't flaunt gowns?

Who says you need to be svelte and tall to carry off a long dress or cocktail gown with panache? Celebrities like Hilary Duff, Eva Longoria and Rani Mukerji are perfect examples of how women with short frames can do wonders with the elegant garment, albeit with a little accessorising and experimentation.

Select the best cut, choose the right print, throw in a few accessories and team up the look with high heels -- and you're ready to rock in a gown, say Indian designers.

Pam Mehta, who specialises in couture, says opting for an empire line, off-shoulder gown with asymmetric hemlines and styling it up with statement accessories will suit shorter women.

"Empire line silhouettes can look great on shorter women. Avoid breaking the body into many parts horizontally, especially at the waist and hips.

"Off-shoulder or collar band tie-ups and trailing hemlines also look great on shorter girls. Since asymmetric hemlines and classic cuts with halter necklines and spaghetti straps are in, one can opt for such gowns," Mehta told IANS.

She also emphasised on styling gowns with statement accessories.

"Style gowns with statement accessories! In fact, the best option is to add a chunky collar neckpiece or a stone-studded bib. Avoid belts as it will divide your body in two parts.

"A pair of stilettoes will enhance the grace and length of the gowns," she added.

Though fashion changes every season and year, there are some wardrobe staples. A gown is definitely considered one of them.

From Shilpa Shetty, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Malaika Arora Khan, Kangna Ranaut, Bipasha Basu and Priyanka chopra - most Bollywood beauties have flaunted gowns on several red carpet events.

Often Bollywood fashion has influenced movie-goers. So no wonder many young girls want to copy these leading ladies. But if your height is stopping you from following the trend, don't fret!

Designer duo Anjalee and Arjun Kapoor say one should only focus on choosing a gown right for one's body size and type.

"Short ladies can try this trick before choosing the best gown -- if you have shorter legs than torso, a shorter dress with an emphasis on the waist would really make your legs seem longer.

"If you have a shorter torso than legs, longer dresses will drop your waist and make you seem longer; so gown is always a best option," Arjun told IANS.

Anjalee shared tips on the right fabrics.

"The fabric of the dress you select should be silk, chiffon velvet, or satin. A sheath style dress is very flattering to many figures and can add height. Do not select a multi-colour garment. If the dress is one colour from head to toe, along with the smooth texture, that alone will make you appear taller," she said.

Gowns with vertical stripes and smaller prints in monotonic colours like red, blue, bottle green and black work best for shorter women, says designer Payal Singhal, who also suggests that Indo-western touch to gowns is also a good idea.

-Nivedita Sharma

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