yes, you can.

culottes. top. ark bag. sunglasses. similar denim jacket. nude heels.

When you’re petite there are all these “rules” about what you can and cannot wear.  Lengths, and prints and bag sizes, and such.  Then add to that different body types and what does/doesn’t work for those, trying to get dressed as a shorty has often felt very limiting.  Like, annoyingly so.

You can probably see where I am going with this.

A few years ago I kind of stopped following the “rules” and started (trying) to only wear things that made me feel happy, and confident.

I’m usually pretty aware (hyper-aware, even) when things aren’t flattering on me, and when I’m wearing something that overtly doesn’t flatter me it definitely doesn’t fill me with joy so that’s definitely aided me in my choices, but following the happy and confident criteria has also opened the door to a lot of styles that I might not have ever tried if I had just stuck with following the “rules.”

Like these beautiful floral culottes (that I paired with the matching top to make look like a jumpsuit).  I wouldn’t have even tried them on a few years ago, even though I audibly gasped when I saw them on the hanger.  And it turns out they made me feel feminine and pretty, and they’re so comfy they’re like pajamas, and that made me really happy.

I’m thinking that I need to add a lot more culottes to my closet this season.

So the next time someone tells you (even if that someone is you) that you can’t wear such and such, or that you can’t pull off that lipstick, just follow your joy.  And remember:

yes, you can.

(ps. these culottes are mostly sold out online, but I found mine in store – and on sale!  So make sure and check your local Nordstrom, because they might have them!)

And I found a bunch of pretty culotte alternatives below: