I’m 4’11—Here’s What Dressing Like Sabrina Carpenter Taught Me About Personal Style

Let’s cut to the chase: I’m a petite 4-foot-11 woman—and that height comes with some sizable baggage. People lean on my shoulder, dubbing me the “perfect arm rest.” I’ve been repeatedly told tall men are off limits—funny, considering my soon-to-be husband stands at 6-foot-2. Descriptors like “cute” are thrown my way left and right, but “powerful”? Not so much. One ex even said I’d be perfect—if only I were taller. (Spoiler alert: He’s the one who needed to grow.)

These comments aren’t meant to be rude—well, except for that last one—but when you’re on the smaller side, they often feel condescending, with people literally and metaphorically looking down on you. I used to see my petite frame as a flaw that needed fixing; I tried stretching routines that promised to make me taller (they didn’t) and even briefly entertained leg-lengthening surgery before coming to my senses. The next best thing? Avoiding fashion trends that would make me appear shorter, because it seemed the world equated height with presence. Or at least, that’s what I thought until I saw Sabrina Carpenter onstage at Madison Square Garden.

In her hit single “Taste,” Carpenter sings, “Oh, I leave quite an impression / Five feet to be exact.” But her mini height hasn’t stopped her from becoming one of the most in-demand women in the music industry, thanks to her theatrical stage presence, cheeky jokes, and booming vocals. From my MSG box seats, I could feel it was true. Blame it on the internalized heightist comments of my past, but I was shocked and ecstatic to watch a short queen taking up space on one of the most legendary stages in the country. Sure, you might have to squint to see her from the last row, but Carpenter’s charisma filled the stadium, keeping the crowd’s eyes glued to her every dance move, high note, and innuendo.

But what stuck with me most was her fashion. Every outfit was a total showstopper that screamed main character energy. Her costumes included crystal-encrusted Victoria’s Secret lingerie and sheer babydoll dresses, yes. But then, she’d do a complete 180, stepping out in chunky knee-high boots and lacy capri one-pieces—items traditionally deemed “off-limits” for petite women, the assumption being they overwhelm smaller frames. Carpenter paid no attention to outdated fashion “rules,” making each look her own with miniskirts and corset tops, refusing to let her clothes wear her.

Carpenter’s concert ensembles aren’t the only example of her going against the fashion grain. Celebrity stylist Jared Ellner, who has been dressing the “Espresso” singer since 2023, has bucked the short-girl style code since the beginning. He’s put her in sweeping Alexander McQueen gowns, drop-waist Roberto Cavalli dresses, and low-rise Loewe separates—all silhouettes historically favored by taller performers. This refusal to be boxed in by fashion norms has even made its way into her streetwear, with Carpenter rocking baggy, low-waisted jeans and huge jorts on a regular basis.

Don’t get me wrong; she loves her micro skirts, crop tops, and mini bodysuits just as much as the next short gal. However, she chooses these styles to establish a deliberate on-stage persona rooted in early-2000s nostalgia (think: Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera), not because she has to.

In fact, Carpenter’s intentional fashion rebellion encouraged me to rework my own wardrobe, challenging every restrictive and archaic piece of fashion advice I’d been fed about my own sartorial shortcomings (no pun intended). This meant ditching limiting principles—like always opting for high-waisted pants to fake longer legs, avoiding oversized T-shirts for fear of swallowing my silhouette, or steering clear of horizontal stripes lest they make me look shorter than I already am (gasp!). I was done trying to appear taller and ready to lean into the daring, exciting, and creative side of fashion on my own 4-foot-11 terms.

While I’m not a mega-famous, record-smashing pop star, Carpenter’s fashion choices gave me the final push I needed to mix up my style, proving I don’t need to look longer, taller, or simply more to be taken seriously. Here’s what I learned dressing Short n’ Sweet, like Sabrina Carpenter:

First, I tried the dreaded low-rise jeans trend on for size with a pair from American Eagle. Almost immediately, my internal voice delivered a monologue about how they would disrupt the illusion of height and distort my waistline. But once I finally slipped on the light-wash, baggy jeans, I looked to Carpenter for practical style inspiration, pairing them with a red baby tee, chill baseball cap, and sporty sneakers. As I strutted through my Brooklyn neighborhood, feeling like an off-duty model donning the ‘fits I’ve seen Hailey Bieber (5-foot-8) and Kaia Gerber (5-foot-10) wear on repeat, I knew Carpenter had been right all along. Low-rise is for short girls, too.

Those jeans were the gateway to another Carpenter classic: chunky knee-high boots. The daring shoe style is an essential part of the pop princess’s glitzy uniform for her headlining tour—but it was new to me. For as long as I can remember, I’ve worn slender, stiletto boots to stretch my leg line without adding visual weight. It was time to challenge the status quo.

Again, Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet Tour served as my muse. I styled edgy Steve Madden boots with a bejeweled mini skirt and ruched off-the-shoulder blouse, and immediately felt empowered, stepping into the spotlight and owning every head-turning detail.

Next, I slipped into a drop-waist midi dress from Hutch. It echoed more of my usual aesthetic while nodding to Carpenter’s affinity for elongated bodices, similar to her 2024 Met Gala Oscar de la Renta gown and custom Frolov corset heart dresses. Shifting my waistline lower made me feel elegant and refined, while pointed-toe mules served as the perfect finishing touch. In short, Carpenter, yet again, reminded me just how empowering it can be to defy age-old style standards.

These simple wardrobe changes opened up a world of styling possibilities for me. Now, I play with clothes for my own pleasure rather than trying to overcompensate for my height. By pushing fashion boundaries, I discovered my style hangups were never about my stature; they were about confidence. Until this shift in perspective, I never felt comfortable enough to embrace my height, but now am able to see it as a source of pride. I know who I am (and who I’m not) because of my 4-foot-11 frame—and I’m owning every inch of it.

While fashion isn’t the end-all be-all confidence booster, it is capable of breaking us out of the boxes others have placed us in—and Carpenter gets that. She stands tall, even when stacked against statuesque besties like Taylor Swift (5-foot-10), bombarded by side-by-side comparison videos on social media, and condescending Tweets that label the mere existence of a petite woman as an “act of bravery.” She’s able to turn online conversation on its head, transforming what could be an insecurity into a witty SNL skit and album easter eggs plastered on massive billboards. Her style choices are only the tip of the iceberg: It’s Carpenter’s charm, spunk, authority, elegance, and professionalism (a.k.a. a big powerhouse presence) that fuels her star power, not her physical appearance. Once I understood that, my personal style finally reflected my “Taste.”

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