olivia wilde

Olivia Wilde is an actress made famous primarily by the television shows The O.C. and House. She has since been voted as number 1 in Maxim magazines hot 100 list of 2009, and fellow actress Megan Fox famously said "Olivia Wilde is so sexy she makes me want to strangle a mountain ox with my bare hands. She's mesmerizing." On top of that plastic surgeons have declared hers as one of the most requested bodies.

However as a number of you pointed out, she does have a long torso with shortish legs. Her legs are even sort of chunky not skinny like most starlets, so it's quite an intense compliment to us ladies with similar proportions, to be one of the most desired bodies. Yay!

kate hudson quote

A number of you have been of different opinion regarding Kate Hudson's proportions. I believe she is in fact disproportionate, and Kate herself has the same viewpoint. Here is a direct quote from an interview Kate Hudson gave for Harpers Bazaar magazine regarding her style:

"If there's a secret to her look, it is maintaining a steely resistance to trends. Her current no-no? Tapered jeans. ""Much as I like the way they look on women with long legs, my body does not look appropriate in tapered jeans. I have a long torso.""
(the quote is on the third page, in the second paragraph)

comments

I have had this blog only for a short while, and you my lovey readers have given me great tips, and wonderful words to strengtheng my body-image self-esteem, and for everyone reading too. Thanks!
Here are some particularly splendid comments:

"Come to think of it, no one - neither man nor woman - has ever commented on my short legs. However, they do see the slender waist. I guess that's what we get instead. No one is perfect, but everyone is beautiful."

"I don't think we're screwed if others have slightly shorter legs.... We should feel empowered as they are more people we can relate to that successfully conceal their disproportion. It doesn't really matter how long are legs are! It seems that short legged girls are everywhere and we're ruling! :)"

"Maybe we short legged ladies are more normal than we think and that no one really cares as much as we think they do."

"In a tall woman, a long waist is, I believe even perceived as being sexy and elegant, as the torso is the focus of most attention. Often, a very short waisted person looks rather unattractive and dumpy. "

"I just read about a woman who was lamenting her short torso/long legs. A body type similar to Bette Midler for instance. Where the breasts almost seem to start and end where the waist/pants begin. She said that long slender female torsos were frequently objects of art/sculptures in museums and almost all notably sexy Hollywood actresses/stars have that feature. Upon thinking about it, I think that this is true. There's always something good and bad about our bodies all around, don't you think?"

bathing suit advice

Summer is upon us and the wonderful joy of going to the beach can sometimes be harmed by a bathing suit dilemma. This is when your body is totally out in the open with no dresses or winter coats to mask any insecurities, but there are choices to make your body appear more proportionate and make you feel better about yourself.
To begin with I do not recommend one piece bathing suits (there are many available for tall and long torsoed females), these just draw attention to one long expansive piece of body. However the kind with most of the material being cut out would be fine.

For the top half, a bandeau with or without straps is good, another option is a halter and generally anything with a plunging V neckline. Also two-tone suits, one color on top and another on the bottom, counteract the length of the torso and make the waist look shorter. Make sure the lighter color is on top, and the patterns must go on top as well, to draw the attention upward. Up top you can have the polka dots, the horizontal stripes, the ornaments and embellishments but keep the bottom simple. Tankini's are also fine, but don't have them meet the bottom half, as it looks like a one piece, anyway if you buy your tankini  from a regular place (not designated for tall ladies) it will show a nice strip of bare skin, which is good.

For the bottom half, boy-shorts are entirely taboo as they shorten the legs in the extreme, and low-rise bikini bottoms, the kind that only just cover your private region, are not good either as the torso appears even longer. Instead choose bottoms in a high-waist style, the waist band reaching the hip bones or higher, or somewhere in that region. Also bare in mind that a high-cut style in the leg holes, will lengthen as well, sort of like those crazy 1980s bathing suits pulled way up high, but don't quite wear them like that of course. If you are brave enough, go in a thong, that way the legs will reach even further up!
Another great tip is to simply wear a scarf type cover-up tied at the waist. When you are swimming or lying down do take it off, but when you are strolling about or playing beach games have the scarf tied around your bottom half, in particular at the waist (not at the hips) and that way, the true length of the torso is hidden.

Covering your body in self tanner, and in particular the legs, will make them appear slimmer, and consequently longer.

Shown above are varations with of the halter neck and high rise bikini style.
Check out these darling retro inspired two piece bathing suits at Mod Cloth.
Photos via Victoria's Secrete, JCrew, Lands End, and Target.