Standing on their stools and armed with bullets of self-irony, petite women have started an online battle to denounce the not-so-tiny obstacles that we have to face in our everyday lives.
Code word? #shortgirlproblems.
#shortgirlproblems is a resistance movement started by petite women on social media who post on the realities of being short on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Years and years of climbing supermarket shelves have endorsed us with a superpower that will catch you by surprise: our sense of humour. Tired of being called “cute” and patted on the head, we are not scared of sharing selfies taken (and missed) in front of bathroom mirrors that often hang too high.
Little but tough, these ladies have set out to discourage anyone to look down on us. And to use our shoulders as an armrest.
Here are 9 things that really wind us up.
1. Petites have to wear their Spiderman’s outfits at the grocery store: unless we want to surrender to eating kids’ cereals all our lives, or to have a special shop assistant at our disposal, we’ve got to learn to climb.
2. We have to be really good at hemming – or our trousers will always cost at least £10 more than everyone else’s. When you are petite, you most often find your feet drowning in fabric.
3. Standing at concerts is like listening to an iPod in a very crowded train — who gets to see the artist anyway? Unless someone lets us climb (again) on their shoulders.
4. Pictures rarely go as planned. Short women make their taller pals feel like they’re the size of a wardrobe, forcing them to bend unnaturally. In group pictures, it’s either standing at the front or not being there at all. As for selfies, well, it would be great to have a longer arm!
5. Petites have to wave or jump up and down to get bartenders to see us.
6. Alternatively we can hop on a high stool, an action that requires mental preparation. In fact, no matter where we sit, we always get the feeling that our legs are hanging in the void.
I’m so short I couldn’t reach the little step bar on the chair…. #ShortGirlProblems pic.twitter.com/XHk1vJzD4C
— SavageQueen👸🏻💕 (@domini_noelle) July 2, 2015
7. People always have the need to point out our height.
8. Kissing a tall guy, but also holding hands, can be feel a bit awkward at times, as we stand on our tip toes and lift our arms to reach the charming prince.
9. Many stores don’t have a “petite” section and any dress becomes a maxi dress (which is why you should check out the perfectly proportioned petite dresses in the Bomb Petite shop)
But remember these words by the former creative director of Lanvin Alber Elbaz: “Wear flats. You’re short. It’s much cooler not to pretend.”
Share your #shortgirlproblems in the comments section.
This article is written by our guest writer Martina Gili.
