From The Straits Times    |
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Image: Showbit

Legginess is something that all women desire. Whether or not you are genetically blessed with a fabulous set of genes in the gams department, most of us wouldn’t mind creating an illusion of having never ending legs. 

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to alter your genes. While wearing heels is an obvious choice, there are other styling tricks you can employ to make your legs look longer and more enviable. 

From the obvious ‘duh’ tricks to the top secret tips, here are four easy tricks on how you can streamline your stems. You can thank us later. 

1. Expose your thin ankles 
If you have a very delicate ankle that’s almost bird-like, you should draw attention to it. Try the combination of a pair of cropped jeans (it should hit about a couple of inches above your ankle) with a pair of low cut bootie that cuts right under the ankle, but is still flushed to your foot. This creates a continuous line starting from your hips, making your gams look endless. 

2. Go high waisted 
For longer legs, you would have to bring your waistline up. No matter what your bottoms may be i.e. jeans, trousers, pencil skirts, be sure to go for one that sits high on your waist. It will create the illusion that your legs start at a higher point.

3. Monochromatic outfit 
Outfits that are made up of mostly one single colour have a good leg lengthening effect because it’s harder for someone to decipher where your legs start and end. It creates an uninterrupted visual line. Bonus tip: very dark colours like black or navy will have the best effect.

4. Wear vertical lines 
While you can’t physically extend the length of your legs, you certainly can change the way how people look at your legs. Paint your legs in the elongating vertical print. It forces the eye to look up and down, so people who look at your will get the impression that you have long legs. 

5. Show your waistline
Be sure to always tuck in your blouses and tops instead of letting them hang over your waistband. When your waistline is visible, it makes your torso look shorter and makes your legs look longer in proportion.

6. Try asymmetrical hems 
Don’t put a defining horizontal hem across your thighs when you can enjoy the an elusive peek-a-boo effect. It helps to create some confusion (in the best possible way) about where your gams actually start. They will look as long as the shortest point on your asymmetrical top or dress.

7. Wear shoes close to your skin tone
Nothing creates the illusion of super long legs quite like the sacred nude hue. As you can tell by now, the principal behind having long legs is to consistently create a long, uninterrupted line throughout your entire body. So if you are exposing your legs, the nude shoes act as an extension of your gams, making them look longer.