NULAYER › Torso › Shapewear for a short (petite) torso
Put the bodysuit on at the default strap setting and hook the crotch closure. If the straps have slack in them, the closure has no tension, and the fabric through the body has length to spare, the garment is long between your shoulders and your crotch. That is a short torso. It is not the same thing as being short: petite here means the distance from shoulder to crotch, and a woman of any height can be short through the body. Bust and waist say nothing about it, which is why the chart cannot tell you and the mirror can.
Shorten the straps from the middle setting a little at a time. Stop when the waist panel sits at your natural waist and the crotch closure is comfortable but not pulling. The panel belongs at the waist, not the ribs: if it climbs to the ribs, you have shortened too far, and the closure will tell you the same thing. Let the straps out a notch and check again, standing first, then sitting.
Shortening the straps also raises the neckline. The deep V is cut to sit under low-cut tops and dresses, and on a short torso it may sit higher than it does in our photos. So do the last check with the dress on: if the V shows, either let the straps out a fraction, if the closure allows, or choose the outfit knowing where it lands. The built-in bra puts no compression on the bust, and you can wear your own bra underneath if the V needs help.
The instinct with a short torso is to size down so the bodysuit feels less long. Don't. Size is bust and waist from the chart; torso length is the straps. A band too small pulls at the hook-and-eye crotch closure and creates edge lines, and it does not shorten the garment where you need it. Between bands, the ordinary rule still applies: the smaller for maximum smoothing, the larger for all-evening comfort, and at the top of a band go up.
The thong cut is the simpler choice for a short torso. It has less fabric to bunch and no leg edge to place, so once the straps are set there is nothing else to adjust. The mid-thigh works too, covering the upper thigh under a fitted skirt or dress: shorten the straps first, then check that the bonded leg edges lie flat.
Which size: Bust and waist from the chart, same as any torso. Torso length is set with the straps, never by sizing down; at the top of a band, still go up for comfort.
| Band | US | Bust (in) | Waist (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| XXS–XS | 0–2 | 30–33.5 | 23–26 |
| S–M | 4–10 | 34–38.5 | 26.5–31 |
| L–XL | 12–14 | 39–41 | 31.5–34.5 |
| 2XL–3XL | 16–20 | 41.5–48 | 35–41.5 |
True to size for most wearers.
Between sizes: the smaller band for maximum smoothing, the larger for all-evening comfort.
Not always. Petite here means the distance from shoulder to crotch, not height. Put the bodysuit on at the default strap setting: if shortening the straps is what brings the waist panel to your natural waist, you are short-torso.
No. Size by bust and waist from the chart and fix torso length with the straps. A band too small pulls at the hook-and-eye crotch closure and creates edge lines; shorter straps do the job without either.
The thong has less fabric to bunch and no leg edge, so it is the simpler choice. The mid-thigh works too under a fitted skirt; shorten the straps first, then check the leg edges lie flat.
Written by the NULAYER team and checked against the garment's tech pack. Last reviewed 2026-09-15. Facts on this page: 78% nylon, 22% spandex; machine wash cold, hang dry; designed and made in our own factory in zhejiang, china.