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| Eight ways short people disguise their height | Eight ways short people disguise their height |
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| When diminutive French president Nicolas Sarkozy gave a speech at a factory he was flanked by workers no taller than him - leading to accusations of a set-up. How do short people disguise their height? | When diminutive French president Nicolas Sarkozy gave a speech at a factory he was flanked by workers no taller than him - leading to accusations of a set-up. How do short people disguise their height? |
| Tall partners can help by crouching | Tall partners can help by crouching |
| At 5ft 5in (165cm) Nicolas Sarkozy is only an 2.5ins shorter than the average French male, yet his height is frequently commented on. Now aides to the French president are accused of seeking out only short people to make their boss look taller. | At 5ft 5in (165cm) Nicolas Sarkozy is only an 2.5ins shorter than the average French male, yet his height is frequently commented on. Now aides to the French president are accused of seeking out only short people to make their boss look taller. |
| On a recent visit to a motor technology plant in Normandy, 20 of the shortest workers were selected to share a stage with Mr Sarkozy. One of them told Belgian TV she had been chosen because her small stature wouldn't make the president look short. | On a recent visit to a motor technology plant in Normandy, 20 of the shortest workers were selected to share a stage with Mr Sarkozy. One of them told Belgian TV she had been chosen because her small stature wouldn't make the president look short. |
| But the Elysee Palace dismissed the allegation as "absurd and grotesque". | But the Elysee Palace dismissed the allegation as "absurd and grotesque". |
| Yet Mr Sarkozy would not be the first person to try to appear taller. So how do others manage it? | Yet Mr Sarkozy would not be the first person to try to appear taller. So how do others manage it? |
| 1. Wear heels, like cowboy boots. And you don't have to be short to seek a greater height in this way. Sir Cliff Richard admitted donning heels to boost his 5ft 10in (178cm) frame on stage, to match his tall dancers. And Sir Mick Jagger, who stands shoulder to shoulder with Sir Cliff on height, if not sexual politics, has worn elevated Nike trainers on the red carpet to get nearer to his 6ft 2in (188cm) girlfriend. | 1. Wear heels, like cowboy boots. And you don't have to be short to seek a greater height in this way. Sir Cliff Richard admitted donning heels to boost his 5ft 10in (178cm) frame on stage, to match his tall dancers. And Sir Mick Jagger, who stands shoulder to shoulder with Sir Cliff on height, if not sexual politics, has worn elevated Nike trainers on the red carpet to get nearer to his 6ft 2in (188cm) girlfriend. |
| 2. Or elevated shoes, for a more discreet rise. It's not the sort of footwear that can be bought in a High Street shoe shop, but there are plenty of options available online, promising a height boost of anywhere between two and five inches. Writer Vince Graff, who is "5ft 2-and-a-bit inches", tried them for a night out, achieving a four-inch increase. Instead of showing a big, chunky heel, the footwear conceals the lift it provides inside the shoe - making for a "discreet" way to grow instantly taller. But the deception comes at a cost to the wearer - Graff likens the experience to wearing a pair of stilettos. | 2. Or elevated shoes, for a more discreet rise. It's not the sort of footwear that can be bought in a High Street shoe shop, but there are plenty of options available online, promising a height boost of anywhere between two and five inches. Writer Vince Graff, who is "5ft 2-and-a-bit inches", tried them for a night out, achieving a four-inch increase. Instead of showing a big, chunky heel, the footwear conceals the lift it provides inside the shoe - making for a "discreet" way to grow instantly taller. But the deception comes at a cost to the wearer - Graff likens the experience to wearing a pair of stilettos. |
| 3. Dress tall. Fashion is governed by rules and dressing to give the illusion of a few extra inches is no different. The golden rules include wearing one colour head-to-toe and avoiding turn-ups as they have the effect of shortening the length of the leg, according to the Style Directions website. Also, go for well-fitted clothes as poor fitting ones can emphasise width which in turn decreases the perception of height. | 3. Dress tall. Fashion is governed by rules and dressing to give the illusion of a few extra inches is no different. The golden rules include wearing one colour head-to-toe and avoiding turn-ups as they have the effect of shortening the length of the leg, according to the Style Directions website. Also, go for well-fitted clothes as poor fitting ones can emphasise width which in turn decreases the perception of height. |
| A stool can provide a boost | A stool can provide a boost |
| 4. Know your limits when picking a partner. "When you're a teenager, you learn quite quickly that if you're 5ft 2ins you can't date a girl more than 5ft 6," says Mr Graff. "Even if you don't think it looks ridiculous, passers-by do." | 4. Know your limits when picking a partner. "When you're a teenager, you learn quite quickly that if you're 5ft 2ins you can't date a girl more than 5ft 6," says Mr Graff. "Even if you don't think it looks ridiculous, passers-by do." |
| 5. Find someone who is prepared to compromise. Love is a two-way street, which presumably explains why Rod Stewart's partner Penny Lancaster, 6ft 1in, reportedly steps off the kerb for publicity and paparazzi photos shots, so she doesn't tower over her husband, who is 5ft 8ins. | 5. Find someone who is prepared to compromise. Love is a two-way street, which presumably explains why Rod Stewart's partner Penny Lancaster, 6ft 1in, reportedly steps off the kerb for publicity and paparazzi photos shots, so she doesn't tower over her husband, who is 5ft 8ins. |
| 6.Use a footstool. Mr Sarkozy's people may be rebuffing claims that he surrounds himself with shorter people, but there was no denying the president's use of a footstool at the D-Day anniversary this year. Speaking from the same lectern as President Barack Obama (6ft 1in) and Prime Minister Gordon Brown (5ft 11ins), he stood on a box to deliver his address. | 6.Use a footstool. Mr Sarkozy's people may be rebuffing claims that he surrounds himself with shorter people, but there was no denying the president's use of a footstool at the D-Day anniversary this year. Speaking from the same lectern as President Barack Obama (6ft 1in) and Prime Minister Gordon Brown (5ft 11ins), he stood on a box to deliver his address. |
| 7. Clever editing. Pedestals are commonly deployed in Hollywood, especially for those actors who have the looks even if they lack sufficient stature. In Top Gun, for example, viewers remain unaware that Tom Cruise is a few inches shorter than co-star Kelly McGillis, thanks to favourable camera work. | |
| 8. Quit the denials and take advantage of it. Short women may find their height less troubling than men but even for a woman 4ft 11ins (150cm) is considered extremely petite. Yet that's how tall British freediver Sara Campbell is. Nicknamed Mighty Mouse, Campbell held the world record for free immersion, diving to 81m without oxygen assistance. Her lungs are 50% larger than average and her extraordinary physiology has been studied by doctors. | 8. Quit the denials and take advantage of it. Short women may find their height less troubling than men but even for a woman 4ft 11ins (150cm) is considered extremely petite. Yet that's how tall British freediver Sara Campbell is. Nicknamed Mighty Mouse, Campbell held the world record for free immersion, diving to 81m without oxygen assistance. Her lungs are 50% larger than average and her extraordinary physiology has been studied by doctors. |
| In a world where a carefully manipulated image (and sometimes stack heels) are essential, definitive vital statistics can be hard to come by. The heights shown here are those most commonly recorded for each world leaderRussian President Dmitry Medvedev, for example, is variously reported as being between 5'2" and 5'4" tallNapoleon's height was once commonly given as 5'2", but many historians have now credited him with another 4 inches owing to a miscalculation between French and English units of measurement | In a world where a carefully manipulated image (and sometimes stack heels) are essential, definitive vital statistics can be hard to come by. The heights shown here are those most commonly recorded for each world leaderRussian President Dmitry Medvedev, for example, is variously reported as being between 5'2" and 5'4" tallNapoleon's height was once commonly given as 5'2", but many historians have now credited him with another 4 inches owing to a miscalculation between French and English units of measurement |
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| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |