Jodie Gordon, 48, may be only 5-foot-1-inch, but when it comes to her style, she stands tall. Literally.

“I think posture has so much to do with how I carry myself and how I dress and how I feel; whether I’m wearing a $10,000 dress or a $10 dress from Old Navy. … When you carry yourself tall and strong, you feel better and it’s how the world receives you,” said the Roland Park resident.

That certainly worked for Gordon as she stepped a bit outside of her usual “less glitzy” comfort zone to accommodate the Everyman gala’s “creative white tie” theme.

The “stand tall” philosophy is something that Gordon not only practices but preaches with her clients at Embody Pilates & Wellness, a studio she owns and where she also works as a Pilates instructor and wellness coach.

“When I start working with somebody, I always bring them to the mirror and say look at how you’re holding yourself. Look at how your clothes fit you. When you’re slouching, your belly pooches out. I’ll get them to stand up straight and pull their core in. I say lift your heart up; imagine a kite string attached to your heart and pulling it up from there. And then, I say, look, you just lost five pounds,” she explained.

HER ENSEMBLE: Jovani backless mermaid gown with rhinestone embellished tulle neckline that she bought in Florida. White rabbit fur stole and Lulu Townsend silver snakeskin clutch that she borrowed from friend Laurie Miller. Rhinestone chandelier earrings she got 14 years ago to wear at her sister’s wedding. Jessica Simpson silver glitter strappy heels from zappos.com. Multi-strand pearl cuff that was a necklace she bought in Hawaii and had made into a bracelet. Rhinestone necklace she wrapped around her wrist to make a bracelet. Crystal flower ring she’s had for a while.