A little something chosen with you in mind
Petite dresses
Petite dresses.
The hem makes the decision.
A dress is the shortest route to a finished outfit, which is exactly why it is unforgiving. Two seams decide it: where the waist sits, and where the hem stops. Get those two in the right place and the rest is taste.
What to look at before the print
The hem
Just above the knee, just below it, or at the narrowest part of the calf. The widest point of the calf is the one length that will always shorten you.
The waist seam
Natural waist or a touch above. A wrap or a tie lets you set it yourself, which is why those two shapes rarely let a shorter frame down.
One vertical line
A shirt placket, a centre seam, a narrow column of buttons. Anything that runs top to bottom does the lengthening quietly.
Scale
Sleeve volume, collar size, print size and belt width all need to match the frame. Oversized details wear you instead.
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Asked all the time
- What dress length suits petite women?
- Any length can work. What matters is where the hem lands on you: just above the knee, just below it, or at the narrowest part of the calf. Mid calf on the widest point is the one that shortens.
- Can petite women wear maxi dresses?
- Yes, as long as the hem reaches the floor rather than pooling on it, and the waist sits at your natural waist. A maxi that drags reads as borrowed.
- Where should the waist sit on a petite dress?
- At your natural waist or slightly above. A dropped waist seam cuts the body low and shortens the leg line, which is the opposite of what you want.
- What about prints on a petite frame?
- Smaller, denser prints and vertical direction tend to work. A very large print can wear you rather than the other way round.