Last Updated on June 3, 2024 by Eve Dawes
Trending to classic petite dresses that are actually stylish & shopping tips for finding the perfect fit
Petite summer dresses used to be limited to a few styles in petite clothing collections but you don’t have to stick to those. There are lots of other styles, brands and shopping tips to find petite summer dresses that work for us ladies under 5’4″. I tend to live in dresses, rompers and matching sets for Spring and Summer as I like outfits that are easy to throw on and go in the morning. These are the cute styles that have already hit my closet or are on my best petite summer dresses wishlist to update my summer wardrobe. From petite casual summer dresses to dressier styles from both regular size and petite brands.
I’ve included a few midi dresses and petite summer maxi dresses but I did a whole separate edit for petite maxi dresses as I’m a girl who likes to shop and to have options or hot summer days.
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Tips for shopping for petite summer dresses
So the obvious place to look for petite summer dresses is in petite collections and for petite sizes but that’s not the only options for us little ones. You can also search for:
1. Adjustable straps
The best petite summer dresses often have adjustable straps as they’re great if you have a short torso like I do to be able to get a good fit. It also means the straps won’t fall off of your shoulders and you can create a shorter length with the dress.
2. Product reviews
If the reviews say the dress runs short, whether that’s a mini, midi or maxi it normally means it’s perfect for us petite women. I tend to always read the reviews anyway to see how the sizing runs, how people find the quality and if the color shown is accurate or not.
3. Shop midis instead of maxis
I can pretty much guarantee if the dress hits between the lower chin to just above the ankle on the model it’s going to be the perfect length for a maxi on me or anyone with a petite frame. I’m 5’2″ and always look at the models height and dimensions in the product descriptions whenever it’s available. I love slip dresses for the warm weather so there’s quite a few of them in the petite summer dress edit below.
4. Avoid detailed hems on your petite summer dresses & pants
I keep having to stop myself from adding the pretty fringed crochet dresses to my cart. As I know there’s no way I’m going to be able to hem them if they’re too long. The same goes with any pants, shorts, skirts or dresses with embellished hems or intricate embroidery, unless they’re from a petite collection. As you’re going to have difficulty altering the length of them without losing the detailing.
This crochet maxi dress is the perfect length for petites even in flats and doesn’t have an embellished hem in case you do want to have it altered.
5. Shop petite collections
I left the most obvious to last as it’s obviously the place most petites go to shop for the best petite summer dresses and most flattering silhouettes. However, I’ve never had much luck with them. I’m 5’2″ and always find the dimensions off. So I always just shop from the regular collections and then tailor anything that’s too long. I feel like mini dresses are getting shorter and shorter though, as I can’t remember the last time I had one hemmed.
Stores to shop for petite dress collections
If petite collections work well for you, check out these women’s fashion retailers stunning collections of petite summer dresses to find your perfect dress whatever your personal style. A lot of these petite brands aren’t doing it for me personally but I wanted to share as many as possible so that there’s a style for everyone. The World would be boring if we all liked the same things.
- ASOS for on trend styles from a wide variety of brands from casual to special event styles.
- Reformation for a classic, feminine and flattering collection of petite dresses.
- Anthropologie for a wide range of styles and sizing in high-quality materials.
- White House Black Market for elegant and stylish dresses and workwear.
- Loft I’m not the biggest fan as their modest styles are a little dated.
- Petite Studio NYC has a whole site dedicated to petite sizing including the prettiest, feminine dresses.
- Ann Taylor for more mature styles and office wear.
- Madewell for capsule collection basics like cotton and denim dresses.
- Lane Bryant for plus size petite dresses.
- Boden for petite casual summer dresses in more classic styles.
- Athleta for affordable and sporty petite casual day dresses.
I really like shopping on ASOS as they have such a wide variety of brands, styles and prices. If you’re looking for designer petite dresses Neiman Marcus carries a lot of brands like Zimmermann and Selkie whose mini dresses run really short and tend to work well if you’re under 5’4″.
I haven’t browsed through Anthropologie in ages and I went straight down the rabbit hole. They have the cutest styles right now from casual to cocktail attire and I ended up hearting over 20 dresses from there.
Shop the best petite summer dresses
From on trend petite summer dresses to classic styles, there’s a dress for all occasions from casual dresses to office appropriate styles to nights out and special occasion options. Please note, not all of these dresses are from petite collections. Some of them are micro minis, have adjustable straps or are styles that have worked for me at 5’2″. I’ve included both new dresses and sale styles as you know how much I love a good sale.
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