A Petite Person’s Guide to Shopping While Short: The 20 Best Dresses

November 14, 2018

If you’re 5 feet 3 inches or under, you know the woes of searching for clothes that fit your petite frame. One of the hardest silhouettes to shop for? Dresses for short girls.

Why are dresses for short girls so hard to find?

While blazers, button-downs and jeans are also tricky, dresses are especially frustrating since their lengths don’t hit the mark. Whether it’s a maxi puddling on the floor or a minidress hitting below your knees, short girls can’t just shop anywhere.

So what’s a short girl to do?

You just have to know where to look. Sites like Petite Studio, Reformation, J.Crew and Boden are meccas for the vertically challenged. And their stock is just as chic as dresses designed for taller gals. We’re talking snakeskin prints, velvet shades perfect for holiday parties and red floral dresses for short girls that give off serious Parisienne vibes.

Get ready to stock your closet because you’re going to want all of these dresses for short girls. Plus, they’re guaranteed to make your taller friends totally jealous.

[ Next: 17 Petite Maxi Dresses You Don’t Need to Hem ]

Petite Dresses

Boden

Ruth Midi Dress, $170 at Boden
Petite Studio

Anya Dress in Navy, $169 at Petite Studio
Reformation

Petites Arielle Dress, $248 at Reformation
Topshop

Petite Snake Shirt Dress, $75 at Topshop
ASOS

Design Petite Maxi Tea Dress in Polka Dot, $33.50 at ASOS
LAIA

Camila Floral Dress, $248 at Anthropologie
J.Crew

Petite Cinched-Waist Dress in Black Watch Plaid Chiffon, $138 at J.Crew
Boden

Winifred Jersey Jacquard Dress, $140 at Boden
Mignon Doo

Starry Shift Dress, $288 at Anthropologie
COLLUSION

Petite Maxi Bodycon Dress in Stripe, $29 at ASOS
J.Crew

Petite Tiered Maxi Dress in Stripe, $89.99 at J.Crew
Boden

Eva Dress, $180 at Boden
Petite Studio

Rory Dress in Amber, $179 at Petite Studio
Boden

Estella Jacquard Dress, $120 at Boden
Lost Ink

Petite Asymmetric Mini Dress With Tie Waist and Ruffle Hem, $70 at ASOS
Topshop

Petite Clash Check Midi Dress, $95 at Topshop
ASOS

Design Petite Color Block Plisse Sweat Dress, $56 at ASOS
Boden

Rebecca Velvet Maxi Dress, $320 at Boden
J.Crew

Petite Tie-Waist Knit Shirtdress, $79.99 at J.Crew
Lauren Petite

Floral Georgette Dress, $195 at Ralph Lauren

As passionate about feminism as she is about fashion, Morgan C. Schimminger spends much of her time writing and editing pieces on everything from celebrity style to the fight to keep funding for Planned Parenthood. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree in publishing from Rosemont College. Morgan has contributed to a variety of publications, including StyleBakery, Uptown, metro.pop and Sister 2 Sister. Every week for theFashionSpot, she profiles the Top 10 Best Dressed Celebs and provides a daily dose of stylish stars via Look of the Day.