Anthropologie Petite Summer Styles: Tested & Reviewed by a 5'3" Editor

Colette pants are a fan favorite for everyone, not least because many styles come in petite, tall and plus iterations as well as regular fit. When I tried this season’s single-color iteration, I was enthused about the linen/viscose/elastane blend, which are the machine-washable linen pants for summer everyone can use. Additionally, these pants a comfy and fashionable wide leg style that isn’t too voluminous on shorter legs like mine. To create a longer line, I tried the pants on with the By Anthropologie Knit Ruffle Tub Top ($118), a surprisingly versatile piece that can be layered over T-shirts, too.

A dress like this one is always tricky for petites, because the volume can be overwhelming on a small frame and the length needs to hit mid-thigh so that it doesn’t appear that the dress is wearing you. I’m happy to report that since this dress comes in petite sizes, the proportions are exactly right, and this cotton-blend dress looks as crisp as you’ll want to appear on hot days. Plus, there are pockets and the small floral print evokes one of those historic Liberty prints.

Great value alert—this well-priced linen-blend blazer gives petites a way to wear the oversized jacket trend without appearing to get lost in heavy folds of fabric. I appreciate that the length of the arms in the petite size fall just right (we petites know the pain of too-long sleeves), and also this blazer has cuffs that actually unbutton so you can roll them up. The jacket’s half-lined, so it’s not too heavy, and I see it working over everything in a summer wardrobe. I paired them with Pilcro Izzie Relaxed Pull-On Barrel Jeans ($118) in petite sizing for the Dakota Johnson core look I’m seeing all over SoCal.

I can’t imagine the magical weavers who had the skills to turn raw materials (44 percent linen, 26 percent each viscose and cotton, plus lyocell and elastane) into this deliciously soft midweight fabric. But I thank them. These pants—again, they are the Colette design with figure-flattering high-waist and front patch pockets—were the most flattering, comfortable and overall fun to wear piece I tried on from Anthropologie’s summer collection. And in petite, I can pop them on with a pair of flip flops and they don’t drag. A special shout-out to the Dorrie Ruffled Cami by Maeve ($38) which I’ve got in multiple colors, since it’s flattering and great to throw on during the dog days.

This dress falls just over 34 inches from the shoulder, so it’s long enough to wear to a summer wedding without appearing too bare. And the lightweight fabric isn’t hot or bulky—plus the plunging V-neckline is a tried-and-true petite trick of lengthening the figure.

Mother is a brand known for balancing comfort and…how to put this…ass-flattering. These crazy, 70s-retro stretch jeans are both, and even though they don’t come in petite sizing, the mid-rise waist and 28.5 inch inseam fit my long-waisted, short-legged bod just right. If you want/need a little treat to put on that will instantly brighten your and everyone you see’s day, these jeans are for you.

All-cotton, with a Peter Pan collar and side seam pockets, this dress is one-and-done summer dressing at its coolest. And the 32.5-inch fall from shoulder to hem is just right for petites.