The 16 Best Summer Dresses for Petites, Starting at $44

Petites under 5’4” know how hard it is to find bottoms—jeans, capris, you name it—that fit like they weren’t created for a 10-foot-tall model. Finding a dress suited to your frame can be just as grueling if you don’t know where to look or what to look for. Whether you’re shopping for a summer wedding guest dress, lightweight linen or low-maintenance frocks, there are a handful of styling tips all short women should live by if you want to avoid the tailor. (Because too often has a maxi dress pooled at your feet—and let’s not forget about that time the mini dress you ordered turned out to fit like a wannabe midi on you, awkwardly cutting your legs in half.) With the helpful advice and recommendations from petite PureWow editors, I found 16 of the best summer dresses for petites from stores like Abercrombie & Fitch, Zara, Anthropologie and more.

Plus, fashion stylist Cindy Conroy answers some of the most asked petite-girl questions and shares styling tips along the way. So, here’s to not looking like a stump this summer.

Cindy Conroy is a New York- and Toronto-based fashion expert and TV host who has worked with celebs like Christina Milian. Her work has appeared in New York Magazine and WWD as well as PureWow.

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“Ready, set, get your shopping shoes ready because there are summer dresses that petite women can wear,” assures Conroy. The key is to know your proportions and keep that in mind when perusing the aisles or websites for a summery frock. Below are a few tips and tricks Conroy swears by for all petites.

• Keep to fitted silhouettes: “Avoid oversize and baggy [dresses] so you don’t look like you’re swimming in a sea of fabric,” advises Conroy. While she mentions that a roomy dress will complement taller frames, she warns that the extra fabric and lack of structure can easily overpower petite bodies. She continues, “The dress should never wear you. You should wear the dress.  Instead, look for tailored midi options with slits. They highlight your shape and the peekaboo of the slit gives the illusion of height—so do mini dresses. It’s legs for days, baby.”
• Consider a daring neckline: If you’ve ever heard someone say you exude tall girl energy, then you might be a master at elongating your frame. Conroy explains how to achieve it with your choice of neckline: “Enter dress heaven with a V-neck, scoop or plunging neckline. It makes your neck and torso appear longer. It’s like fashion sleight of hand. If you’re petite but oh so curvy, a square neckline will add balance to your silhouette by bringing attention to your collarbone.”