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As a card-carrying member of the under-5’4″ club, I know how hard it can be to find clothes that fit a petite figure well. At 5’1”, I’ve been accustomed to having friends and colleagues towering over me all my life.
Instead of trying to match their height with a pair of sky-scraping heels, I learned to embrace my smaller frame and shop what I love, and what I love are dresses, especially for the warmer months.
For anyone under 5’4”, the search for the best summer dresses for petites is on.
There are a few tricks to finding the perfect petite summer dresses. For maxi dresses, the garment’s “length” should be 51 inches and under.
This ensures you will not have excess fabric on the bottom and it will fit your petite frame.
There are playful maxi dresses that will actually fit your height, midi dresses that will give you the right amount of coverage, and minidresses with sleeves and cute details that are the perfect size.
Scroll below to find the best summer dresses for petites.
The best minidresses on the market are versatile and can be worn from day to night effortlessly.
On those hot summer days, a shorter hemline reigns supreme.
Choose a mini dress that will accentuate your legs and style it with flat sandals, strappy sandals, or heels for an ideal spring/summer look that fits all petite women. The best part – no alternations needed!
Deconstructed clothing consists of elevated yet unconventional cut-outs on a sleeveless dress is strikingly feminine, artfully modern, and alluring at the same time.
It is a great addition to a summer wardrobe, especially for a date night dress.
Dresses with sleeves are very chic. The refined style does not just have to be for those cooler months.
In fact, they are the perfect summer dress for a special occasion – whether it be a wedding or for a fancy dinner.
The key to long sleeve dresses is the fabric.
Choose a lightweight fabric for the warmer days, as opposed to a heavier fabric for the colder weather. Go bold with a bright color for summertime freshness.
The silky slip dress is minimal by design and is made to flatter any silhouette or size – including a petite woman.
The slinky nature of the dress doesn’t weigh down a petite frame with extra fabric. Style the luxurious dress with thong sandals for those balmy days.
Body-hugging tube dresses are a sweet spot for the petite girl. A tube dress undoubtedly serves as a silhouette that is hard to get wrong.
The midi dress silhouette clings and outlines a petite woman in all the right places. There is something fun and sexy about a tube dress for the hot weather.
Wearing white during the warmer months is a given, and every woman needs a white, flowy dress for the summer heat.
A whimsical, floaty white dress is just the ticket to feeling comfortable and chic all season long. It is best to choose a dress with fitted top as to not be overwhelmed with the voluminous dress.
There is nothing more synonymous with summer than a delicate eyelet dress—the breathable fabrics, enhanced by embroidered holes and creative patterns, is just one of many things to love about these dresses.
Stick to flare dresses which are fitted on top and flow on the bottom.
They are the perfect petite summer dress for a beach vacation or any summer event.
Lightweight, comfortable and easy, crochet dresses are the ideal item to throw on at the beach, the park or a festival.
One of the best features of a crochet dress is that this dress is primarily a cover-up or a beach dress, so therefore the extra fabric isn’t so bothersome.
Blue and white dresses hit the sweet spot of feeling nostalgic and romantic—but also modern and relevant.
While I am not a fan of prints or multi-colored dresses for petite women, the whimsical print and color scheme feels fresh and classic on maxi dresses.