Dresses are the easiest throw-on-and-go pieces in our wardrobe, building almost a full outfit in next to no time. But for those of us who are 5’4″ and under — the height range classed as petite — shopping for frocks isn’t always easy. Minis shift to knee-lengths , midis become maxis and longer lengths look like you’ve stolen your mum’s clothes.
Happily, a number of brands have dedicated ranges for those on the shorter side. Ahead, we’ve rounded up a few of our favourite finds, from River Island to Rixo.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by us. All product details reflect the price and availability at the time of publication. If you buy or click on something we link to on our site, we may earn a commission.
In a candy stripe pattern, this dress is designed for summer.
ASOS DESIGN Petite Cotton Pleat Bust Midi Babydoll Sundress In Sage, $, available at ASOS Photo Courtesy of ASOS DESIGN
Barbiecore is in full swing and this House of Sunny style nails it perfectly.
House Of Sunny Love Mail Dress, $, available at House of Sunny Photo Courtesy of House Of Sunny
A black dress can never go amiss, as this Reformation silk style proves.
Reformation Petites Casette Silk Dress, $, available at Reformation Photo Courtesy of Reformation
Abercrombie may be a throwback brand but it does petite clothing particularly well.
Ambercrombie & Fitch Premium Linen Bow Back Maxi Dress, $, available at Abercrombie & Fitch Photo Courtesy of Abercrombie & Fitch
Puff sleeves, a shirred top and textured fabric. There’s a lot going on in this dress yet it just works.
Miss Selfridge Petite Textured Shirred Midi Dress In Lilac, $, available at ASOS Photo Courtesy of Miss Selfridge
In a blue china print pattern, this tiered dress is designed for swanning along the streets of Greece (or down your garden path).
Never Fully Dressed Blue Floral Peony Dress Petite, $, available at Never Fully Dressed Photo Courtesy of Never Fully Dressed
A smock dress is the perfect pick for those who like exaggerated and oversized shapes, and this dusty pink is delightful.
ASOS DESIGN Petite Square Neck Midi Smock Sundress In Dusky Rose, $, available at ASOS Photo Courtesy of ASOS DESIGN
Rixo isn’t particularly tailored to petites but its midi dresses fall just right for us shorter folk.
Rixo London Benedict Strappy Midi Dress, $, available at Rixo Photo Courtesy of Rixo
Wrap dresses work wonders at adding dimension. This one is the epitome of the salsa dancing emoji.
New Look Petite Red Textured Wrap Mini Dress, $, available at New Look Photo Courtesy of New Look
Dressing like an olive never looked so good.
Nobody’s Child Petite Olive Green Natalia Midi Dress, $, available at Nobody’s Child Photo Courtesy of Nobody’s Child
M&S makes great quality dresses at high street prices and most of them come in petite, regular and long lengths.
M&S Pure Cotton Square Neck Midi Waisted Dress, $, available at M&S Photo Courtesy of M&S
Crafted from silk yet made to look like denim, this dress ticks both smart and casual boxes.
Realisation Par The Karlie, $, available at Realisation Par Photo Courtesy of Réalisation Par
Animal print is always a good idea, especially when it looks like this.
River Island Petite Black Animal Print Bow Slip Midi Dress, $, available at River Island Photo Courtesy of River Island
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