Petite Dresses

Small built? Have you been termed petite? Wondering if you can carry a stylish dress? Petite women need no longer just gaze at beautiful dresses on their shopping trips. Women having a small body when compared to the average woman can also wear stylish clothes. Petite dresses can be casual clothes like jeans, formal clothes or party wear for special occasions.

Picking the right dress for petite girls can be a challenge as the contours, darts, waists and hips of standard clothes might not fall in the right place. Clothes might be lengthy, wide, or short too.

Choosing petite dresses

Stripes, vertical lines: Any sort of vertical line that travels the length of the dress lends a taller and slim appearance. The stripes should run diagonally down the body of a petite dress.

V-neck: V-necklines suit petite women giving your neck a long and lean look.

Right length: The skirt of a petite dress will look great if it is knee length or just above. The more leg the is shown the taller it makes the person appear. Skirts that finish at mid calf length will make your legs look shorter. Dresses with ankle length skirts can be paired with high heeled footwear.

Solid colors: Solid colors make the body look longer when worn by petite women. The classic black dress is the perfect dress for petites as it elongates the body when worn and makes the body appear slim.

Small scale prints: Polka dots, abstract prints etc look good on petite dresses. Avoid using large prints.

Fitted clothes: Petite women look broad and disproportionate when they wear oversized and baggy clothes. They should avoid wearing such clothes and choose fitted or tailored petite dresses. Petite women who are plus sized can also choose fitted clothes as this will give them a proportionate look.

Delicate details: Embroidery, beading etc are other interesting details that can be added to petites.

Wrap style: Wrap dresses suit all body types and in particular petite types as they create a waistline even in women who don't have one.

Petite dresses tips

Horizontal stripes: Very few petite women can look good with horizontal stripes. Side to side stripes lends the wearer a wide look.

Calf length: Dresses that reach the calf will make the wearer appear short.

Wide belt: Wide belts can be used only if they are the same color as the dress. Contrast colors would make the wearer look short and petite.

Different colors: Petite women should avoid dresses that have different colors; instead wear clothes with a monochromatic pattern. Combining different colors can make the petite look short and wide. Avoid cropped pants, tops and jackets. These clothes can make petite women appear even shorter.

Petite evening dress

Petite women can choose from a wide variety of dresses for special occasions - gowns, short skirts, knee length skirts, flowing skirts, cocktail clothes ... the list is long.

• Do not wear large print dresses; remember prints have to be in proportion to your figure.
  
  
• Try and avoid too much of jewelry, never use heavy jewelry.
  
  
• If you are using shirts and jumpers, wear ones with ¾ sleeves.
  
  
• Use monochromatic colors.
  
  
• Use lightweight materials like linen, cotton, silk etc if you wish to use layering.
  
  
• Do not use contrast colors for the tops and bottoms.
  
  
• Choosing fitted petite evening dresses will be flattering.
  

Petite formal dress

• Formal dresses worn by petite women need to be a perfect fit; they should get their measurements taken by a professional.
  
  
• If you are planning for a long dress then remember to wear your shoes while taking measurements. The height of the shoe will be used to determine the floor length of the dress.
  
  
• Petite women should draw attention towards their body instead of their height. The petite formal dress must give an illusion of length.
  
  
• Gowns are a great choice for formal petite clothes.
  
  
• Ensure that you don't wear too many layers.
  
  
• Choose good colors that suit your personality.
  
  
• Do not wear contrast belts as that will cut short on your height.
  
  
• Do not choose drop-waist styled clothes.
  
  
• Do not choose horizontal or large pattern material.
  
  
• Do not choose dresses with too many gathers around the waist
  
  
• Do not choose dresses that expose too much of your legs and bust.