Last Updated on April 26, 2024 by Eve Dawes
Fashionable petite maxi dresses that flatter and that you’ll actually want to wear this Summer!
Petite maxi dresses blogs are everywhere but I couldn’t find any that featured any petite long dresses I’d actually wear. They were all super basic, frumpy, or had hideous prints. I wanted to make things right for us girls under 5’5″ and find the best styles from cool brands that are fashionable, stylish, flattering and we actually want to wear this Summer! From petite maxi dresses with sleeves, casual to date night, colorful to white, these are the best petite summer maxi dresses to wear now.
I also looked for quite a few with volume as they shoot beautifully on vacation, especially when there’s some wind.
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25 Best Petite Maxi Dresses to Wear This Summer
I hunted down a mix of petite maxi dresses that you can wear whether you’re wanting a casual petite maxi dress, going on vacation or looking for a petite long dress for date night.
Some of these are sold as bridesmaid dresses but you know me, the more feminine and elegant the better. They’d be perfect as wedding guest dresses, especially some of the stunning styles from Reformation. They’ll look just as good for a romantic beach dinner as dressed down with strappy flats or slides for lunch.
The petite maxi dresses with sleeves are great transitional season pieces that can be worn both in Fall and Spring or on cooler Summer evenings. If you’re looking for luxe for less, Boden has some pretty petite long dresses under $100 and ASOS has lots on sale for around $30.
There’s also a couple that aren’t from petite collections but are shown as shorter length/ankle length on the models and are perfect as maxi’s on us petite women.
Shop the 25 best petite maxi dresses
From gowns to casual summer dresses, there’s a petite maxi for all occasions in this edit:
What’s on the petite maxi dress edit
- Anthropologie strappy black maxi dress is such a cute style that’s easy to dress up or down for day or night on vacation.
- Reformation petite Frankie silk dress comes the prettiest pale blue floral print. It’s a best seller that keeps selling out but you can sign up for the waitlist if it’s sold out.
- This classic white maxi shirt dress looks great belted and is perfect for Summer styled with everything from flat sandals to heels.
- The prettiest cornflower blue floral dress with dainty straps and a super high leg slit.
- This sexy cream strapless satin dress would be stunning for vacation or the Summer without getting tan lines.
- Crochet dresses are still trending this summer in a major way and this cream open-stitch maxi would make such a cute petite summer dress for dinner on summer vacation or a pool coverup. It also comes in black.
- This sleeveless black and white stripe flare gown is a classic and so flattering with it’s belted waist if you’re looking for a dressier style.
- If you’re looking for casual petite maxi dresses, this loose, flowy style in crisp white is another on trend style. It’s under $150 and giving total boho vibes.
- This ASOS floral strappy style petite maxi dresses is under $100. It’s super pretty for a cute and breezy summer maxi. Style it with flats for the day, heels at night or a denim or leather jacket for Spring and Fall.
- There’s 15 more dresses to scroll through in the carousel for all seasons and occasions.
6 Style Tips For How To Wear Petite Maxi Dresses
- Add a belt if it isn’t already belted or doesn’t have a waist line to create a flattering silhouette.
- Go for actual maxi’s not midis unless they’re long enough to look like maxis. As midi’s tend to make us petite girls look even shorter. It’s all about creating as much length as possible.
- Add a wedge, wedge espadrilles, or strappy nude sandal to add height unless you’re going for a casual style.
- Avoid horizontal stripes as they make everyone look bigger.
- Avoid big prints as they tend to overwhelm petite women but that doesn’t mean avoiding prints entirely. Just look for smaller print patterns.
- If you love a maxi that doesn’t come in a petite size and don’t want to fork out for tailoring, iron on hem adhesive works wonders on lightweight material.
A white petite long dress looks so good for beach vacations, poolside or with a tan. Add some gold accessories and a raffia beach tote and you’re ready for summer.
Where can I find petite maxi dresses?
It can be pretty limiting to find fashionable brands that carry petite collections as I find most either really ugly or unflattering. ASOS Petite and Reformation’s petite line of maxi dresses are always more fashion forward and their sizings consistent.
Anthropologie and Banana Republic have some of the widest choices of long dresses for all heights. They make it really easy to shop their maxi dresses as you just click on petite, regular or tall length when you’re ready to add it to your cart.
ASOS petite is great for maxi dresses and offers free shipping and returns. So you can try them on for size, without being stuck with something that doesn’t fit!
Midi dresses like the one below are another great option for us petite girls as they tend to sit as maxi dresses on us.
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