The Best Evening Dresses For Petites So You Feel Elegant
The invitation arrives and you find out that you need a special occasion dress. The invitation could be for a wedding, a charity event, or a special evening celebration. Now it’s time to find some evening dresses for petites that you can choose from.
I know how you feel about this shopping adventure. As a petite, we prefer to find dresses that are made for our bodies. However, it can be like finding a needle in a haystack to find the dress that makes you feel fabulous when you are wearing it. So I am rounding up some of my favorite brands for formal and cocktail dresses for petites to make your special occasion dressing a little easier.
Before I do so here are a few other posts you might want to check out.
- Petite Clothing Tips When You Can’t Buy Petite Sizing
- Most Comfortable Special Occasion Shoes You Will Look Forward To Wearing
- The Best Brands For Petite Dresses
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Evening Dresses For Petites That Will Make You Feel Fabulous
There’s nothing better than feeling like a million bucks when you slide into a dress that is just right for you. That is the feeling that I want to help you find. I love that feeling. And all of us should have it when we are going to a special occasion. We want to look good, feel good, and be comfortable all at the same time. Now we don’t want to outshine the person or person(s) being celebrated, just look and feel our best.
When buying dresses for events like this I have found that keeping them classic and classy is best. The goal is to be able to wear the dress more than one time. If I can’t find a petite-sized dress I love, then I make sure it is easy to alter. I would rather have a dress that makes me feel fabulous and pay for a few alterations versus settling for something good, but not great.
What Does The Evening Call For?
Evening dresses can fall into a couple of categories. Thank goodness most invitations will say what the dress code is for the event. Most likely you will either see the attire as cocktail or black tie.
So what exactly is cocktail attire? These days it means a blend of casual and formal. For men, it is so easy. That means they pull out a suit and tie. As women, we have to figure out what is too casual and what is too formal. The good news is that this gives you a lot more options for the evening. You could wear a knee-length dress, a midi dress, or even an amazing jumpsuit. You don’t want to show too much skin even in the warmer months. Remember that this is a combination of comfort and elegance for the evening.
Now if the information says black tie then we need to look for floor-length dresses. Now if you don’t like the idea of floor-length consider something that is high-low. Those look great on petites and are an easy way to hem a dress with a plain skirt to give it a little more pizazz. I have seen my seamstress do it several times.
Cocktail Dresses FOR Petites
When we hear the word cocktail dress so many times we automatically think little black dress. Yes, every woman should have a great little black dress; however, sometimes it’s fun to show your personality a little more when going out for an evening of festivities. So if you have always done a little black dress try navy or a color you look good in.
Cocktail dresses should come to the knee or below depending on the style. You want to skip sundresses since they are too casual and you want to leave the short beaded dresses for a night of dancing at the club. Again, let’s think classic and classy. You don’t want to be stuffy, but you don’t want to show too much skin.
One department store that always seems to have the best selection of evening dresses for petites….. Dillards. No matter the season they always have a variety of dresses in petite sizing. Another brand that I turn to (online only) is Karen Millen. They always have some unique designs and fabrics when it comes to cocktail dresses.
Here are some great cocktail dresses for petites this season.
Formal Dresses For Petites
Ok, if your invitation says black tie we need to consider something more formal. Does that mean you have to go floor-length? No, it does not. You can wear a midi dress or a tea length dress. However, the fabric needs to be more formal or detailed. Also, keep in mind that it is a formal event so you don’t want to show too much skin.
Just so you feel comfortable I would suggest that you wear a midi to full-length dress for this type of event. Most of the other ladies will be doing the same.
One skirt that I think is beautiful for women is a full-length ball gown skirt. It can be an inverted pleat skirt or made or organza. They never go out of style and you can find multiple tops to go with them. So if you find one in your size and on sale grab it. You can get creative each time you need to wear something formal.
Petite Friendly Occasion Dresses
I understand if you have sifted through all of the petite options and are not feeling it. That happens. That is why I have a couple of brands I turn to for petite-friendly cocktail and formal dresses. Yes, their websites even take you to the styles they recommend for petites. Woohoo.
Adrianna Papell used to make petite dresses and for some reason, they now have petite friendly. This dress is available in six colors and has a classic design. It would be easy to alter at the shoulder or at the hem. Here are some of my favorites for petites.
Teri Jon by Ricki Freeman is where you will find more petite friendly formal dresses. They actually have a good mix of cocktail and formal. I love the feature on their site where you can shop by body type (petite). You will notice that most of the dresses they feature for petites are clean, classic lines. That makes it easier to have minor alterations done. Here are a few of my favorites for petites.
Thanks, Let’s Keep In Touch
Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope that this made your task of shopping for evening dresses for petites easier. Let me know where you found the dress that made you feel fabulous. Have fun at your special occasion event.
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