5 Rules for Wearing a Maxi Dress as a Petite Person, According to a 5’1” Editor

As much as I enjoy the look of a billowy, bohemian frock flowing in the wind, I know just how easy it is for my shorter stature to get lost in the sauce of excess fabric. Throw in the fact that I’m more filled-out in the bust area, and I run the risk of making a cute dress look like a circus tent. For this reason, I stick to slimmer silhouettes when wearing maxis, or, at the very least, ones that feature a more fitted bodice or waist. While you don’t have to go full bodycon, I find that less volume creates more height, and the more you can define your petite figure in a longer dress, the less likely you’ll be to get totally swallowed up by it.

If you decided to skip rule number one (as I admittedly have on occasion), and find yourself feeling shapeless in a roomy maxi, a belt can be your best friend. Use it to cinch in your waist and, again, deliver your actual shape from beneath a sea of material. This trick has saved me from looking like a pint-sized rectangle in many a ‘90s-style slip dress. Just remember that, if you’re petite, you should stick to thinner belts that are proportional to your frame; thicker belts or bands at the waist can break you up too much, leading to you looking even shorter. On that note, maxi dresses with built-in belts or waist ties are a plus.

Optical illusions aren’t just for Las Vegas magicians—we short peeps can use the same visual trickery to our advantage in our wardrobes. Case in point: Donning a lower neckline to seem taller. Not only does a V- or scoop-neck style help to lengthen your neck, and by extension, your entire figure, but in the case of a maxi style, it also prevents the aforementioned issue of getting overwhelmed by too much fabric. Any dress that shows off the décolletage is a major “Do” in my book, though even a modest hint of skin below the neck can aid in this department.

Similar to how too much volume can overwhelm a shorter stature, so too can larger prints. I personally love big, bold patterns and splashes of color, but whenever I shop for a maxi dress, I tend to stick to smaller, more delicate prints to avoid being drowned out by them—and I’m not surprised that this advice is echoed throughout the petite style community. Alas, busyness tends not to benefit us shorties. Sticking to solid colors is an even better bet, as sleek, clean lines can work wonders to elongate your figure.

I’ve written about my love for dresses with princess-style puff sleeves before, but beyond my passion for period pieces, I couldn’t really put my finger on what, exactly, I found so flattering about them. Then I came across this YouTube video by creator Petite Elliee. In it, she explains that puff sleeves or shoulders help draw the eye upward, again creating the illusion of length and height. I completely agree with this, and I’d go a step further and say that adding any extra interest toward the top of your body can work to shift the focal point of your look. Puff sleeves not quite your cup of tea? Try ruffled straps or flutter sleeves, or even a unique neckline detail, like a twist or a knot. If you’re trying to maximize your height in a maxi dress (no pun intended), the higher up the eye is drawn, the better.