Hello! It’s great you’re here today. Shirtdresses are one of my favorite dress styles, and they come in so many varieties; straight or full-skirted, long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless…you’re sure to find a style that works for you. But being petite, sometimes it’s challenging to get the sizing just right. So here’s how to size a shirtdress for petites.
The Summary
Today’s featured item is a shirtdress from J.Crew Factory
The dress is modeled, and I pulled together 2 alternates
The dress is shoppable via a text or image widget
Each alternate is shoppable via a text widget
How to Size a Shirtdress For Petites
1. Shirtdress
(J.Crew Factory)
This floral shirtdress from J.Crew Factory is sold as a mini dress, but they don’t offer it in petite sizing. So for us petites, the length ends up hitting just above the knee, rather than mid-thigh. I am wearing a regular size 0.
Despite it not being a petite size, the only real difference is the length of the skirt. The sleeves and waistline hit at just the right spot. The dress fits TTS.
J.Crew Factory Floral Shirtdress | Canvas Ankle Wrap Espadrilles | J.McLaughlin Wood and Cane Clutch | (Similar) Belt Option 1 | (Similar) Belt Option 2 | (Similar) Belt Option 3
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2. Belt
For a looser, more casual look, you can forgo a belt. Since we were headed to dinner, I went with a belt to accentuate the waistline. My plain, warm gray-colored belt hints to the wood tones in my wood and cane clutch.
Tip: When my belt is too stiff to wrap or tuck the tail under, I use a small piece of double sided Scotch foam mounting tape to keep the belt tail in place. As long as I remove the tape after each wear, I haven’t had any issues with tape residue on my leather belts.
This belt is old, but here are similar options:
The belt options are what can really change up the look of a shirtdress and this is probably the most fun part of shirtdresses in general, you can get creative with your accessories: wide belts, skinny belts, wrap belts – there are so many options!
J.Crew Factory Floral Shirtdress | Canvas Ankle Wrap Espadrilles | J.McLaughlin Wood and Cane Clutch | (Similar) Belt Option 1 | (Similar) Belt Option 2 | (Similar) Belt Option 3
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3. Accessories
At the first blush of Spring, I am in my closet pulling all of my espadrilles from the dark corners of winter storage and swapping their placement with my winter shoes on the front shelves. I love espadrilles. Flats, wedges, lace up, mules, slip ons – I love them all.
The latest addition to my ever-growing collection are these lace up wedges from J.Crew Factory. They are a natural canvas color (so they go with literally everything) and they have light metallic threads woven into the canvas. These wedges fit TTS and are very comfortable for walking around.
J.McLaughlin is a great go-to brand for cane, wicker and woven bags. Recently, I went for this Genevieve Wood and Cane Clutch.
I love the wood frame of this clutch. The wood adds such a great natural look and feel to any outfit. Beautifully made and perennially on trend for summer, I know this wood and cane clutch will see years of use.
J.Crew Factory Floral Shirtdress | Canvas Ankle Wrap Espadrilles | J.McLaughlin Wood and Cane Clutch | (Similar) Belt Option 1 | (Similar) Belt Option 2 | (Similar) Belt Option 3
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Alternative Stylings
Left Board: The Kinsley d’Orsay Flat in Woven Leather (Madewell) | Woven Leather Belt (Madewell) | Bembien Le Tote in Sienna (Madewell) Right Board: Brandee Flat (DSW) | Bronco Leather Wrap Belt (Nordstrom) | The Sydney Tote (Madewell)
In Case You Missed It
Yesterday, Beth showed you 5 comfy casual outfits perfect for the upcoming Spring-to-Summer transition. Click the title or image below to read the article.
5 Comfy Casual Outfits Perfect For Spring-To-Summer Transition
About The Author
You are adorable Miss Kelly. I love the dress you have on today and the shoes too. You are so pretty and tiny. Might have to buy them for my daughter.
Thank you, Rory! I love this dress because it’s a one-and-done outfit that you can accessorize to dress up or down, for a versatile and pulled together look. xo Kelly
Very cute outfit. Enjoy your recipe’s also. Btw your new haircut is adorable.
Thanks so much, Cindy! I am so glad you enjoy the recipes too! xo Kelly
Great idea for petites to wear a standard mini dress as knee length! At 5’9”, I often have the opposite “problem”. I love midi dresses, and have purchased standard maxi length: on me they’re my ideal midi!
Hello Sandy, you do have the opposite problem! Glad though that the maxi works as a midi for you. 😊 Have a great weekend! xo Kelly
Hi Kelly, I love this outfit! I have a similar shirtdress and never thought of adding a belt. I generally buy petite dresses, if available…I’m 5’4”, so could purchase either regular or petite sizes, except that I’m short-waisted. Dresses with a seam at the waist work best for me if a petite. Does this dress fall at your natural waistline?
Hi Donna, this dress does fall pretty much at my natural waistline. Wearing a belt with a shirt dress can help when the waistline falls a little longer – the shirt-fitting top can be pulled up a little over the belt to give a slight blouse look, with the skirt falling below the belt naturally. Since you’re a bit taller than I am, I think this dress in the regular sizing would work out just fine for you! Have a wonderful weekend! xo Kelly
Love seeing suggestions for petite women as I’m only 5 feet tall. I’ve also found that crop pants made to fit average height women work well as ankle-length pants for me. Keep the petite fashions coming, please!
Hello Darlene, Will Do! As petites, regular fits aren’t always for us, but we can sure get crafty with the regular sizes! The cropped regular fit is a great option for ankle length fit, I do this trick myself and it usually works like a charm. Thanks for writing in! xo Kelly
Could you please highlight some petite sized clothing? For years, we had to make do with misses but we don’t anymore. The petite sized often has shoulders that are more narrow, waists that are not as long, and inseams that are shorter.
Petite women have needed a role model. You would be a good one.
Hi Becky, Stay tuned to my weekly column on Thursdays, and my Daily Looks on Tuesdays for petite style highlights and to see regular sized options styled for petites. Proportions vary from person to person, in all sizes, so items will always fit a little different for each individual. My goal on Style at a Certain Age is to show how to style both petite and regular sizes for petites. A few of my petite go-to brands (which you will see highlighted here) are: J.Crew, Banana Republic, and Ann Taylor. Stay tuned for more! Have a wonderful weekend! xo Kelly