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17 Petite Summer Dresses You’ll Absolutely Love

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Finding a petite summer dress when you have a small frame can be surprisingly hard. I’m busty and five-foot-nothing so I know the struggle of mile-long maxi dresses and waistlines not even close to my waist. But don’t stress, we’ve collected the most adorable summer dresses for petite frames from maxis to skater dresses.

I’ve included nail polish pairings because summer nails really bring a look together.

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What does petite mean?

People tend to view petite sizing as for short, skinny femmes, typically in business attire but that's not really what petite means. 

Petite is simply sized for women 5'3" tall and under so it's for short femmes of all sizes and shapes. 

Why are all the petite sections gone?

That's a really good question. In the early 2000's, department stores started to phase out carrying petite sizes. 

Which is surprising given that, according to the CDC, the average height of a woman in the United States is around 5'3" tall.  That would mean that roughly half of the women in America fall under petite sizing. 

So why get rid of it? It seems like it was partly because the clothing made in petite sizes wasn't fashionable, leading to poor sales.

Which leaves people like me (barely five feet tall) with clothes that don't fit properly and a seamstress on speed dial.

Need petite dresses? Online is the way to go.

Thankfully, smaller brands and online shopping has opened up a wide range of petite sizes in trendy styles.  

I know with our unique body shapes, buying without trying things on can be tough, but returns are getting easier and easier these days so it's worth it.

See Also:

Finding a cute petite summer dress shouldn't be such a struggle. We've collected the most stunning petite dresses for summer for people with smaller frames.