For petite women, the biggest challenge when it comes to finding a great evening gown is to make sure they wear the dress rather than the dress wearing them! By this we mean that if you’re short and have a small frame, you need to avoid an evening gown with lots of fabric, and you should also avoid an evening dress that has a lot of embellishments.

If you can, it’s better to go with a cocktail dress or with a tea-length dress rather than with a full-length evening dress, but if the event is formal and you need a full-length dress, keep the proportions flattering by going with a simple silhouette.

For petite women, the best choice by far when it comes to evening wear is to go with simple, clean lines and avoid an excess of anything.

This means that your choice of accessories – including your jewelry and your evening bag-  should again be simple and clean. Big chunky jewelry is not for you.

So which specific styles do we recommend for petite women? One style that always looks great on petites is this Red Chiffon Cocktail Dress (also available in black). It is pretty, flowing and body skimming. It’s not too puffy, and not too tight. A truly gorgeous style.

If you need a full-length evening gown, we highly recommend our Black Halter Evening Dress. The form-fitting bodice and flowy skirt are very flattering for petites, and the clean lines will make sure you’ll be wearing the dress rather than the other way around!