How To Wear A Maxi Dress When You're Petite

Hey there, darlings! Happy Friday! I am so relieved that it’s finally the weekend. Michael has been gone all week long on a work trip and he comes home tomorrow, so I’m beyond eager to get him back home. I have missed my husband so much!

Being a short and petite lady, it can be a struggle to get certain trends to work for me. Today I’m here to prove that if you really want to make a trend work for you, you can!

I’m sharing about this gorgeous floral maxi skirt that I scored the other week. I have similar ones and more linked at the end of the post for you!

I am very short – only 4’11”, so I used to never even give maxi dresses or skirts a try when they first became all the rave. I always just assumed that I was way too short for them. To be completely honest, I have a really hard time with maxi dresses. The only reason is that they’re literally taller than me, haha. I’m not joking with you. So, I love turning to maxi skirts so I can still get in on the maxi trend.

Today, I’ll be sharing about how you can make a maxi skirt work for you if you’re a shortie, like me! We can rock maxi skirts just like everyone else, it just takes a bit more *fun* to make it happen. 🙂

HOW TO WEAR A MAXI SKIRT If YOU’RE SHORT:

1. Get It Tailored // While this seems like the first obvious answer, I don’t know about you, but I always stray from having to get anything tailored. For me, it always seems like such a hassle. Plus, alternations can be quite pricey. Thankfully, there are stores out there that offer alternations for free. Yes, free! I just learned the other day that Nordstrom offers free alterations. Talk about a win! I’ll definitely be using them in the future, and you should, as well!

2. Wear Heels Or Wedges // If you’re short, I highly suggest wearing heels or wedges whenever you wear a maxi skirt. I suggest this for a couple of different reasons. 1. Wearing heels or wedges gives you extra height, which also helps to elongate your overall appearance. 2. This makes finding a maxi skirt a little bit easier. When I go shopping for a maxi, I typically wear the wedges I’d be planning to wear with the maxi. This always saves me time!

3. Wear Your Shoes Shopping // As I mentioned really quickly, I wear my shoes that I’m wanting to wear with a maxi when I go shopping looking for one. I usually have a style in mind, so this isn’t an issue. Wearing your shoes to go shopping makes the entire process so much easier.

4. Go High-Waisted // Most maxi skirts and maxi dresses are high-waisted, but some aren’t. In fact, the first maxi skirt I ever bought was one that sat on my hips. This was a very long time ago and was definitely a huge mistake on my part. By going high-waisted, the maxi skirt will naturally complement your figure and give you a more stunning silhouette than if your skirt is sitting on your hips. Going high-waisted also helps give a slight illusion that you’re taller.

5. Choose A Maxi With Flowy Material // Flowy is the way to go with a maxi skirt if you’re a shortie. Any kind of material that is stiff and has no life to it can be very dangerous for petite figures, as it can make your shape seem like something it’s actually not. Plus, flowy materials are always dainty and darling! I always feel so classy and beautiful in a flowy maxi or dress/skirt of any kind.

6. Shop In The Kids Section // This is one of my all-time favorite petite/short girl hacks – shopping in the kids’ section. When even the petite section in stores lets me down, I simply waltz over to the kids’ section. Luckily, over the past couple of years, the kids’ section in most stores has been coming out with more neutral colors, which is a win for a petite like me! One of my favorite and super comfortable maxi skirts of all time is from Target’s kids’ section.

– ABOUT THE LOOK –

I scored this floral maxi at a Forever 21 outlet the other week. It was the luckiest find in the world because I searched through the entire store and this was the only maxi in my size that actually fit me completely. I was ecstatic. I decided to style it with this olive green crop top that I got 6 years ago from American Eagle. Love when an old piece still works wonders with a new piece! I chose to style the maxi this way, as I was looking for a laid-back, bohemian-type feel.