A Valkyrie 5’8″ co-editor interrupted me as I was rambling on about how much I adore shirt dresses, asking, “But how can you prevent looking like you’re a kid playing dress up in their dad’s button-up?” It’s not as simple as tying a rope around an old Brooks Brothers oxford and calling it a day, tall lady. There are a lot of amazing types of shirt dresses for petites these days. Here’s what I’ve discovered as a 5’3″ fashionista who has been drawn to shirt dresses over the past few years.
What Exactly Is a Shirt Dress?
The short shirt dress is a long-sleeved, collared, button-front dress with an optional belt tie that fits all body types because it’s not too long, too tight, or difficult to pair with any type of shoe. Although I adore it with boots, you can wear it with shoes, loafers, or anything else in warmer temperatures. It looks great layered underneath (tissue turtleneck) or over (knit vest or jacket), and it’s appropriate for everything from church to your child’s softball game. Similar to the men’s shirts that first popularized the pattern, cotton mixes are where you’ll most often see it, but silk, poly, and bamboo blends are also acceptable.
How Should a Petite Wear a Shirt Dress?
Through trial and error and research into other fashionable petites, I’ve come to the conclusion that, if the hem of the shirt dress is rounded, like a man’s shirt tails, it should ideally hit at or near the knees. The dress may be longer if the hem is straight and horizontal. If the skirt of your shirt dress is full, it’s important to have a slit or some swing to it. This way, the form or peek of leg under leg will remind people that there is a woman underneath the fabric. The bodice, the top portion of the dress, should be just narrow enough over the waist and chest, regardless of length.You will appear to be wearing a men’s extra-large if the cut is excessively broad.Whatever the length, the top part of the dress, the bodice, needs to be just narrow enough over the chest and waist…it it’s too wide a cut you will indeed look like you’re wearing a men’s extra-large shirt.
How I Chose the Best Shirt Dresses for Petites
I looked at gowns from non-petite labels that were the appropriate length and researched trustworthy petite labels for the style. To find out if I felt engulfed in the dress, I tried on a few of the gowns and asked other petites for opinions. Last but not least, I came across reviews from small-framed ladies who suggested sizing up or down based on fit preferences.
1. Tuckernuck Callahan Shirt Dress
The popularity of this garment is confirmed by the more than 850 five-star reviews on the Tuckernuck website and a positive testimonial from yours truly. This long-sleeved, half-button front shirt dress, which is 34 inches long and roughly knee-length for most petites, is a best-selling item from the women who design Tuckernuck. Additionally, because it’s a swing-style dress, it accommodates both small and regular-fitting women because there are no misaligned pockets or waistlines. This dress is of good quality; the button plackets at the neck and wrists are well-made, and the flounce hem has sufficient fabric for proper hanging. Additionally, there is something for everyone in ten different colors and patterns.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: XXS to XXXL
- Material: 95 percent polyester, 5 percent Spandex
- Machine Washable? yes
2. Quince Washable Silk Shirt Dress
You would think that this long-sleeved shirt dress, which comes in four different colors—black, cocoa, green, and navy—would be too big for petites because it doesn’t come in petite sizes and has a curved shirt tail hem. However, the dress is narrow enough to seem Euro sophisticated—just tie your horse bit pattern scarf around the neck—and it is short enough to reach petites at or below the knee when belted with the matching tie belt.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: XS to XL
- Material: 90 percent mulberry silk, 10 percent spandex
- Machine Washable? yes
3. Ann Taylor Petite Belted Midi Shirtdress
This dress is somewhat unique due to its upright collar, short, shirred sleeves, and dotted plum rose design. Additionally, the dress is just long enough for petites and roomy enough at a length that is 27 inches below the self-belt waist.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: 00 to 16, petite
- Material: 100 percent polyester
- Machine washable? yes
4. Eileen Fisher Notch Collar Silk Shirtdress
When you see Eileen Fisher’s unstructured front-button shirt dress, you’ll question how you ever managed to live without it. The petite is 46 inches long without a belt, but to draw attention to my waist, I would wear this with a large, croc-stamped belt. You may wear this basic three-season dress on its own with sandals and a sun hat in the summer or layered over leggings and a turtleneck in the early spring and fall.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: XS to XL, regular and petite
- Material: 100 percent silk
- Machine Washable? yes
5. Exquise Tobie Pleated Shirt Dress
This dress features a fitted high waist that rolls out to a pleated skirt, and it descends 48 inches from the shoulder. This dress has side pockets and a lot of material, but it won’t make you look like you’re drowning in fabric in the petite size. The green is also quite rich and attractive.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: XXS petite to XL Petite
- Material: cotton, polyester, elastane
- Machine Washable? no
6. Boden Belted Ponte Shirt Dress
The lined bodice creates a neat appearance, and the contrast top stitching and detachable belt with buckle give the impression that this is a much more costly designer dress. According to some wearers, it’s a bit long, so for the ideal silhouette, pair it with sandals or heeled boots.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: 0 to 20/22, petite
- Material: 73 percent viscose, 22 percent polyamide, 5 percent elastane; poly-lined bodice
- Machine washable? yes
7. Abercrombie & Fitch Long-Sleeve Mini Shirt Dress
This dress is lightweight enough to wear on the hottest days and still structured enough to put over pants or leggings throughout the transitional season. It is both lean and layer-friendly. You can tighten or loosen the linked ties to draw attention to your waist.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: XXS to XL, regular, tall, petite
- Material: cotton-polyester poplin
- Machine Washable? yes
8. Banana Republic Factory Midi Shirtdress
Unbelted, this shirt dress looks fantastic on non-petite people, however for tiny people, wear it cinched as a dress or open over jeans and a T-shirt as a duster coat. Although wearing this long as a petite is typically prohibited by rounded shirt tail hems, in this case, it looks sweeping and grand.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: XXS to XXL
- Material: 100 percent cotton
- Machine washable? yes
9. Gap Vegan Suede Shift Mini Dress
This vegan suede shift is warm and comfortable without being bulky. It features the collar and breast pockets of a traditional men’s shirt made of chamois material, but it also has the shirred bracelet sleeves and short hem of a swinging hipster dress from the 1970s. You can transition from the office to supper in only five minutes with this dress, tights, and a fantastic pair of boots.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: XS to L, petite regular and tall
- Material: 97 percent polyester, 3 percent spandex
- Machine Washable? yes
10. Jones New York Patch Pocket Denim Shirtdress
This lightweight denim dress with a front button has long sleeves that can be buttoned at the wrist to keep you cool or rolled up with cuff tabs. Additionally, the front patch pockets give the bustline a little flair.
Fast Facts
- Sizes: petite XS to L
- Material: 98 percent cotton, 2 percent elastane
- Machine Washable? no
