(Shopping)

The 18 Best Maxi Dresses For Petites

We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.

Christian Vierig/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

As someone who is 5 foot 1 on a good day, I’m familiar with how difficult it can be to find dresses that don’t absolutely pool underneath you. And maxi dresses — whose very raison d’être is extreme length — seemed to me like an unattainable dream. Until I found some workarounds that allowed me to wear the style confidently. Here’s one for you: Consider the best maxi dresses for petites featured ahead. They’re all suitable for people under 5 foot 4 thanks to their just-right lengths and silhouettes that work on shorter frames — and, believe it or not, they’re all available on Amazon. That’s a real advantage when you’re shopping a bit experimentally, since most Amazon sellers offer free returns within 30 days of receiving your package.

There are some notes to keep in mind when you’re shopping for petite-worthy maxi dresses, as well. If you have a smaller frame in addition to being under 5 foot 4, seek out brands that carry very small sizes, like 00s, or tend to run small. Regardless of your size, features like side slits, cinched waists or tie belts, and sleeker, less voluminous shapes tend not to overwhelm shorter heights. Of course, it never hurts to choose a style that your tailor (whom I’d imagine you know well) can hem easily.

Easier still? Read on to shop 18 of the best maxi dresses for petites — and for every kind of personal style — all conveniently available on Amazon Fashion.

A Pretty, Lacey Maxi Dress With Adjustable Straps

I’ve almost always found success at Free People, since a good amount of their clothes run small, so I’ll be adding this maxi dress to my cart next. The lace-detail bodice and subtle ruffle hem give this slip a romantic feel, but the style is totally versatile — it looks equally good with flat loafers, like the model is wearing above, as it does a pair of chunky combat boots or delicate sandals. The adjustable shoulder straps are a thoughtful touch, as you can customize the fit to suit both your bust size and your height.

  • Available sizes: X-Small — Large
  • Available colors: 5

This Wildly Popular T-Shirt Dress You’ll Want To Wear Every Day

Getting dressed truly does not get any easier with this maxi dress, thanks to its relaxed fit, cuffed short sleeves, and pockets (yes, it has pockets!). The split-hem detail on both sides gives this some structure, too, so petites won’t feel like they’re drowning in fabric. Also worth mentioning: It’s garnered over 20,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, comes in 41 colors and patterns, and costs just about $30. A fairly foolproof option, all around.

  • Available sizes: X-Small — XX-Large
  • Available colors/prints: 41

This Classic Wrap Dress That’ll Become A Wardrobe Staple

Since wrap dresses are inherently adjustable, this iconic silhouette works well for petites. This wrap-style maxi dress is a popular one on Amazon, where reviewers praise its surprisingly good quality and confirm that the colors are true to the product images. Always appreciated when you’re shopping online. Many petite-sized reviewers are happy with the fit, too: As one 5-foot-3 customer reported, “For once I’m not dragging a maxi dress on the floor!” Wrap dresses are warm-weather staples, of course, but they also work layered over a slim-fit turtleneck with knee-high boots during the colder months. So you’ll certainly get your wear out of this.

  • Available sizes: Small — XX-Large
  • Available colors/prints: 31

This High-Low Maxi Dress At An Unbeatable Price

Maxi dresses with asymmetrical hems, like this one, also tend to work well on petite frames. The tie-waist belt here lets you adjust the fit, too. This happens to be another favorite among petite-sized Amazon reviewers, who confirm that the length works on most heights under 5 foot 4. This simple style is so versatile, especially for summer, so you’ll get some good mileage out of this under-$30 steal.

  • Available sizes: X-Small — X-Large
  • Available colors/prints: 18

A Floral Maxi Dress With A Flowy, Asymmetrical Hem

On Amazon, this floral wrap dress seems to be the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants of dresses: According to thousands of happy reviewers (and their photographic evidence), it looks gorgeous on so many shapes and sizes, including petites. That’s down to details like its adjustable belt, plunging neckline that highlights your décolletage, and ethereal hemline that shows off some leg. This timeless, versatile style works equally well for running errands as it does special events, depending on how you accessorize.

  • Available sizes: Large Plus — 4X-Large Plus
  • Available colors: 10

This Belted Maxi Dress In A Sweet Checkered Print

End your search for the perfect not-boring, office-appropriate summer dress with this plaid dress from Vince Camuto. The floaty material and sleeveless cut will keep you cool in soaring temps, and the handkerchief hemline moves beautifully when you walk. Its belted waist offers structure without feeling constrictive, and that tartan print in bold blue is totally eye-catching. You can throw it in the washing machine, ideally on the delicate cycle, so you’ll save on your dry-cleaning bill — though the $30 price tag is already so easy on your wallet.

  • Available sizes: 0 — 14
  • Available colors: 4

This Maxi Dress That’ll Take You From Brunch To Cocktails

It doesn’t get much more evening-cocktails classic than this split-front, flutter-hem dress (especially when paired with delicate heels, as the model wears here). But the cotton-spandex construction offers a surprisingly casual touch; so you could don this during the day with a pair of flats, perhaps to an upscale brunch, without feeling overdressed.

  • Available sizes: 1X — 4X
  • Available colors: 5

A Super-Soft Tank Dress That’s Perfect For Layering

Consider this tank dress from Daily Ritual, an in-house Amazon brand that makes excellent-quality basics. It’s made of a viscose-elastane blend that subtly clings to your skin, but it’s soft and comfortable enough to wear when you’re lounging around — though with its cute rib detailing and racerback cut, you wouldn’t feel at all underdressed venturing out of the house in it. This lends itself naturally to layering under virtually any outerwear you have on hand; or, try it with a cropped or twist-tied T-shirt over the top.

  • Available sizes: X-Small — XX-Large
  • Available colors: 5

A Cold-Shoulder Maxi In A Vacation-Ready Print

The bold palm print bedecking this maxi dress is basically made for a tropical vacation. Style-wise, this boasts so many trappings of an ideal petite-friendly dress: A wrap closure, a side slit, and that cold shoulder sleeve that shows off a hint of skin. It’s ankle-skimming on this 5-foot-9 model, so it’ll just graze the floor on petites.

  • Available sizes: Large Plus — 3X Large Plus
  • Available prints: 11

This Maxi Dress That’s Perfect For Everyday Dressing

This Amazon Essentials maxi dress is no less simple (or comfortable) than throwing on your favorite T-shirt, but the elasticated empire waist and V-neck offer a bit more style and shape. The breathable, mid-weight fabric keeps you cool during heat waves, but it’s appropriate for milder temps when paired with a denim jacket and booties. This is $30 very well spent.

  • Available sizes: 1X — 6X
  • Available colors: 4

A Chic, Herringbone Maxi Dress Made Of Smooth, Stretchy Jersey

You can certainly fulfill your closet’s herringbone quota with a nubbly blazer or chunky scarf, but this Norma Kamali dress is an unexpected (and completely chic) way to wear the classic print. The slinky, stretch-knit material is another surprising, welcome touch: Feels so smooth, drapes so elegantly. The slim silhouette won’t overwhelm petite frames, too.

  • Available sizes: 32 — 42

This Petite-Size Maxi Dress In A Graphic Floral Print

The bold, black-and-yellow floral print on this dress tempers the sweetness of that ruffled neck and tiered skirt, so it wouldn’t look at all out of place paired with tougher accessories, like chunky platform loafers or a leather jacket. It’s also the rare piece that comes in petite sizing, and fits true to size. Although it’s sold as a midi dress, the length will fit more like a maxi on shorter frames.

  • Available sizes: 2 Petite — 14 Petite

A Beachy Maxi Dress In Fun Tie-Dye Prints

This maxi dress is technically a beach coverup; but with its selection of 12, on-trend tie-dye prints, side slit, and open back, it’s polished enough to wear when you step off the beach, too. (Just swap your flip flops for a pair of more elevated sandals.) You can tie up the hem in a knot if it’s dragging on the ground, or to bring more structure into this loose fit.

  • Available sizes: Small — 3X
  • Available colors: 12

The Drapey Maxi Dress That’s *Just* The Right Length

Here’s another easy-to-wear maxi dress, and an ideal addition to your warm-weather wardrobe. It’s made of soft, breathable cotton, and the raw hem and slouchy fit are effortlessly cool. This looks great both belted and unbelted, and it hits right around your mid-calf, depending on your height, so it won’t drag on the ground (while still reading as a maxi dress). This also comes highly recommended by my 5-foot-3 sister, who owns it in two colors (and counting).

  • Available sizes: X-Small — X-Large

A Minimalist-Chic Sweater Dress With A Sleek Side Slit

Is there anything chicer than this fitted, turtleneck sweater dress? The rib knit material makes this a little cooler than your typical bodycon dress, as does that sneaky, mid-thigh side slit. There’s virtually no wrong way to style this, whether casual with sneakers or upscale with a pair of strappy sandals. You can’t go wrong with either the black or the creamy caramel shades it comes in.

  • Available sizes: XX-Small — X-Large
  • Available colors: 2

A Button-Down Maxi Dress That Looks So Sharp

If you prefer a wrap dress with more structure, consider this button-up wrap dress. The off-centered buttons and asymmetrical hem look so editorial, and the cuffed sleeves are a subtle nod to menswear. This saffron hue is anything but boring, though the shade is surprisingly neutral — it pairs equally well with black, leopard, cobalt, or primary red accessories, depending on how bold you’re feeling today.

  • Available sizes: 1X — 3X

This Elegant Maxi Dress In A Painterly Print

Every element in this elegant maxi dress is intended to make its wearer feel like living art: The fitted bodice and waist-cinching belt; the face-framing halter neck; that joyful, Monet-meets-Kandinsky watercolor print. It’s available in an incredibly generous size range that includes straight, petite, and plus sizes, which gives so many shoppers the opportunity to feel beautiful in this showstopper.

  • Available sizes: 2 Petite — 22 Plus

This Airy Maxi Dress You’ll Reach For All Summer Long

It’s no surprise that this tiered maxi dress hails from The Drop, an in-house Amazon brand that partners with influencers to develop limited-edition pieces — it’s the ideal mix of cool, sophisticated, and playful, and equally appropriate for scorching-hot New York summers as a Palm Desert vacation. Petites may initially shy away from the billowing fit, but the tiered construction and square neckline keep this far from “shapeless tent” territory. (And one Amazon reviewer confirms that the length is just right for their 5-foot-2 frame.)

  • Available sizes: XX-Small — 3X
  • Available colors: 3