If you're a short woman like me, then you know that shopping for certain clothing items can be difficult. Whether it's high-waisted jeans going up to your bra or longer skirts swallowing you whole, there seems to be a sweet spot that we need to find in apparel all the time. And when it comes to dresses for short women, you need to really go through some trial-and-error to find styles that look good. Lucky for you, I went through the painstaking task of doing that with some current styles in stores that range from affordable to expensive.
But the thing is, I do love dresses. Anything girly—skirts, dresses and lots of pink, for example—is right up my alley. So even though it isn’t a breeze for me to shop for these clothing items, I have lots of practice and know what looks good on me, what will fit and what is going to be a no-go.
Related: ‘I Tried on 12 Baggy Jeans To Find the Best Styles—Here Are 9 I Loved and 3 To Skip’
I find that even though I can’t find bottoms that fit me in stores because they don’t sell their plus-sized options in-person, I can usually find dresses that work. Of course, like with all women’s clothing, there are usually size discrepancies within a brand. So even though one dress might fit because of its shape or fabric, another from the same store won’t even go over my chest or stomach. But that’s okay; I have decades of experience trying things on and being disappointed in dimly lit fitting rooms.
I do want to note, though, that even though I do know what usually works on my body and what doesn’t, I did get a bit more adventurous for this experiment. Especially when I stopped at Target, I kind of just chose anything with a pattern or look that I really liked. So, for instance, even if I usually wouldn’t gravitate toward a form-fitting maxi dress, I tried it on for this test.
The 8 Dresses for Short Women I Loved the Most—After Trying on 12 for Summer 2026
Here were my eight favorite dresses, and the ones I'd recommend to other short women!
1. Best Overall: Linen-Blend Apron-Neck Mini Shift Dress, $27.99 (originally $39.99 at Old Navy
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at Old NavyAnd since I am a lover of dresses, it was perfect that this pattern was on a flattering A-line dress with an even cuter neckline. Even though some loose dresses can sometimes make a plus-sized woman like me look frumpy or shapeless, I had faith this would give me that stylish, effortless, breezy summer look. And I was right! I actually like the look of shapeless dresses on me, especially if they’re shorter (actually, only if they’re shorter). It kind of gives off a Sabrina Carpenter vibe, in my opinion, which of course flatters shorter women like me as well. And this one was short enough to give me a classy silhouette without showing my butt and not too long so that it didn’t swallow me whole. Related: How To Style a Denim Dress at Any Age, According to Celebrity Stylists
2. At The Barre Halter Dress, $19.48 (originally $64.95) at Aerie
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at AerieAnd the flowy nature of the skirt was giving “long lyrical costume,” but in a casual, wearable way. This dress is perfect for a day outside at a picnic or cookout, or for date night; it’s able to be dressed up or down, depending on the shoes and accessories you choose.The XL fit me, which was a nice surprise. I might choose to go up one size to an XXL if I did purchase this for myself, for a little more breathing room. The XL wasn’t uncomfortable, but as all dancers know, if you spend too much time lounging in a tight leotard, it could be too much. So, for the sake of potentially wearing this to brunch or a family gathering in the future, if I choose to buy it, I’d want that added comfort.
3. Strappy Mini Shift Dress, $14.99 (originally $29.99) at Old Navy
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at Old NavyMaterials: 100% Polyester | Size Range: XS-4X | Fit: XXL | Color Worn: Green Stripe | Colors: 9 | Length: MiniI tried this dress on in stores in the spring, looking for something to wear for Easter. I loved it at the time, but chose not to buy it because I was a little iffy about the shift-dress aspect of it all. As I stated before, if something is shapeless on my bigger body, I don’t want to get lost in it and look frumpy. But when this experiment came up, and I was already buying the above Apron-Neck Shift Dress, I figured “Why not?” And I’m glad I got it. I, for one, love this pattern and color; I think it flatters me very well, and I am just a sucker for anything sage green, mint green or in that category of “Green" (can you tell by the way my curtains match this dress?). I also loved the feminine bows on the back of the straps. And when on, even though it doesn’t give shape, the short nature really lends itself to that doll, retro pin-up vibes that are popular right now (especially for short women). Overall, it’s airy and comfortable and gives me a colorful item that I can wear to a restaurant or just out on the town—casual or nice.
4. Women's Plus Midi A Line Dresses - Ava & Viv, $24 (originally $40) at Target
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at TargetMaterials: 48% Cotton, 5% Recycled Cotton, 47% Rayon | Size Range: XXL-4X | Fit: XXL | Color Worn: Blue | Colors: 2 | Length: MidiThis sort of peasant dress look has been popular for a couple of years now, and is just a great choice for the summer. And this one hugs my upper body is such a flattering way. I do wish I had gone for a 1X (that’s on me, since they did have it in-store, I just thought it looked too big). This XXL is too snug on my stomach, so it would be uncomfortable after a bit of time. But again, it still looks good, regardless, and is such a pretty, girly dress to have. The pattern on this is reminiscent of Greece, with the light blue and white colors and the potted plants and other shapes fitting in well with that Santorini vibe. It’s simple and breezy, and would work so well for many summer occasions.
5. Pointelle Rib-Knit Cover-Up, $31.49 (originally $44.99) at Old Navy
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at Old NavyRelated: I’ve Used 7 Prequel Skincare Products for 30 Days—Here’s What I’d Buy Again
6. Women's Plus Cap Sleeve Midi A-Line Dress - Ava & Viv, $21 (originally $35) at Target
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at TargetMaterials: 66% Cotton, 30% Recycled Polyester, 4% Spandex | Size Range: 16-30 | Fit: 18 | Color Worn: Blue/Red Striped | Colors: 1 | Length: MidiThis dress is very structured, thanks to the tight feel of the dress on the upper part of the body and its princess seams, which make it very flattering for curvier bodies. I’ve also seen some hate online for cap sleeves, and these work well with this dress; they’re cute here! If I were in the market for a more professional dress—whether for a conference or graduation, or if I were a teacher—this would be the perfect one. It’s modest with its length and sleeves, but while still flattering with the way it hugs the chest and upper stomach.
7. A&F Sydney Smocked Convertible Midi Dress, $90 (originally $120) at Abercrombie & Fitch
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at Abercrombie & FitchThis dress was cute and reminded me so much of smocked dresses I wore as a child (in a good way). Because of that, it has a very retro look that either fits with youthful '90s vibes or hippie '70s vibes. You can also remove the straps to go strapless (which I love) or pull it down so you can wear it as a skirt.
I also think that a pretty blue and brown color combo should be used more in clothes now; they go well together and are a unique choice for summer. I really liked that I didn’t have to wear a bra with this, and that it had pockets! If I ever see this on sale, I might actually buy it. I really loved the tight top and flowy skirt combination that would be good to just throw on if you wanted to casually, or could be dressed up for nice summer events like a rooftop bar, date night on a patio or more. Plus, you could easily use this to transition into fall with a cardigan or a lovely sweater on top.
8. Women's Mini Cowl Dress - Wild Fable, $30 at Target
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at TargetMaterials: 100% Recycled Polyester | Size Range: XXS-4X | Fit: XXL | Color Worn: Orange Floral | Colors: 2 | Length: MiniSo, as you can see, this is a tiny, tiny dress, and did not fit me very well at all in an XXL. But hear me out: I still really liked it. I love something sexy that I can wear to a club or a bar to go dancing in. And if I got this in a 2X, I just know it would make me feel so hot and look oh-so-good. This is perfect for a bachelorette party, a night out with the girls or out in a party scene like Las Vegas. Related: ‘I Tested 9 Popular Drugstore Lip Stains To See Which One Stayed Put the Longest’
4 Dresses You Can Skip
9. Aerie On-The-Down-Low Back Dress, $35 (originally $74.95) at Aerie
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at AerieI did like the low back feature on this dress, and it showed a tasteful amount of side-boob that I usually don’t get in dresses. The colors were also a different combination than what I’m used to, and I liked them, specifically the dark beige and magenta. The fit was flattering and comfortable, which was refreshing for a size XL. Again, if the fabric and seams were different on the front, I could see myself actually getting this dress.
10. Smocked High-Neck Midi Dress, $168 at Madewell
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at MadewellThis dress was weirdly tight in the chest, and it stretched out more than a smocked top should (in my opinion). It was just a nothing-burger of a dress for me, which was a bummer since it was stretchy material and I felt like it should fit.
11. Women's Lace Trim Maxi Empire Waist Dress - Wild Fable, $40 at Target
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at TargetMaterials: 80% Cotton, 20% Recycled Cotton | Size Range: XXS-4X | Fit: XXL | Color Worn: Cream Floral | Colors: 2 | Length: MaxiYikes! Aside from being tighter than I liked, there was no stretch here. Also, the plunging neckline and loose (for me) cups were a bit scandalous if I wore it out.
12. The Blaire Mini Dress, $99.99 (originally $138) at Madewell
Courtesy Alani Vargas
Shop it at MadwellThis fitted, structured mini dress was difficult to get on, mostly because it was too tight, but also because of the weird liner situation going on. Due to being a white dress, there’s a very thin slip underneath that’s sewn in at the strangest spots. So it was difficult getting that in the right place (I failed) while also making the dress sit correctly. The dress was also still see-through despite it all, so I very much felt like “what was the reason I had to wrangle a slip?”
Related: ‘I Tried Abercrombie Curve Love Jeans as a Short, Plus-Sized Woman—Here Are 4 Popular Styles Ranked'
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