Petite wedding guest dresses: lengths and proportions cut for you

Hem length and where the waist sits

For a floor-length dress, measure from the shoulder to the floor in the shoes you will wear, then take off a little so it does not catch on steps. If you are not wearing heels, say so, because a hem cut for heels will drag in flats.

The waist seam matters even more. On a frock or an anarkali, a seam placed at your natural waist, or just above it, makes your legs look longer. Placed too low, it shortens the whole outline. Our pages on kameez lengths for petite and tall women and custom lengths for petite women in the USA explain how to choose.

Shapes that suit a shorter frame

Long, unbroken lines work best, so the eye travels from shoulder to hem without a stop in the middle. A single colour, or a top and trousers in the same colour, does the same job.

• Anarkali with a high waist seam: a short bodice and a long flare give the longest line. See the anarkali suits.
• Long dress with a defined waist: a fit-and-flare or a tiered maxi in one colour
• Kameez with straight trousers: a knee-length or slightly shorter kameez, so the trousers show
• Co-ord set: matching top and trousers make one clean column of colour

Sleeves, embroidery and prints

Sleeves should end at the wrist bone for full length, or just below the elbow for three-quarter. We cut them to your arm measurement, so they will not cover your hands. A bell sleeve can look lovely on a petite frame if it is not too wide.

Keep the scale of the work in proportion. A very large print or one deep border can swamp a small frame, while finer embroidery placed on the neckline, cuffs and a narrow hem border looks balanced. Our guide on whether large prints suit petite women has examples. Browse our wedding guest dresses to see the kind of work we do.

Ordering a petite wedding guest dress

Send your height, the shoes you plan to wear and the full set of measurements from the size guide. Then ask for a quote with a photo of the dress you have in mind, or start from one of ours on the custom frocks page. We confirm the length, waist position and sleeves in the written quote before anything is cut.

Making takes 5 to 7 working days once your quote is approved and paid in full, then we ship it to your door in the UK, the USA, the Gulf or anywhere else. Your quote includes delivery and any import duties and fees. We cannot promise a delivery date, so order as early as you can before the wedding.