Petite Friendly Dresses from Collectif

This one goes out to all the shorties out there, for all the ladies under 5'4" struggling with finding dresses that are the right length. What's up, ladies? How ya doing?

OK MC moment over. But seriously, if you're petite like I am (5'2" over here!), you are always wary of ordering retro style clothes in fear they will be on the long side and end up making you look frumpy. Many vintage reproduction brands make garments on the long side to be historically accurate since the style back in the 50s and 60s was pretty conservative and the trendy look was full and long skirts. It's a beautiful look and one I adore tremendously, but so many times I order a dress or skirt and upon trying it on, am frustrated to find it a SMIDGE too long on me. I have learned that if a skirt passes 26" in length, I won't like how it looks fully. 

Collectif is my favorite brand currently. I always go to town when they have their huge 50% off sales and love how their styles fit me. They're reliable and usually of good quality. However, many styles can be very long. I ADORE some styles, such as the Caterina swing dress, but would love them even MORE if they were 2" or so shorter. But that just seems to be a common challenge as a petite gal.

Well, if you struggle with length like I do, read on! I have collected a handful of Collectif styles that are petite-friendly to help with your future shopping! It can be hard to tell by the photos on the website so I hope this guide helps you learn which Collectif styles will work best for you. 

Full Disclaimer: I am sure there are MORE petite-friendly looks by Collectif that I haven't tried yet. These are just ones that I currently have in my closet and love to wear. 

Amber-Lea

I only recently discovered Amber-Lea this year and it has become my ultimate favorite! Not to be confused with its sister style, Amber (which has a less full skirt), Amber-Lea is practically perfect from shoulder to hem. I love the way it fits my torso and arms (GASP!) and the waist falls right at my waist (I have a short torso and often run into issues with space in the shoulders or the waist falling too low) and the full gathered skirt falls perfectly just past my knees. They have released the Amber-Lea in a few colorways just this last season - the blue stripes pictured here as well as a gorgeous leaf print for fall as well as green/orange/black/white stripes for Halloween. I hope they continue releasing Amber-Lea dresses in 2021. It will quickly become my staple for cooler weather, if so! 

Janet

Another goodie for cooler months is Janet. A shirt dress style with short sleeves, the Janet is comfortable, casual, but still very lovely and feminine. I paired it with boots in the wintertime in these photos but it looks equally as cute with little wedges or heels. Another perk is that despite its shirt dress style, it still has a back zip, which is PHENOMENAL! I despise side zips or shirt dresses that only give you the buttons as the main way to put it on or off. Back zip trumps all for ease of wear, IMO! I don't see many versions of the Janet lately but it is definitely on my list if they decide to release any new ones in the future. 

Hepburn

The Hepburn dress is a fantastic staple to add to your closet if you're petite. Many brands have a Hepburn dress (some call it the Audrey) and it's usually a classic sleeveless dress with a high boat neck and full skirt. Colledctif's Hepburn is a short length, which is fantastic and has visible adorable pockets. I currently have two Hepburn dresses - a blue/orange one from a ModCloth collaboration as well as a pink and olive plaid. They're easy, comfortable, and flattering to my short stature. 

Jade

If you love Collectif's fun prints, Jade is right for you. They have released SO many fun Jade dresses in recent years. I have the pineapple print but there is a cupcake one, a strawberry one, and probably a few more that I am forgetting at the moment. I appreciate the adjustable straps so much (anyone else have issues with straps not fitting right??) and love the shorter length. The skirt is full despite the shorter length and overall, it's just such a fun dress! 

Judy (Honorable Mention)

Out of all of these dresses, the Judy is the longest. However, I found it to still be a flattering length so I decided to include it as an honorable mention. I hope to buy more Judy in the future as the collar is unique and the sleeves are loose and easy to wear with my chubby arms. It just has a very laid back and comfortable look and it was PERFECT for summer this year when I didn't want to make too much of an effort to get dressed in the heat.  Unlike the Janet, the Judy's button front is the way to get her on and off but it doesn't cause any kind of pulled muscle since the buttons reach pretty low on the dress to allow comfortable wear!

I hope this list of petite friendly Collectif dresses has helped in your future shopping! Collectif is truly a great brand that offers high quality at decently affordable prices. They often have sales, which helps even more, and I love feeling confident in a well-fitted garment.