What do Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande have in common? Aside from sharing the former-child-actor-to-pop-star career journey, they’re both short and stylish women who regularly wear a variety of different skirts, proving that the best skirts for petites aren’t dictated by a specific hem length.
Despite being peddled to those under 5’4″ as a style faux pas, skirt outfits can actually complement shorter frames without leaving feeling like your figure is being swallowed by fabric (such is sometimes the case if you’re wearing a maxi dress) or revealing too much (say if you’re wearing a mini.)
Take the Espresso songstress, for instance. From her off-duty wardrobe comprised of Miu Miu micro bubble skirts to her babydoll dresses and corset bodysuits worn during the Short’N’Sweet tour, Carpenter knows the key to wearing a skirt is balancing her exposed skin with a chunky Mary Jane or platform to root the outfit with a more stocky shape.
On the other hand, Grande has taken a more dainty approach to styling her skirts. The Wicked actress can often be found in skirts that protrude from the waist and finish with a pointed stiletto to counteract any widening effect.
The point is, this pair has proven that, irrespective of your height, there are no limitations to the best skirts for petites. The challenge, however, arises when you’re not part of the Hollywood elite with a stylist on call—it’s about finding styles that flatter your unique body type.
You see, the plight that all petite women face is finding styles that can fit their bodies directly off the rack. Many styles will ultimately have to be altered, and visiting a tailor can do wonders for trimming larger garments, but there’s nothing quite as joyous as taking something home from the store and wearing it right away.
It’s often the case that a mini skirt can fall mid-thigh on petite women while maxi skirts graze along the floor like a sort of unintentional train. Of course, overcorrecting this with heels can only do so much, particularly if you have to commute to work. Thankfully, there are numerous expensive-looking high street and designer brands that offer dedicated ranges for smaller statures, including Reformation and Rixo.
Stopping by boutiques with curated offerings first is a petite styling tip I’ll always recommend. But knowing which styles are better tailored to petite proportions is a challenge in itself. Fear not. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the 6 best skirts for petites to guide you through your next purchase. From specific fabrics that suit better to new lengths to consider, see them all ahead.
The Best Skirts for Petites:
1. Cotton Poplin Skirt
Style Notes: Considering sourcing petite jeans can mostly prove a struggle, think of the cotton-poplin skirt as the anti-denim solution to your styling difficulties. In warmer weather, this style adds a billowiness to your looks effortlessly put together. Simply pair it with an equally relaxed shirt and your favourite spring shoe.
Shop the Skirt
See More
