Summer is the season for dresses. Besides the holiday period, there’s no other time of year that I find myself wearing dresses as often. I wouldn’t say I’m a dress girl at heart, but I love how feminine they make me feel. We’ve been having some of the hottest days of summer yet and I’ve been living in dresses. Because I’m petite, finding dresses that fit well is no easy task. Luckily, most are easily tailored, but finding the perfect silhouette for your body type is really the difference between wearing a dress and letting it wear you. 

Here are 5 tips for finding the perfect dress for your body type:

1. Identify your best length: Know what length looks best on you and what you feel best in. Since I’m short, I shy away from longer lengths (unless it has a thigh-high slit) and vice-versa, if you’re tall, mini dresses might feel too revealing (depending on the event).

2. Own your best features: One of my favorite features is my shoulders. I’ll wear a dress showing them off any day, but cleavage isn’t something I show off too often – obviously it has to be the appropriate occasion.

3. Show skin selectively: If I wear something low-cut, I make sure it’s a longer length or vice-versa – if I opt for a shorter hemline, I make sure it’s a higher neckline.

4. Invest in dresses you’ll wear more than once: When it comes to buying a dress I always make sure it’s one that I can wear multiple times. Unless it’s for a wedding or special event, I hate the idea of wearing a dress only once. I always think of multiple ways that I can wear a dress before I buy it.

5. Buy dresses that make you feel good: There’s no better feeling (except maybe when you find a swimsuit that you look good in) than finding a dress that you look great in. Although it goes against rule no. 4, if you find a dress that you feel amazing in, buy it. Even if you don’t have a place to wear it right away. I can’t tell you how many times, I dig into the back of my closet and pull out a dress I bought seasons ago just because I know I’ll feel good in it.

Here are more of my favorite dresses for summer:

xo, Maria

Outfit Details:

Tularosa x REVOLVE Maida Ruffle Dress (comes in 3 colors, wearing an XS)
Celine Sunglasses
Sam Edelman Heels
Chloé Faye Bag (medium size)

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