I’m a 5-Foot Shopping Writer, and I Wear This $38 Maxi Dress to Every Summer Wedding

The year I turned 25, I went to nine summer weddings. Forget the gifts and travel expenses — what I cared about most was finding the perfect wedding guest dress to fit my curvy, 5-foot frame. (Okay, if I’m being honest, I’m 4 feet 11 inches and three-quarters.) While the overall number of weddings per year has subsided since then, I still attend my fair share of warm-weather nuptials, which means my search for summer wedding guest dresses that don’t need hemming is never over. Until now, that is.

I’m a self-proclaimed outfit repeater, and I really, really love maxi dresses. When I’m lucky enough to find a maxi dress that works for my shorter stature, all bets are off — I wear it over and over again. Bonus points for maxi dresses that come in multiple colors, since I also believe in buying multiples. Enter: the Etcyy Ruffled Chiffon Off-the-Shoulder Maxi Dress, which has become my go-to dress for every summer wedding I’ve attended in the past three years. For all my fellow petite shoppers out there, here’s another reason you should try it: It’s only $38 at Amazon.

Etcyy Ruffled Chiffon Off-the-Shoulder Maxi Dress

Amazon

I’ve made a habit of scrolling through Amazon in search of well-fitting petite dresses, and this is one of my favorites to date. It’s designed in lightweight, wispy chiffon that feels exactly like silk and looks way more expensive than it actually is. The A-line silhouette is just the right amount of flowy for curvier bodies like mine, thanks to four gorgeous ruffled tiers, an elastic waist, and elastic-trim neckline you can wear on or off the shoulder (I’ve done both). I also love the allover crinkled pleating, which adds such a unique design element. It comes in sizes S–XL, and I’ve found that the L fits me perfectly.

People

Here’s the best part: Although it’s classified as a maxi dress, I’d actually call it a midi dress, since it hits at the calves on most people. This makes one of my favorite petite fashion hacks possible, because midi dresses become the perfect-length maxi dresses on my shorter frame. Whether I wear flats or heels, this dress never drags on the ground, which means it’s worked for multiple wedding dance floors. I even wore the navy version as a bridesmaid in my best friend’s wedding three years ago, and I didn’t have to worry about it trailing behind me as I walked down the aisle. As an added plus, it didn’t wrinkle when I packed it in my suitcase.

And can we talk about that under-$40 price tag? As someone who used to wear different dresses to every wedding (and, sadly, spent way more than $40 on most of them), finding one this stunning at an affordable price point is the best part of all. It’s certainly made it easy for me to snap the maxi dress up in multiple colors — I own it in lavender and navy, and I’m also eyeing the butter yellow, dark purple, black, and leopard print.

People

The dress has earned over 2,300 five-star ratings on Amazon, and many are from fellow shorter shoppers. One petite reviewer said it “fits like a dream [and is] very forgiving and very flattering,” while a 5-foot shopper said it’s the “perfect midi length” that’s “wearable and flattering.” A third petite reviewer said it “looked stunning for a beach wedding.” It’s actually racked up over 130 positive reviews from people who wore it to weddings, noting that it’s a “lightweight and comfortable” dress that’s “easy to dance in.”

The Etcyy Ruffled Chiffon Off-the-Shoulder Maxi Dress has certainly made me say “I do” to wedding season. It’s become my go-to wedding guest dress as much for its gorgeous silhouette as for its affordable price point. Snap it up for $38 at Amazon, and keep scrolling to shop a few more similar styles, below.