Petite Dresses for Wedding Guests from Nordstrom
*A huge thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. I am always honored to work with my favorite department store, and I appreciate your support of them.
If you have a petite frame, you already know that shopping for formal dresses can be a real struggle. It’s especially frustrating when you find a dress that you love, only to realize that its proportions are way off, so it doesn’t fit you properly. One of the places I’ve had the best luck finding a petite dress to wear to a formal event is Nordstrom. Their online selection is extensive for petites, so you’ll have lots to choose from.
What to Wear to a Wedding 2024
While itās always important to embrace your personal style, it’s equally imperative to consider the weddingās setting, theme, and formality. You want to look your best and be dressed appropriately for the occasion. I recommend you opt for timeless silhouettes that flatter your figure in colors that complement your complexion, leaning towards sophisticated hues and luxurious fabrics.
I’ve chosen navy and plum shades here because I know both colors flatter my complexion, so I can keep them in my closet for years. These would also work for formal dinner parties and other dressy celebrations. Donāt hesitate to accessorize thoughtfully, adding a touch of glamour with jewelry, a stylish clutch, and comfortable yet stylish footwear.
What does petite sizing mean?
While this may seem like a no-brainer, I think itās important to understand exactly what petite clothing is before you shop. Here are the main differences:
- Length: Petite clothing is designed for people of shorter stature, typically around 5ā4ā³ and under, although this can vary by brand. As a result, petite clothing items like pants, dresses, and skirts are shorter, but that’s just the beginning.
- Proportions: Petite clothing isn’t just shorter; it also takes into account the overall proportions of a shorter person. This means that items like sleeves, inseams, and torso lengths are adjusted to better suit petite individuals. Armhole depth is also shallower, and details are often scaled down.
- Waist and Hip Placement: The waist and hip placements on petite clothing should be higher than on regular clothing to better fit the shorter torso of petite individuals.
- Sleeves: In petite clothing, sleeve lengths are shorter and often slimmer than in regular sizes.
- Shoulder Width: Petite clothing may have narrower shoulder widths to accommodate smaller frames.
You can read more about petite sizing and where you can purchase petite clothing for women over 50 in this post.
Petite Dresses for Wedding Guests from Nordstrom
My top tip for shopping for wedding guest dresses, especially petite ones, is to shop early! As soon as you find out about an event, I suggest you start looking and ordering. I’ve learned from experience that Nordstrom has their best petite selection online. Most of their brick-and-mortar stores carry a very limited selection.
Petite Wedding Guest Gown From Nordstrom
Many women are self-conscious about their legs, so a floor-length gown is a great option for covering your legs (and shoes!) If you can’t or don’t want to wear heels of any kind, a full-length dress covers your footwear so you can be comfy and stylish.
The combination of delicate lace, flowy chiffon, scalloped edges, and the bodice’s subtle sparkle give this dress a graceful, feminine, and romantic touch. This would also be a great contender for a classy mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom dress. It’s also super comfy because the fabric is a stretchy knit.
A dress with a higher neck like this one also means you can get away with less jewelry and accessories. This gown is available in taupe, deep plum, and navy. I found the dress comfortable to wear, and the soft fabric moved beautifully with each step. I’m wearing a 10, and it fits true to size.
Petite Fit and Flare Wedding Guest Dress
I love the juxtaposition of this classic striped skirt next to the romantic lace detailing in this Alex Evenings Mixed Media Fit and Flare Dress. It has lovely 3/4 length sleeves, which so many dresses omit these days. They hit at the perfect length so that you can showcase a bracelet or watch.
This classic tea-length dress will not date itself and is a flattering option for petite women. Wedding photos are around for a very long time. So you want to choose a dress that won’t look horribly out of date in ten years.
This elegant dress is fully lined in navy so the sheer stripes in the skirt show to their best advantage. It comes with a matching sash you could tie in a showy bow or downplay with a subtle knot.
Surplice Wrap Wedding Guest Dress
This Alex Evenings Surplice Cocktail dress is a perfect choice for a wedding because it’s feminine, pretty, comfortable, and fits like a glove. It’s selling out fast so I’m not alone in my admiration for this beauty. The surplice neckline and side ruching give it a flattering shape and the color adds a touch of sophistication.
Navy is one of those “safe” colors that flatter most women’s complexions and is always acceptable.The subtle shimmer from the sequins in the skirt gives it the perfect amount of sparkle, making it elegant enough to wear to most weddings. The deep V of the neckline allows you to showcase a favorite necklace, or you can keep it simple and add a pair of stud earrings, like I have. The elbow-length sleeves cover what most ladies like to cover but aren’t too warm in a crowded room.
HERE ARE A FEW MORE PETITE WEDDING GUEST DRESSES FROM NORDSTROM
I’ve made no secret of the fact that Nordstrom is my favorite department store. Their incredible customer service and large selection makes shopping so easy. They always have free shipping and returns and offer BOPUS, ROTUS (reserve online, try on in-store), and curbside pickup.
Joining the Nordy Club is free and allows you to earn points towards notes you can use to shop. Plus, you get free basic alterations, like hemming which is so helpful when you’re petite!
If you need more ideas or advice for what to wear to a wedding, you may enjoy these other posts:
- Fall Wedding Guest Dresses for Over 50
- Winter Wedding Outfits for Women Over 50 and 60
- Dressing Room Diary- Spring Special Occasion and Wedding Guest Dresses
Have you got any formal events coming up this year? Let me know how I can help.
Hi Jennifer, I hope you’ll soon do a post on Spring wedding dresses, especially in lighter colors and fabrics! Where I live, an outdoor wedding in May can well be HOT and humid, and stores are already starting to stock Spring clothes. Thanks!
Great suggestion!
Very timely! I’m a MOB for Oct. 2024 in Northern California and a petite. I definitely want 3/4 sleeve and these look great. Thanks Jennifer!
Jennifer you look lovely in the dresses you chose to share with us. I donāt have a wedding to attend that I know of but would chose flowy pants and a matching color top. Depending on the colors used by the wedding party, I would pick navy or go light with taupe. I have to were flat wide toe boot shoes. Iām 79, 5ā2ā and 138-140 pounds depending on the day. I do have a granddaughter that recently got engaged but no date as yet.
Congratulations on her engagement. That’s very exciting!
At my age Iām conscious of my neck, both front and back so for formal guest dresses I look for collars or jackets.
Love the dresses and Nordstrom’s service is excellent, but — unfortunately, there is a ‘but’ — Alex Evening’s smallest size is 6P if you can get it. I’m smaller than that so I went with Macy’s, which also has amazing service if you try on the clothes in the store, you can make any returns immediately. Dillard’s also has a good selection.
Thanks for sharing Maeve.
Hi Jennifer, this is not a comment about the beautiful wedding guest dresses, but a request for ideas of appropriate attire for an 80 year old grandmother (with wrinkles from head to toe) to wear on a family vacation at an all inclusive beach resort in Nassau. HELP please!!
How fun! For a resort vacation I would go all in with Kaftans and flowy dresses in lightweight fabrics. Loose, airy and easy. Comfy sandals, some fun tropical earrings. Play up the color and loose fitting outfits. Flowy cotton pants are great too. Let me know if you’d like some links to what I mean.
All beautiful dresses on you! Thanks for talking about petite clothing. It is really difficult to find things that fit properly. I seem to have the most trouble with tops. Like you say it’s all about proportion.
I have a problem with the genre “wedding dresses.” They look dated, to me, and suitable only for a wedding guest. I can achieve that level of formality from my current closet and avoid having to buy a “one-time” garment. A nice outfit one might wear to church could suffice, in my opinion.
These are for a wedding guest. Many women don’t have a wardrobe that can reach that level of formality so these are helpful to fill a gap.
All the dresses look lovely on you. I hope you look for dresses for a summer wedding next. My son is getting married in Costa Rica in June, it will be hot & humid. I can’t wear anything low cut, would like a little sleeve, below the knee and camouflaging the waist since that’s where I carry my weight. Plus, my DIL’s mom wants us to be “flower girls” (of course I said yes). At 73, with white hair, I’ll be an atypical flower girl for sure. Fingers crossed the spring & summer styles will bring something suitable, I never wear dresses so this search is pretty stressful. Glad to know returns are easy at Nordstrom.
I’ll keep my eye our for you. Being a flower “girl” seems unusual. Please tell us how it goes.
I love how the first gown you shared looks on you. That plum color is gorgeous! Petite sizing is such a blessing. I’m 5’4″ tall but my torso is really short. What height I have is in my legs (I have a 31″ inseam–the same as my 6′ tall husband but when I sit down next to him my head is only as high as his chest). But Ibdo have problem in that it is difficult to find petite sizing that goes up to a 16 or 18 in stores. It seems that the buyers think that petite also means that shorter women don’t have full busts or wide hips. I have found some things online but I prefer to try things on and don’t want to deal with the hassle of returns. Unfortunately taking 2 or 3 inches out of the middle of a dress or blouse isn’t an alteration that can be done to an off the rack garment. Other than having a tailor make a dress for me, do you havevany suggestions?
It’s not feasible to take inches out of the torso. I would wear seperates. There are very elegant skirts and pants so you could be sure to get the right length on top and bottom.
My son is getting married in Dominican Republic in June 2024-on the beach, the bride wants us to wear neutral colors, formal wedding. I have searched for days on end for a suitable dress. I do not like any matronly gown type dresses-the sequins, etc. I am 65-5’6″, 135, redhead-pale skin. Not an easy combination. I want a maxi dress, long or 3/4 sleeves,
I covent Johnny Was, but haven’t found the right one-and the right price. I ordered 2 dresses so far. One gold sequin-ish long, one pinks/neutrals flowers long wrap. We will see.
I prefer Anthropologie and especially the Somerset dress. I have 2! If they make a suitable long sleeve in the Somerset design, I will order that as well. I tried to wait for the Mother of the bride to purchase her dress, but I have to get some now and begin my try on journey. I feel as we have little options in a store-that most have to be ordered on line, so it is a challenge. Any suggestions appreciated! Thank you for your posts-the try on helps so much to be able to actually see a real person in a dress, not 110 LB 6 ” 26 year old
Thanks, Jennifer, for this article. Proportion is so very important but difficult to achieve if you are petite but shopping regular sizes! The deep plum color suits you so well.
I am also a petite and agree that Nordstrom is the best bet for formal wear. They carry beautiful and classic dresses at a variety of price points and their shipping and return policy canāt be beat. I have ordered formal wear 3 or 4 dresses at a time to try on and easily returned what I didnāt want to keep. Refunds are quickly processed. My nearest Nordstrom is an hour away so online shopping is a must for me.
I always have great luck at Nordstrom.
I have a wedding to go to June 1, 2024. But Im not petite. Love the 1st navy dress and sending this pic to the mother of the groom.
Alex Evenings makes these dresses in regular lengths too.
I agree that Nordstromās has a nice selection of formal dresses for petite. I have also had good luck with Dillardās. I also agree with your color choices. The navy and plum are both very flattering.
My granddaughter is getting married in September in Puerto Vallarta. Hoping to find something appropriately tropical, yet subdued, that packs wellš.
I helped my friend choose an Alex Evenings gown for a mother-of-the-bride dress. She measured carefully. The gown needed no alterations. It was true to size and exactly as pictured. She looked lovely.