Anything you can wear, I can wear shorter... This has always been my style philosophy as a petite gal, and it’s mostly proven true. From jeans to swimsuits to celebrity style icons, we petites have plenty of options these days. I’ll admit, however, that things can get a little tricky when it comes to maxi dresses. After all, with “maxi” right there in the name, they’re not exactly made for us “mini” folk. But I don’t believe in writing off an entire category of clothing—especially one that can actually be really flattering—just because of my height, and to my fellow petites: neither should you!

It is worth it to consider some style strategy, though. Short of donning platforms or hauling ‘em to the tailor, there are a few ways I’ve been able to make those lovely long dresses work for my 5-foot-1 frame. After plenty of trial and error, and many years of soaking in the advice of fashion blogs and the stylists I follow on social media, I’ve developed five “rules” for wearing a maxi dress as a petite person—and I daresay they can work for anyone who wants to add a little height to their look.

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