Finding the perfect summer dress can be hard. Finding the perfect fit even harder! Bodies come in all sort of shapes and sizes. Beautiful dresses very often don’t. This Asos midi dress is an exception! And here’s why!

Talk about trendy pieces and this dress will immediately come to my mind. One-shoulder tops and dresses are the new off-shoulder for the season. Ruffles and stripes adorning every garment. And the pastel hues are everything that we want to wear this summer – remember last week’s look?

For me, this is that perfect summer dress!

But style is not just about finding those key pieces. It’s about finding those key pieces that work for you. It’s about knowing yourself, knowing your body, understanding what works and what doesn’t, what’s comfortable and what’s not. And that is very personal! For some, retail sample sizes will do just fine. But for us, common mortals, that’s usually not the case. So, I was thrilled that when I found this dress, a petite version was also available! I ordered a UK size 4, in petite, and it fits amazing. It’s a midi dress and it actually looks midi on me! That’s a first!

But Asos didn’t only go for regular versus petite. They also have a tall and a curve version. I think it’s really fantastic to see brands go that extra step. Having four different cuts of the same dress in multiple sizes each, makes it available for many more women, becoming way more inclusive.

Dress – Asos (available here); Bag – Mango (similar here); Ballerinas – Josefinas (handmade in Portugal, available here); Watch – Cluse (available here)

Shot by C.E.; Edition & Concept by The petite Cat

Shop the look

Like I said, it’s also important to know yourself, your body, and make choices accordingly. If this would be a fitted dress from the waist down, my hips wouldn’t fit. And because every person is unique on their measurements, we can also understand that brands won’t be able to make every item in every single size imaginable. That’s called ‘made to measure’ and only tailors and dressmakers can do that for you! Of course, retailers have the responsibility to be as inclusive as possible. But just making sizes bigger is not the answer for all of us. Sometimes the smallest size available is too big for me…

How to get the perfect fit:

1. Find retailers with a variety of clothing lines, differentiated by size. Like I mentioned earlier, Asos carries regular, petite, tall, curve, and even a maternity line. Zalando also offers a decent range for petite, tall, plus-size, and maternity/post-birth. These are two examples of retailers I use frequently with a variety of size options. With free deliveries and returns, there’s no reason to not give it a try!
2. Find which shapes work for you and stick to them! Have you found a particular shape of dress that is most flattering for you? Try it with different prints, textures, fabrics. Play with accessories to create different looks.
3. Make your own clothes. The most perfect of the fits comes from made to measure. Being able to make your own garments will allow you to create clothes that will fit your own measurements in particular. You can alternatively find a tailor or a dressmaker, if you need a garment for a special occasion for example.

How to know which size to pick?

Regular, petite and tall have mostly to do with height. If you’re 1,60 m tall or below you’ll be better off in a petite size. Petite sizes have shorter sleeves and hems, but also shorter torsos (very important for dresses and jumpsuits). Tall sizes are the opposite of petite, including longer sleeves and hems, and longer torsos. Tall sizes are recommended if you’re taller than 1,75 m/1,80 m. If you’re between 1,60 m and 1,80 m then regular sizes are a good option. The three categories above will each have a sample of sizes ranging usually between EU size 30/32 – EU size 42/44. If your size is above EU size 44, then the curve section will be ideal with pieces that range up to EU size 58 (see conversions here).

To know which size suits you best, it is better to measure yourself. You should always choose the size that is closest to your body measurements. In general, for tops, blouses and coats take the measurement of your chest as an indicator. For dresses, skirts, and trousers, it’s most important to take into account the measurement of your hips. When picking a pattern size to make your own clothes, the same rule applies.

I hope this gives you some useful ideas to find the perfect fit. Like I said the first step is to know your body. You want to dress for the body, not the opposite!

Do you also struggle with sample sizes? How do you succeed to find the perfect fit? If you have more ideas please share them in the comments below! Have a lovely week and enjoy the summer!