Knee length summer dresses with waist tie or elastic. Not clingy!

[Justkoko]

Where are all the stylish dresses? 5ft3 so midi usually end up at ankles and swamp me.
Just looking for a simple shape, jersey or linen would be fine, open neckline, but must come in at the waist, either with elastic or a thin tie belt. Just covering knees ideally, not too long or it overwhelms me. Everything seems to be in garish prints, I can't find a single thing. There used to be lots of these type of dresses about.

These are Roman, Next and Matalan

I’m a bit baffled by this idea (which I keep seeing on here) that women my own height can’t wear midi length. I’m not posting to try and make you change your mind but I’m not surprised you’re struggling on the high street because it’s not the current length or shape. In your shoes, with those requirements. I wouldn’t even bother looking on the high street for new, I’d use posh charity shops and dress agencies if I preferred real shops, or Vinted / EBay etc formore choice but greater risk.

They just end up being maxi, and maxi doesn't suit me. I like my knees to be covered but that's all. I suppose tea length? I just wanted something a but summery, I have a couple of plain shift dresses but they are just navy and black. And not quite as long as I wanted.

It is floral so may not be what you want, but this vintage-style tea dress is on the knee and waisted. Joe Browns

This and other waisted gingham dresses at Nobody's Child also come in petite.

You know, I saw this thread yesterday and very nearly wrote exactly what @Floismehas done.

IIRC someone on another thread has linked a green M&S dress that might be what you want, @Justkoko.

Seasalt do this linen dress in petite

And this one in petite (also seasalt)

I know what you mean about being swamped - I'm five foot one, so have to be really picky to avoid things being maxi length (which I don't like on me), but also the rest of the proportions being out - waist position, sleeve length, too much fabric on the bodice, shoulder width, neckline being too low etc.

One of my best purchases last year was a black, midi length, linen sleeveless shirt waister from Primark, but I also buy from Next, Hobbs, Walkis and Phase Eight petite ranges, plus others as I spot them. Shopping takes ages - it's not just a case of walking into a shop and choosing something when you're short.

Apricot do a good range of dresses which finish just below the knee - I’m 5’1 and this brand has been great

You could look on Vinted for Seasalt dresses. Admittedly there are some crazy prints, but the plain and striped dresses can be nice, and come in good lengths for us 5ft 3in folk

I suppose partly what I mean is that I don't understand why midi length is singled out so often. Everything's a bit longer on me than on average height or tall women - minis, knee length, trousers, jeans, culottes... it's part of life. Anyway I don't want to derail the thread and I hope you can find something, op.

I've had my eye on this for a while but haven't bought (yet). Comes in loads of colours.
https://loveandconfuse.com/dresses/brigitte-linen-wrap-dress-pink-spanish/

I would learn to hem so you can buy the longer ones and shorten them. It's really easy on most dresses.

But it's actually the bodice length that is the problem, especially on waisted dresses. Even Nobody's Child ends up sagging at the back and around the boobs because the bodice is inches too long. I love Ghost dresses and the cut should suit me but I'd have to add fist-sized shoulder pads to get the bodice to sit right.

It baffles me why high street stores cut their clothes as if everyone was built like their 6ft models.

If there's a waist seam then it's fairly easy to sort that out. Personally I find waistlines are generally too high, which is not an easy fix

It's only easy to sort a waist if you're a very competent sewer and have access to a sewing machine, or if you spend ££ getting it adjusted. Then you also have to eg sort the shoulder height and width, neckline, sleeve length etc.

This was the M&S dress:

https://www.marksandspencer.com/pure-cotton-waisted-midi-t-shirt-dress/p/clp60778663

My really obvious suggestion is yo buy a less fitted dress but buy a couple of nice belts. They make a huge difference.

Why are you talking about completely remaking the dress when all we are discussing is length and where the waist hits (which was already a digression)?

If there's a waist seam it's as easy to raise a waist as it is to do a hem, and it can be done by hand.

No, it's not easy - and if you know anything about petite fitting dresses you'll know it's not just a matter of shortening the hem or lifting a waistband. @Tonissister explained why that is and so did I.

Now, back to the thread.

You are the one who derailed! I was just trying to be helpful.

It's not as simple as raising the waistband. It is often the ratio from shoulder to bust that is too long. I am not a good enough seamstress (sewist?) to do that and alter the bust darts and armholes. May as well make a dress from scratch at that point, I think. Which I am also not skilled enough to do.

Exactly ... I altered a charity shop Toast dress myself once, bringing it down from a 16 to a 12, just because I loved the pattern so much. But I am no seamstress and I have to admit it looked a bit shit. (I still wear it though!)

No, that was you who originally derailed it - as you said 'all we are discussing is length and where the waist hits (which was already a digression)*. I came in later. It doesn't matter though.

Regardless, it's not easy to move a waist, and petite is more then chopping a bit off the hem. Explaining that was being helpful. 45 years of making my own clothes, and being five foot one for even longer than that - one thing I do know about is dressmaking, alterations and fitting for petite height.