where can I find formal dresses for petite teen?

[Only me]

My dd and her friends have decided to go together to the formal junior/senior banquet at their school since they don't have dates. It isn't a dance but is formal. She needs a prom type dress. Since most girls have been shopping for dresses already it seems like the selection is more limited.

 

DD went shopping with her friends at the mall yesterday and then when I picked her up we went to a few more stores. She is petite (5-1 and 90 pounds) and usually wears a zero or sometimes a 1. We couldn't find anything smaller than a 3. I can't sew so altering is out of the question and since the dresses already cost so much I won't be able to pay someone to alter it.

 

Of course stores vary from state to state but I would love any suggestions. We've already tried Macy's, JcPenney, Deb Shops.

[ClassicMom]

It is very hard to find Petite dresses period. But I'm sure you have found that to be true already.

 

I recently attended a wedding and needed a formal dress. I'm 5'2 (barely) and finding a dress was a nightmare. I ended up wearing a cocktail dress that I bought about 10 years ago. :tongue_smilie:

 

Some of the places that I've had luck: Talbots (expensive), Elder-Beerman (find a good sale), Macy's (find a good sale) and Penny's (did you try the catalog? Sometimes you can order (online too) a petite version of what is in the store. I usually have to have things altered.

 

I wish you lots of luck. :001_smile:

[momofkhm]

we found their dresses at a resale bridal shop. Very inexpensive and it ended up the only like it there. They probably have someone who can alter it for you if that is needed as well.

[Jeannie in NJ]

does the dress have to be floor length or can it be knee length or a little shorter. My dd, age 14, is 5 ft. and about 80 pounds. She found 2 very nice dressy dresses that are a little above her knee at Penney's. She is planning to wear them to school dances next year. The dresses are a size XS and they were on sale, there were tons of these dresses about a month ago, havenn't been to Penney's since then so don't know if there are any left. Dd has a very tiny waist, she had to tighten one of the dresses in the back to make it fit a little better and then she wore a silver shrug over it and it looked fine (she wore it to a formal sweet 16 party).

[Joyful]

Don't know if you have any of these stores near you...

(They all have petite sections around here.)

 

Talbot's outlet

Daffy's

Ross

[Only me]

it took forever and we weren't able to find a floor length one that fit. It's so frustrating. I really don't understand why it was so difficult to find one in her size. Do they really think that every teenage girl is 5 ft. 8 with an ample chest?

 

I understand that dd is petite but she is 5-1 or 5-2. It's not like she is under 5 feet tall. None of the dresses that she tried on were even close to being short enough even with high heels. Most of them would have been close to impossible to alter with the type of skirt they had. Most stores didn't even carry a size 1/2. The smallest they had was a size 3 but even the few size 1/2 that we found were way too long and were too big in the chest area. She's small but does have something in that area. I'm really shocked that they think all teenage girls are that well endowed.

 

She was finally able to find a beautiful tea length dress that fits well. It's not her dream dress but she is happy with it. She is only a junior so I told her next year for her senior year we would find a floor length one. Maybe she will grow another few inches by then. (I doubt it though). We'll have to start looking months in advance I guess.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I have the same problem with my 16yo DD. She's about 5'4" and barely 100 pounds. We are always looking for size 0 -1 for her. This year for the spring swirl we ended up buying a size three and having it altered.

 

We were having luck with David's Bridal. Their junior bridesmaid department has such nice dresses; you can find some great dresses on the clearance rack. However, we couldn't find anything that she liked well enough this time around.

 

If I find anything for future reference I will let you know.

[Stacy in NJ]

How about the petit store at Talbots?

[Laura R (FL)]

it took forever and we weren't able to find a floor length one that fit. It's so frustrating. I really don't understand why it was so difficult to find one in her size. Do they really think that every teenage girl is 5 ft. 8 with an ample chest?

 

I understand that dd is petite but she is 5-1 or 5-2. It's not like she is under 5 feet tall. None of the dresses that she tried on were even close to being short enough even with high heels. Most of them would have been close to impossible to alter with the type of skirt they had. Most stores didn't even carry a size 1/2. The smallest they had was a size 3 but even the few size 1/2 that we found were way too long and were too big in the chest area. She's small but does have something in that area. I'm really shocked that they think all teenage girls are that well endowed.

 

She was finally able to find a beautiful tea length dress that fits well. It's not her dream dress but she is happy with it. She is only a junior so I told her next year for her senior year we would find a floor length one. Maybe she will grow another few inches by then. (I doubt it though). We'll have to start looking months in advance I guess.

 

 

I definitely relate!! Even my dd's skinny jeans sometimes fit baggy, lol!

 

Length isn't always a problem since my dd is 5'4", but she is very slender and the chest never fits. And my dd isn't small-chested, she's just proportioned for her body size-long and lean. Every dress we've found has plunging necklines that seem to be designed for exposing cleavage or they are just very ample in the chest.

 

I don't get it.

[Only me]

We feel your pain. DD is 5' nothin' and wears a size 1. Try finding a 2-piece swimsuit that isn't barely there. We are on the hunt but with diminishing hopes.

 

yep, we've had that trouble too. My 14 dd is 5 ft. 6 but is only 94 pounds and hasn't developed yet. She is too tall for the kid's sizes but most of the junior suits were bikinis. Fortunately we finally found board shorts and a long tankini top. I found the same type of suit for my oldest dd that worked well too.

 

Why do they think all girls either have big chests or want to be exposed in that area?

[Melinda in VT]

We feel your pain. DD is 5' nothin' and wears a size 1. Try finding a 2-piece swimsuit that isn't barely there. We are on the hunt but with diminishing hopes.

 

Have you tried Land's End? Some of their styles you can mix and match the tops and bottoms. I just bought DD9 a size 10 tankini top and a size 6x tankini bottom. It fits great.

[Jean too]

My dd is about the same size as yours. We have had some luck with Dillards. We've bought her prom dresses there for the last three years. If you don't have a Dillards in your area you might try on line. Dd is 5'1" and 94 lbs. she has bought S and 1/2 that fit her. The long dresses do require her to wear 3" heels or have them hemmed.

[In The Great White North]

The only department stores within 200 miles of here with long formal dresses were Nordstroms and Lord & Taylor. Macy's, Penney's, Kohl's and Sears only had short dresses (in any size).

 

I really don't understand why it was so difficult to find one in her size. Do they really think that every teenage girl is 5 ft. 8 with an ample chest?

 

Being 5'8" and definitely not weighing 100 lbs, I can tell you they don't have many in that size either.

[TravelingChris]

Here is what my dd's do and have great luck. They shop thrift stores. My 13 yo 5'2.5 recently got a black Chinese style dress for about $10. I know my older who is 5'4.5 and wears very small sizes has had a lot of choices at them. Most people gain weight as they age and that means they shed clothes. Since they often only wore the formal dress once, they are in great shape.

[BridgeTea]

Troll alert upthread. It's been reported. Wish I had a big black marker.