April Showers

Petite (detachable) bow sheath, clutch, and scarf thanks to White House Black Market, Kate Spade heels
I hope each of you had a wonderful weekend! I spent mine with some girlfriends down in Newport, RI, a charming town which I'd highly recommend to those visiting New England in the summer. There's wineries, waterfront activities, seafood, shopping, and of course the stunning historical mansions just within ~1.5 hrs of Boston. We made the most of the trip despite rain, which has been in the forecast all too often this month!

Rain or shine, I'm teaming with WHBM today to share one of my favorite pieces from their current petites collection. I first suggested this dress while it was on pre-order, and now that I've tried it on, the fit and quality does not disappoint. It's elegant in its simplicity with a hint of retro which I love. Only select WHBM stores carry petite sizing (two of which are in the NYC area), but they do offer free shipping & return shipping on full-priced petite orders online.

This dress pairs easily for work with a cropped blazer / cardigan or shirt layered underneath, and is dressy enough to serve as cocktail attire with a wrap and fun clutch. For a more casual setting, I've added a gauzy, patterned scarf and broken-in denim jacket. I also wanted to show this dress both with and without the detachable belt, or with an alternate belt.

This dress in 00 petite fit me well as shown without any alterations. The torso and waist were fitted with a little extra room at the hips (typical of many items I try on, probably due to my straighter hips). The belt measured a little wider in circumference than the waist of the dress - it fits fine as-is, but I shifted the snap closure buttons over about 2" which resulted in a more slimming look.

For those interested in this dress, I want to note a few other fit points. The black band on this dress hits 1-2" above my natural waist, so in-between where an empire and a regular waist band. The bust of this dress is shaped by curved seaming into a cup-like silhouette, which may result in extra space for those below a full A cup. The length in petite is spot-on for me right at the knee. Quality in my opinion is very good in a thicker, stretchy ponte-like material with full lining and invisible back zipper.

Measurements of 00P, for reference (material has stretch): 15" across armpits, 12 3/8" across waist, 16.5" across hips, 12" length from shoulder to center of black waistband, 35" total length. Detachable bow belt is 12 3/4" across when lying flat and stretches.