Mini Dresses

Mini dresses are the least forgiving thing in a wardrobe and the most rewarding when they land. Nineteen styles here, cut above the knee for nights out, birthdays, dates and warm holidays — in lace, mesh, sequin and stretch, sized XS to XXL.

Free UK delivery on every order, no minimum spend, and free 14-day returns.

Black and white, and why they dominate

A black mini dress is the most searched short dress in the country and the one most people own first. It works for a date, a birthday, a night out and a cocktail party without needing to be reconsidered each time. Six of these styles are black, across bodycon, lace and sequin.

A white mini dress is the summer and celebration answer — a birthday, a graduation, a hen party where you are the bride, a holiday evening. Five styles here are white or cream. The practical warning is the obvious one: check the lining before you commit to white, because flash photography is unforgiving and most people find out too late. Ours are lined.

Beyond those, this edit runs to purple, blue, pink, red, green and brown in smaller numbers.

Bodycon, A-line, or lace

Bodycon mini dresses — eight styles. The most fitted cut we carry. Ruched versions smooth through the middle and are more comfortable over a long night than plain stretch, because the gathering gives where a flat panel does not.

A-line mini dresses — six styles. Fitted at the top, away from the body below. Far easier to wear for a full day, better in warm weather, and the more forgiving choice if you are between sizes.

Lace and mesh — eleven styles between them. Reads more considered than plain stretch and photographs with more depth. Sheer sleeves in particular give you coverage on the arms without the heat of a solid fabric, which is why they work in a crowded venue.

Long sleeve mini dresses

The single most useful short dress in Britain is a long sleeve mini dress, and it is the one most people forget to look for. It solves the December problem — a room that is too warm, a journey that is too cold, and no jacket that works with the outfit.

Six styles here have long sleeves, several in sheer lace or mesh, which gives you the coverage without the weight. If you are buying one short dress for the winter, buy this one.

How short is short

Our mini dresses are cut for around 5'7". If you are taller, assume they will sit shorter on you than the photograph suggests — usually by an inch or two, which is the difference between comfortable and constantly adjusting. If you are petite, they will read as a slightly longer mini, which most people prefer.

The sit-down test is worth doing at home before the event: put the dress on, sit on a hard chair, and decide then rather than in a restaurant. If a style is borderline, the A-line cuts hold their length better when seated than bodycon ones do.

Sizing

These run XS to XXL, with full measurements in centimetres on the size guide. Our dresses are true to size; between two sizes, take your usual size in anything with stretch and the larger in lace or woven fabric, which has less give.

For a bodycon cut, order to your hip measurement rather than your dress size — this is the most common mistake on short fitted dresses, and the one that sends most returns back to us.

What to wear it with

A mini dress is finished by two decisions: the shoe and the leg. A heeled boot lengthens the line and is the most practical choice for a British night out. A flat sandal turns a summer mini into a day dress. Sheer tights read polished in winter; bare legs read summer, and there is no wrong answer, only a wrong temperature.

Keep jewellery minimal with lace and sequin, which are already doing the work, and go bolder with a plain bodycon, which is a blank canvas by design.

Delivery and returns

UK delivery is free on every order with no minimum spend, and takes around seven working days. Returns are free within 14 days with a prepaid label in the box, so if you are between two sizes, order both and send one back at no cost.

Where to look next

For the same energy at a longer length, midi dresses sit at or below the knee. For parties specifically, party dresses and sequin dresses. For nights out, night out. And for holidays, The Holiday Shop carries the lighter, easier versions of these shapes.