38.5" from shoulder to hem is a good thing to measure to get an idea of how the dress will fall in you. I agree tape measures are very helpful in one line shopping.
The pewter dress is lovely @deborahb.
@BunsenBurner - Why have I never seen this before?! I will find the tape measure!
Found a tape meaure. 38.5 inches is about two inches below my knee. Maybe a bit less. Hard to take the measurement on myself. Speaking of this dress http://www.jcpenney.com/rm-richards-34-sleeve-sequined-lace-jacket-dress-petite/prod.jump?ppId=pp5005420204&N=1402&Nao=48&pN=3&searchTerm=petite+dress&N=1402&catId=SearchResults&_dyncharset=UTF-8 On the model it looks to be an inch above her knee! Well, that stinks.
You can measure dresses in your closet to see what length you like, shoulder to hem and then keep that in mind in your online browsing. That’s what I did. I have some dresses above my knee and others that graze it or are barely below my knee. I don’t like anything longer unless it’s full length.
Another good tip. Thanks @HImom. I agree that mid knee or just above is what I like. Anything else emphasizes my fun size legs.
Most dresses will require some degree of hemming. Find a good seamstress, they are priceless. It does not cost much to hem a dress. I paid only $30 to hem a very, very flowy dress with an underskirt (two hemming jobs in one!). I took it to Nordstrom even though I bought it elsewhere. I bet you can find a cheaper deal, but I trust Nordie’s way of doing hemming.
$30 to hem a flowing dress with underskirt sounds like an amazing deal! Cleaners often offer small alterations and hemming, but I’d probably trust Nordie’s more as well. I think our store charges A LOT more!
Keep in mind hemming can really make a dress look different and may not work with some styles and patterns. I’m at the point in my life that I will rarely purchase anything that needs hemming, except if I’m able and willing to do it myself.
Too bad the second JCP dress isn’t a good color, since it looks like a very nice option otherwise. I think the shape and proportions of that dress would be flattering on many shapes.
Ha, ha, ha, ha!! Not if you are 6’ tall. 
I wish most dresses were long enough for me! For 99% of the dresses out there, the natural waist falls mid-ribcage on me, and the length is about two inches higher than shown on the models.
And now the dress that was the wrong color/right style is out of stock in my size. I was going to order it just for the heck of it but couldn’t find my Penney’s credit card. While I was futzing around looking for it, it sold out. I know a couple of seamstresses so I’m okay if something needs hemming. I would just rather not do that if I don’t have to.
Has anyone used this site before? http://www.lightinthebox.com/a-line-v-neck-chiffon-evening-dress_p568153.html?prm=1.2.1.0#have_reviews I love this dress!
I haven’t used that site…but for that price…I would order the dress!! It is really nice. Love the color.
I’m not familiar with that site but it receives horrible reviews here:
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/lightinthebox.html
Ok…Nevermind…horrible reviews! Don’t buy from them!!
Boy, glad I read that! Thanks @zipyourlips !
I found a dress, but I need some help with an accessory. Actually, more than one dress, but I’m only keeping one. I have been looking off and on over the summer for a dress and have not found any that I liked. I realized that with just a few months to go before the wedding, I need to get serious. My daughter asked for me to get a long dress, which seemed to narrow the choices even more, especially with my other criteria of petite size and a jacket. Since there didn’t seem to be ANY petite size evening dresses in the brick and mortar stores, and not much that I liked on-line, I threw that criteria out. My daughter found a seamstress for her dress, and I’ll just ask her to alter mine as well. At least that was my thinking yesterday. I found this dress at Ross for $40: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/alex-evenings-lace-mesh-gown/4386983?origin=category-personalizedsort&fashioncolor=BRIGHT%20ROYAL
But it has no jacket and my arms look white and plump so I thought I would look for a floaty sort of sleeved wrap that would work, but so far I haven’t come up with anything.
Meanwhile I did find a couple of more dresses and I ordered them, thinking that surely one of these will work: http://www.dillards.com/p/ignite-evenings-sequined-jacket-dress/503677426?cm_mmc=TransactionEmail--COMOrderStatus--Body-_-Product I got one in sapphire and one in cabernet. The sapphire one may well be too dark but often times the color on the screen is not true to life, so I thought I might as well ship it. My daughters bridesmaids are wearing black, hence my trepidation. And then I found this dress at Macy’s (free shipping, ebates 6% back, macys discount - http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/alex-evenings-sparkled-jacquard-gown-jacket?ID=633144 and this one: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/alex-evenings-petite-sleeveless-glitter-gown-jacket?ID=838610 The plus with Macy’s is that I can easily return them to the store. My daughter has only seen the first one on me from a picture I took in the changing room. Three of the dresses are the same stylist - Alex evenings, so I think I know my size in them. I just want to be done with the dress stuff!
@BunsenBurner can you help here? I view BB as the expert in these wraps!!
You found that gorgeous blue dress for $40! The Nordtrom link one? I like it best of all the dresses! Excellent! It is fabulous!!
I actually wore an Alex Evenings dress to my son’s wedding last year. It came with a jacket, but I didn’t like the entire look with the jacket, so I bought a wrap to wear with the dress instead. Since the wedding was in late August, and still warm, I actually never even used the wrap. The hardest part of finding a wrap was finding one that coordinated color-wise with the dress. I went to brick and mortar stores with the jacket that came with the dress so I could coordinate the color.
And my dress was nowhere close to $40, altho I did get it on sale.
@thumper1, yeah it was a deal! I just posted it on the deal of the day thread, but suddenly there seem to be many more choices of sleeved dresses, so that one may well go back. I went to a local bridal dress place on Friday and when I asked about bare arms with the MOB, I was told that they don’t have many MOB’s asking for covered arms. And indeed, 90% of the dresses on their racks were sleeveless. I get that in some Southern states where the temps don’t get much into the 70’s, but the average temperature on my daughters wedding day is around 40 degrees. To me, that’s sweater weather inside, and coats for outside.