Mini dresses have been hot for a few seasons now, and the look is still in for spring – but can anyone wear them? It may seem like a rather unforgiving trend — don’t you need, like, a model’s figure to pull this off?

No, you don’t.

I’m a firm believer that every fashion trend can be adapted to every person’s individual shape and personal style – you do not have to be a skinny size zero! With so many designers and companies out there, there are plenty of options that will look like they were made just for you.

As with all other clothes, pulling off a sexy, flirty, fabulous mini-dress is about highlighting your assets and creating balance – not dressing to “hide a problem area!” Which body parts do you love the most? That’s what you should dress to maximize. For more on highlighting your best parts, see our post Fashion for Your Body Shape: The Basics.

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Accentuating Your Chest

Want to draw attention to your chest area? It’s all about creating volume. If you want to be subtle about it, go for pleats or ruching. The folded material adds dimension and space so that you can make the most of what you’ve got.

If you want to create a little drama, go for ruffles. Structured ruffles, especially, exude an irresistible mix of femininity and strength.  Also, cinched waists, are always a great bet if you want to draw attention up top since they’ll help create a more definitive hourglass shape.

Left to right: Express — ModCloth — Ruche — Forever 21 — Forever 21

Accentuating Your Lower Half

If you want to create balance in an outfit, it’s all about visual proportions that make your body look even all over. When picking out dresses, larger chested ladies that love their arms, legs, and lower half should first look for styles that are roomy on the bottom half – this will create more volume and draw attention down. Also, dresses that have a print on the bottom half (resembling a skirt and top combo) are a great way to draw the eye down.