Party dresses for real life

If you're small-busted and petite, try this strapless dress. Its bustier-like form makes it dressy; its ruffles give it a young, spirited attitude.

Cotton-silk dress, Gap, $78. Sizes 0-14. Shoes, Luca Ferri at Globo, $50. Sizes 36-41. Clutch, This & That Axesoir, $78.

This simply cut, A-line, sequinned dress is a nobrainer for many body types, from petites hourglasses to pear shapes.

Dress, Esprit, $130. Sizes XS-XL. Satin shoes, Aldo, $80. Sizes 35-41. Quilted clutch bag, Miss Caprice, $30.

Count on this floor-skimming, ombré dress for its dark-at-the-bottom slimming effect; it's best if you're hippy and small-busted.

Tie-dyed silk dress, Tommy Hilfiger, $298. Sizes 2-14. Bag, Cassis, $79. Shoes, Globo, $70. Sizes 36-41.

This bra-friendly, office-to-evening, A-line dress will show off your well-proportioned curves and flatter a fuller waist or bottom.

Silk-cotton, dress, Cassis, $129. Sizes 0-16. Bag, Miss Caprice, $50. Shoes, Aldo, $80. Sizes 35-41.

Full figures will look dynamite in this streamlined, double-knit dress, which is as chic in the boardroom as it is at a holiday fete.

Cap-sleeved dress, Banana Republic, $175. Sizes 0-14. Faux-lizard clutch, Nine West, $95. Shoes, Nine West, $125. Sizes 5-10.

Emphasize your great legs and draw attention away from a thicker waist with this timeless, body-skimming tunic dress.

Silk satin tunic dress, Old Navy, $35. Sizes 0-18. Slingbacks, Michael Kors, $148. Sizes 5-11. Bag, Aldo, $35.