This dress is gorgeous yet sturdy, it is all about the lace. size regular 4 fit my chest area well and i like the midi look (i am 5ft2in, 34b, 26 waist, 36 hips). whether regular or petite size, when i walked or turned, the pleats added too much volume and looked overwhelming and no shape. i tried it with a belt and it looked better, but looked odd because the pleats poofed at the belt area. i tried with a sweater, jacket...then finally gave up. it would look gorgeous on a tall thin gal.