Mini birthday dress, birthday mini dress in velvet

For a mini birthday dress we reach for velvet first and lurex knit second, and most of our styles have long sleeves. Call it a birthday mini dress, as they do in the UK, and it’s the same short hem with covered arms.

Dinner, club or a party at home

Booked a restaurant? Then you’ll be sitting most of the night, and a mini has to pass the chair test. Sit down in it at the fitting and watch where the hem lands. Our red velvet mini, the long-sleeved one, is a good dress to try that with.

For a club, go for lurex. The purple knit mini shimmers every time you move, it’s cut close to the body, and it needs seamless underwear. A short faux leather jacket over it gets you there and back.

House parties and daytime birthdays are different. We’d take the red ruffled mini, because the ruffles move as you walk and they look great in photos. Up top it stays plain, round-necked and long-sleeved, so black or white accessories are all it asks for. It’s an all-season dress, so in spring it goes with sneakers or loafers.

One sleeve, a wrap front or thin straps

The top is where these minis differ. On the burgundy velvet wrap you can pull the front tighter or loosen it, so the depth of the V-neck is your call. One-sleeve styles in red and black velvet leave a single shoulder out, so leave the necklace in its box.

The barest option is velvet on thin straps, in black or emerald. Plan a jacket for the trip over.

Born in January? Long sleeves make a short hem wearable in the cold. Add tall boots and opaque tights to the red velvet mini, put a black coat on top, and you’re set for the walk to the restaurant. Emerald velvet with long sleeves doesn’t need a wrap in fall or winter either.

You can order any mini birthday dress on this page from XS to XL. Our S matches a US 4. See all birthday styles, dresses for a birthday dinner, more short velvet or birthday looks with covered arms in other lengths.