Girls Holiday Dress Size Guide: How to Pick the Right Size for a Gift

Buying a holiday dress as a gift is easiest when you go by her age now, then size up one step if she is between sizes or the dress has to last from Thanksgiving through New Year's. This girls holiday dress size guide walks through exactly how we'd do it if a grandma called the shop and asked, "She's turning three in January. What do I order?"

It's a common spot to be in. You love the dress, you know the girl, and you have no idea what size she wears today. That's fine. You can get it right with two numbers and one quick text to her parents.

Girls holiday dress size guide: the short version

• Under 2: babies grow fast, so pick the size range she'll be in on Christmas Day, not the one she's in when you order. If she's 5 months old in October, she'll be close to 7 months by the holidays. Order 6-9 months.
• Ages 2 to 5: go by her age. If she's at the top of her age range or tall for her age, take the next size up.
• Ages 6 and up: height matters more than age. A tall 7-year-old and a petite 7-year-old can be two sizes apart.
• Between sizes: size up. A dress that's a little long still looks sweet with tights. A dress that's tight across the shoulders won't get worn.

The one text to send her parents

If you can, ask one simple question: "What size is she wearing in dresses right now, and about how tall is she?" Moms almost always know the first answer off the top of their heads, and the height takes thirty seconds with a tape measure against the kitchen door frame.

If you'd rather keep the gift a surprise, check what size she's wearing in recent photos or ask what size pajamas you sent last year, then add one size for the year she's grown.

How to read the size labels you'll see

Month and year ranges

Sizes like 6-9 months or 4-5 years mean the dress is cut for a typical child in that age window. Our red plaid Christmas puff sleeve dress is sized this way, from 0-3 months all the way to 13-14 years, in Red Plaid, Red Candy Cane, Green Candy Cane, Red Star and Green Star. It's $60.

One thing to watch on that dress: the sizes go from 18-24 months straight to 3-4 years. For a girl who just turned two, 18-24 months will likely be snug by Christmas, so we'd go with 3-4 years and let her grow into it. The same logic applies higher up, where the sizes step from 5-6 years to 7-8 years.

Single numbers (8, 10, 12)

A plain number usually lines up with the age in years. Our sparkly pink sequin tulle party dress runs from 12-18 months up through 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 and 5-6 years, then switches to 8, 10 and 12. It's $80, and it's the one we'd pick for a holiday party or a Nutcracker outing. For a 7-year-old, choose 8.

Centimeter sizes (80cm to 140cm)

Some dresses are sized in centimeters. On most dresses labeled this way, the number refers to the child's height. So measure her standing against a wall in socks and pick the closest size, rounding up. As a rough guide:

• 80cm: about 12-18 months
• 90cm: about 18-24 months
• 100cm: about 3 years
• 110cm: about 4-5 years
• 120cm: about 6 years
• 130cm: about 7-8 years
• 140cm: about 9-10 years

Our white tulle dress for special occasions uses these sizes, 80cm through 140cm, for $60. White tulle reads very wintry next to a tree, and it works for a Christmas Eve service or a winter wedding later in the season.

Sizing a dress she'll wear more than once

A lot of grandparents want the dress to make it from Thanksgiving dinner through New Year's Day, and maybe to a spring birthday. If that's the plan, size up one step from what she wears now. Sleeves can be pushed up, a hem that hits just below the knee in December will hit right at the knee by March, and nobody minds.

The exception is babies under a year. A dress two sizes too big on a 4-month-old swallows her in photos. Buy for the age she'll be on the day, and only that.

Keeping her warm without hiding the dress

Holiday dresses are made for twirling, not for a December parking lot. Plan the layers when you plan the size:

• White or red tights under any dress, plus a cardigan in cream or a matching color.
• For toddlers, a long-sleeve bodysuit under a short-sleeve dress keeps arms warm and stays tucked in.
• If she'll wear a cardigan or tights a lot, that's one more reason to size up rather than down so everything fits comfortably underneath.

Little ones also need a dress they can sit and crawl in. If you're shopping for a baby or a 2-year-old, our toddler dresses are a good place to compare options side by side.

Buying for sisters at once

When you're sending dresses to two or three girls, size each one on her own, even in a matching set. Big sister at 7 might need 7-8 years while baby sister needs 9-12 months. We wrote a whole post on getting that right: matching sister Christmas outfits from baby to big sister.

If the size is wrong anyway

It happens, even to moms who measured twice. You can return a dress within 30 days as long as it's unworn and the tags are still on, so tell her parents to try it on right away instead of saving it for Christmas morning. Order early enough that there's time to swap it before the big day.

Shipping is free on every order, and if this is your first order with us, the code WELCOME10 takes 10% off.