LaBalancia Wrap Mini Dress with Ruffle Hem and Long Sleeves

A wrap mini dress with a ruffle that runs up the front

This wrap mini dress by LaBalancia crosses over at the front, ties at the waist and ends in a ruffle. The sleeves are long and full, with wide cuffs.

It is short: 80 cm in XS/S and 87 cm in M/L, measured by the maker. The fabric is 95% viscose with 5% elastane. You can pick a plain colour or one of the floral prints.

At a glance

The piece: one cut, many prints

LaBalancia is the maker's brand, sold through a Polish fashion wholesaler. The maker keeps releasing this cut in new fabrics, so this page holds seventeen colour and print models of the same dress. The size table and the composition are identical for all of them.

The supplier's description gives the build: a wrap front, a tie at the waist, long sleeves with wide cuffs and a ruffle at the bottom. In the photos the ruffle does more than trim the hem. It follows the edge of the wrap and climbs up the front of the skirt.

About the colour menu. Our colour names are working names such as "pink 3" or "multicolor 4", and they say little. Pick one and the gallery jumps to the photo of that dress. A few names at the end of the menu have no photo linked yet. If you want one of those, ask us and we will send you the right picture before you order.

Who it's for

For you if you like a short dress and want your arms covered. Long sleeves balance a hem that sits high on the leg, so the dress shows leg and little else.

A wrap with a tie also lets you set the fit yourself. Pull the sash tighter or looser and the waist follows. With two sizes only, that helps.

Closer look: what the photos and the maker's data show

• Wrap front (maker's data) that forms a V-neckline (photos)
• Tie at the waist (maker's data): a sash in the same fabric, knotted at the side (photos)
• Long sleeves with wide cuffs (maker's data); the cuffs are fitted and close with small buttons (photos)
• Ruffle at the bottom (maker's data), running up along the front edge of the skirt (photos)
• Hem on the upper thigh on the models (photos); 80 or 87 cm long (size table)

The maker does not say whether the dress has a zip or a button inside the wrap. With a wrap this short, we would check how the front stays closed when you sit down. Ask us if you want that confirmed.

Fabric and feel: viscose with 5% elastane

The composition is 95% viscose and 5% elastane. The supplier calls the fabric light and pleasant to the touch, and the photos fit that: the sleeves billow and the ruffle moves.

The plain versions have a soft, matte surface. The prints sit on the same base. We have no fabric weight and nothing on a lining, so we can't promise how opaque the lighter colours are. If you choose cream or a white print, plan for a slip or skin-tone underwear to be safe.

Fit and silhouette: two sizes, and it is short

There are two sizes. XS/S is 80 cm long with a chest of 80 cm. M/L is 87 cm long with a chest of 94 cm. That is a big step, so if you usually wear a true M, look at the numbers and not at the letter.

Hold a tape measure from your shoulder down to 80 or 87 cm to see where the hem will land on you. On the models it sits on the upper thigh. If you are tall, the longer M/L may be the better pick, and the sash takes in the extra width.

Size chart (cm)

Source: the maker's size table, the same for every colour and print. It does not say whether these are garment or body measurements, so compare them with a dress that fits you.

Styling: bare legs in summer, boots in autumn

The photos show both seasons. Most models wear the dress with heeled sandals and a small bag. The dark purple floral and the white print with magenta flowers are shot with knee boots and a hat, and that works just as well.

With a V-neck this open, a fine chain sits nicely in the neckline. Keep the bag small so it does not fight the ruffle. For cooler days add opaque tights and a short jacket that ends at the waist tie.

Occasions

The supplier names meetings, dates, special occasions and summer outings. We would narrow that down: a birthday dinner, a terrace evening, a garden party, a city weekend. The florals lean towards daytime, the plain fuchsia or taupe towards the evening.

Because of the length it is not a dress for a formal office. Save it for the hours after.

Care: follow the label

The maker's data has no care instructions, so go by the label sewn into the dress. Viscose can react to heat and to wringing, which is one more reason to read that label before the first wash.

The wow detail: the ruffle climbs

On most dresses a ruffle is a straight band at the hem. Here it starts at the hem, turns the corner of the wrap and runs up towards the waist tie. From the front that gives the skirt a diagonal line, and when you walk the ruffle opens and closes.

Fashion that gives back

5% of each sale goes to a cause you choose. The causes are matched to 11 of the 17 SDGs, the global goals set by the United Nations, and you decide where your share goes.

Our promise

Ships from the maker's wholesale partner in Poland, inside the EU, with tracking. The wholesaler lists up to 3 days to prepare an order; within the EU delivery usually takes 2–7 business days after dispatch. Delivery is free within the EU on orders from €69; below that it costs €4.95 in the Netherlands and €6.95 elsewhere in the EU.

You have 14 days after delivery to ask for a return, as long as the dress is unworn and still has its tags. Our promise is plain: if what arrives does not match what this page says, send it back within 14 days and we refund you.

More short dresses are in our mini dresses collection.