As we wave goodbye to Spring and wait in anticipation for the warm(ish) offerings that the British Summertime provides, working or playing, there's a maxi dress that can elevate your wardrobe game almost as easily as the effort required to put it on in the first place. I have rounded up a few pieces and styles that I am currently loving, and hope the edit helps you shop or style your one-piece wherever you may be wearing it!
SPRING EDIT If we can't attend the garden party, at least we can dress the part! My personal favourite is the Floral Maxi with the drawstring waist from ME and EM (centre right) and I love the practical but oh-so-pretty sleeves on the red dress from Never Fully Dressed. Initially I wasn't sold on the blue maxi t-shirt dress from Monki, but I love how it has been styled with shoes in exactly the same colour here. Add another inch or two to the heel, some statement shell earrings and a good manicure - there's an outfit that you can get on board with.
L-R: Peony Puffed-Sleeve Woven Dress, £495, Olivia Rubin, SELFRIDGES / Blue Maxi T-Shirt Dress, £25, MONKI / Transparent Maxi Dress, £74.99, RESERVED / Semi Broderie Anglaise Maxi-Dress, £360, Liberty London / Floral Print Crepe Maxi Dress, £177, ME & EM / Fortune Lace Trim Maxi Dress, £119, TED BAKER / Long Sleeve Maxi Dress in Red Floral, now £67.15, Never Fully Dressed
WORK EDIT I am obsessed with the shapes of these shirts and dresses, the first two in particular. They are ideal for warm, stuffy office environments that require you to remain covered but give you the ability to breathe, and to tan those arms as you make your way to work. For ladies who like print, I put this red and white maxi shirt from La Doublej on there to show you that even bolder colours can have a place in the work environment, and this would work for a woman of any age. Wear it with sandals or wedges in the day and change out for a super skinny heel when you leave the office.
L-R: Striped Knitted Dress, £395, Odyssee / Polka Dot Print Dress Black/White, £49.99, ZARA / Long Cotton Shirt Dress, £79, COS / Organza Maxi Smock Dress with Bow, Dot Print, £170, SISTER JANE / Curve Maxi Shirt Dress in Stripe, £50, ASOS / Bellini Floral-Print Cotton Voile Dress, £610, La Doublej / Maxi Flounce Dress in Black, £35, MONKI
But no office wardrobe is complete without camel and pleats! I love each of these dresses and even more so because they don't require accessorising to make an impact. If you haven't yet shopped ARKET then I urge you to get on there. There are so many gorgeous but wearable pieces and this shirt dress is so Celine, it hurts a little. The ASOS blush pleated shirt is also 'up-there' with designer inspired chic, and an absolute steal at £35. Wear any of these with a strong coral lipstick and your set to take the workplace by storm.
L-R: Pleated Midi Shirt Dress in Blush, £35, ASOS / Sleeveless Midi Dress, £295, GANNI / Pleated Shirt Dress, £49.99, ZARA / Oversized Shirt Dress, £79, ARKET / Cotton Poplin Shirt Dress White, £39.99, H&M / White Cross Tie Back Midi Smock Dress, £46, River Island
BEACH EDIT: Not conventional kaftans - but who wants to be conventional anyway? Maxi dresses for the poolside are a brilliant way to showcase how unconsciously fashionable you are. I tell you from experience: I don't have the body of a Baywatch cast member but I have still managed to turn a few heads because I was wearing something so unexpected but practical and easy too. To do as I do? Simply throw on and go... all the way to the bar... again.
L-R: Martinique Tiered Maxi Kaftan Dress, Flame, £48.50, John Lewis & Partners / Red Tiger Print Tie Back Split Dress, now £20, ASOS DESIGN / Limited Edition Sequinned Dress, £99.99, ZARA / Nardiah Cabana Maxi Cover Up, £99, Ted Baker / Knit Dress with Fringing Details, £29.99, ZARA / Cotton Poplin Plunge Cami Dress in Khaki, £32, ASOS DESIGN / Aura High-slit Cotton-gauze Maxi Dress, £600, Kasia Kulenty, MACTHES FASHION
SUMMER DAYS To wear as you walk along the cobbles of Venice, tour through a maze of Souks in Marrakesh, or shop the local markets in Nice or Provence. I love each of these dresses (again) and whilst they are a bit pricier (minus the ASOS striped high-street version of the Thierry Colson, centre), they show a range of styles that cater for all body types and show how you can expand your maxi-dress shapes this Summer. My Death Row selection, if I had to pick favourites, would be the "Zaza" Floral Print strapless maxi on the left, and the "Louisa" dress by Stella McCartney on the right. I'd die happy in either.
L-R: Zaza Floral-Print Pleated Strapless Maxi Dress, £398, Dodo Bar Or / Hera Tana Lawn Cotton Long Smocked Dress, £300, Liberty London / Valentina Striped Cotton Poplin Maxi Dress, £588, Thierry Colson / Cami Bow Front Maxi Sundress in Rose Stripe, £25, ASOS / Cici Tiered Silk-Satin Maxi Dress, £530, Olivia Rubin / Stefiana Gingham Shirred Puff-Sleeve Cotton Dress, £440, Loretta Caponi / Louisa Long Dress, £1,695, Stella McCartney
SUMMER STEAL I try to include items for every purse and love it when I come across a look-a-like item at a fraction of the cost but with a quality necessary to make it a worthy purchase. One of these dresses was made for the beach and the other was made for the wearable wardrobe but with a bit of styling there is no reason why both can't work for either. To bring the M&S beach dress into your daytime wardrobe, pair with some strappy heeled sandals, an oversized black bag, and hair perfectly groomed and glossy to show that you still mean business.
L: Ruffled Geo-Print Plisse-Georgette Maxi Dress, £380, Self-Portrait. R: Floral Maxi Waisted Beach Dress, £28.00, Marks & Spencers
IN THE PINK I can't resist! Each style is a staple and the colours, oh! My heart. My only gripe would be the styling of the COS dress to the right. Something just doesn't gel between the smart-casual of the dress and the too-casual of the pump. Personally, I would accessorise with a pair of feathered sandals or pointed leather slippers in a royal blue or dark purple. A bit more Manolo and a bit less Matalan (no offence to any body!). Buy each one of these items and solve all Summer wardrobe dilemmas in a second.
L-R: Asri Low-Back tiered Silk Maxi Dress, £798, Kalita / Textured Weave Maxi Dress, £39.99, H&M / Knot Embellished Tie Neck Silk Maxi Dress, £675.00, Zimmermann / Leola Floral-Print Sequinned Georgette Gown, now £328, Rachel Zoe on The Outnet / Panelled Jersey Dress, £39.50, COS / A-Line Long Dress, £35, MONKI
GOWN AND OUT For an occasion that demands a little more than a throw on but still only needs you to throw it on (with grace and purpose, of course.) I have a ridiculously strong sense of desire for the striped bolero sleeved dress by Johanna Ortiz. I think it is a piece of art. I just want to touch it, never mind wear it. And I would definitely risk the 'horizontal stripes are widening' effect for something as elegantly outlandish as this. The black star print maxi dress by LOVESHACKFANCY reminds me of the Dolce & Gabbana celestial prints that graced the catwalks for A/W in 2011 and star prints remain an underestimated staple trend for any wardrobe. The gold piping that trims the Fendi halterneck takes the dress from red to regal in a nano-second, so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for gold-trims similar to pair with the golden jewellery and the golden limbs I'll be sporting by the end of Summer (I hope.)
L-R: Super Eight Pussy-Bow Silk Charmeuse Maxi Dress, £675, Zimmermann / Crossover Halterneck Silk Maxi Dress, £1,290, FENDI / Red Floral Embroidered Mesh Maxi Dress, £90/£60, Missguided / Parada Bolero-Sleeve Striped Maxi Dress, now £940 (was £2,350), Johanna Ortiz on Farfetch.com / Ronny Graphic-Print Silk Blend Maxi Dress, £755, LoveShackFancy / Maxi Dress with Batwing Sleeve and Wrap Waist in Satin, now £40, ASOS DESIGN.
Whats your secret maxi weapon? If you don't already have one, you know what to do!
AE
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