How to Style A Maxi Dress
Do you love wearing maxi dresses? Maybe you're not sure how to style a maxi dress, but have always wanted to wear one.
Maxi dresses have been a style staple for decades and aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Maxi dresses are great because they are so easy to dress up or down and can be worn any time of year.
Whatever you're occasion, there is a maxi dress that perfect for it. Sometimes you just need to add an accessory or two to bring your look to life.
In today's post, I will be answering some of the maxi dress questions I have been getting lately. And If you have a style question, feel free to send me a message.
Let’s get into it!
How to wear a maxi dress if you are short or the dress is too long
There is a couple of genius, not-so-genius ways to wear a maxi dress that has a little too much length.
The first way is to wear a shoe that offers the height you need to keep your dress from dragging all over the floor.
This one is pretty obvious, but you definitely want to wear a heeled shoe that is comfortable. Maxi dresses look great with sandals, especially in the spring, summer, and early fall. Try these shoes with your next too-long maxi for a sweet look.
- Espadrille sandals
- Chunky heeled sandals
- Booties
- Chunky platform heels
- High heels
- Block heel
- Chunky wedge sandals
The second way to wear a maxi dress that has too much length is to tie a knot at the bottom of your dress, to lift it up a bit.
Now, this only works with certain types of maxi dress materials. Don’t try to tie up your dress if it’s woven or made of any kind of crinkle fabric, because it will ruin the dress.
If your dress is made of a slinky, stretchy buttery soft material, you can definitely tie it up to give you the perfect length. I am 5’6 and I find myself doing this all of the time. Sometimes I just like the look, other times I need the dress to be a little shorter.
The third way to wear a maxi dress with a little too much way is to get it hemmed at your local seamstress. I have several maxi dresses that are absolutely gorgeous but have just a tad bit too much length.
As a mom, I mostly wear flat sandals because I am constantly picking up a toddler and cannot always get away with platform shoes. So, I go into my favorite local seamstress and have it hemmed perfectly to my height. When the dress fits properly, I am able more comfortable and able to get around easily. It's a win-win.
Now, I don't get all of my dresses hemmed simply because I do want the extra length on some of those dresses. The dresses maxis are perfect with high heels and look much better with the extra length. It all just depends, but these are the 3 best ways to wear a maxi if you are short or if the dress has too much length.
How to style a long maxi dress
Long maxi dresses are elegant, and lovely and come in a variety of styles. You can find just about anything you want under the sun when it comes to long maxi dresses.
Now styling a long maxi dress can be a little tricky, simply because you don't want to overwhelm your outfit or add too much material and appear unbalanced.
- Accessories your maxi dress with dainty jewelry
- Cinch your waist in with a belt
- Style it with a kimono
- Wear it with a cardigan
- Wear a wide-brim hat
- Add a scarf
- Wear it with a shacket
- Wear it with a poncho
- Style it with a motto jacket
- Wear it with a cardigan
- Wear it with a jean jacket
How to style a plain maxi dress
I love a good monochrome outfit and one of the easiest ways to achieve this look is with a solid maxi dress. Try styling your maxi dress with a fedora and shoes of the same color scheme to create that monochrome look. You will instantly look ultra chic and stylish.
Another great way to style a plain or solid maxi dress is to add a statement piece to it. Try adding a jacket with a pop of color or some unexpected jewelry. You can also style it with a bright contrasting purse to give your outfit a statement.
How to style a maxi dress for summer
My favorite time of year to wear a maxi dress is early summer and also at the end of summer when the temperature is still cool in the mornings and evenings and warm in the middle of the day. A maxi dress provides just that extra bit of coverage while still being breezy.
Style a maxi dress with the following for a cute summer look
How to style maxi dresses in summer:
- Kimono
- Sandals
- Wide brim sun hat
- Dainty jewelry
- Sunglasses
- Cinch your waist in with a belt
- Bright cheerful colors, yellows, magenta, hot pink, coral, purple, blue, orange, white
How to style a maxi dress for winter
A maxi dress in the wintertime is a great choice for a dress because the length offers that extra coverage you may need to help you stay warm.
Another great reason for wearing a maxi dress in the wintertime is because you can layer with warm leggings underneath and no one would even know it.
You can choose a maxi dress with long sleeves and layer over your dress a nice trench coat. Finish off your look with boots and a scarf and you are set for a winter's day in style.
How to style maxi dresses in winter:
- Trench coats
- Boots
- Stackers
- Chunky knit cardigans
- Scarfs
- Leggings
- Add some sparkly accessories
- Neutral colors including golds, silvers, black, red, green
- Sparkle, sparkle, and more sparkle
How to style a maxi dress for fall
Depending on where you live, fall might still be hot, or already cooling off from summer. Either way a good trick for styling a maxi dress in the fall are to go with fall colors.
Think of pumpkin patches, hay rides, candy apples, and all of the goodies that come along with fall. You’ll surely find a maxi dress to fit the bill.
If you are in a cooler climate, go for layering pieces such as scarves, booties, and chunky cardigans.
If you are in a warmer climate, go for booties, skip the scarf, and layer with a fedora, dainty jewelry, and a lightweight cardigan.
Bonus tip: Try a poncho over your maxi dress for a unique and chic layering look.
How to style maxi dresses in fall:
- More ways to style in the fall
- Jean jacket
- Motto jacket
- Shacket
- Oversized Cardigan
- Booties
- Scarf
- Fedora hat
- Autumn colors, orange, yellows, red, brown, olive green
How to wear a maxi dress in spring
I am all about spring colors. Every time spring rolls around it's like my wardrobe gets a color refresh. It's so nice! After a gloomy and dreary winter, nothing is more exciting to me than wearing pretty pastels to brighten up the days. Styling a maxi dress in springtime is pretty fun.
Go for fun florals, choose colors that make you happy, and style the dress with sandals, a lightweight cardigan, and a cute crossover bag. This is also that time of year when sandals start to come back into your wardrobe rotation.
How to wear a maxi dress in spring:
- Dainty jewelry
- Lightweight cardigan
- Floral prints
- Statement purse
- Pastel colors, shades of pink, blue, purple, yellow, green, etc
How to style a maxi dress for a wedding
A full-length maxi dress is a great choice for a wedding guest dress. It's elegant, modest, and easy to dress up. Wear your maxi dress with a pair of high heels and some sparkly jewelry. Style your hair in curls and carry a small clutch or small purse to complete your look.
How to wear a maxi dress at work
There are a couple of ways how to style a maxi dress for work. Since maxi dresses are generally modest, it makes them really great for wearing to work or the office. Try styling your maxi dress with a blazer for a professional appearance.
Dressing business casual sure can get boring if you don't change it up from time to time. Mixing it with a maxi dress is a great idea to add a sophisticated and classy look to your wardrobe rotation.
Go for solid maxi dresses, minimal prints, and woven materials. Avoid colorful or large prints as these maxi dresses are better for play than the office.
Choose the right shoes, such as closed-toe sandals, closed-toe heels, or booties. Accessories minimally, such as a pair of dainty earrings and a bracelet to complete your office look.
How to style a maxi dress with a belt/ How to style a loose maxi dress
Sometimes maxi dresses are designed to be loose fitting, but maybe you want to add a little definition to your look. Try adding a small belt to cinch in the waistline and define your look.
Generally, when adding a belt to a dress, the dress won’t have a defined waistline, so you would be creating one yourself, or the dress might have a seam running through where your natural waist is, but the dress has a loose fit design. A belt is a perfect addition in this case!
What to wear with a long maxi dress
Outfit 1
Outfit 2
How to style a boho maxi dress
Styling a boho dress with a fedora hat, booties, and a kimono definitely complete the boho look. You can also style a boho maxi dress with a fringe or vegan suede jacket for a gorgeous boho vibe.
How to wear a maxi dress casually
Wearing a maxi dress casually is as good as it gets! You can style your maxi dress with sneakers or flat sandals and a jean jacket for a casually cool look.
This is also a great outfit for going to the park with the kids, long walks, running errands, and grabbing coffee. It's an easy go-to outfit that you can throw on and go.
If you're anything like me, I live in leggings at home but when I want to leave the house I want to change, but not necessarily dress up. I just want to look a bit more put together, and this look is perfectly easy to accomplish. It’s good to change it up every once in a while.
Conclusion
So there you have it! Several ways to style a maxi dress this season. In what ways do you like to style a maxi dress?
Be sure to leave a comment below letting me know if there’s anything I missed! I bring cute new styles into the boutique Tuesday, you can check out my boutique collection here.
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