The maxi dress is back. After a short (or not so short) winter hiatus, it’s no surprise that this full-length number is ready to be resurrected just in time for spring.
What other item of clothing offers you the chance to feel cosy and look cute yet doesn’t have you attempting to go incognito when you venture out the house to get a spontaneous mid-movie marathon snack, like a pair of pyjamas or your well-worn tracksuit might?
That’s not to say this dress was invented purely for chilling though. It also happens to be a great wardrobe essential. It strikes the perfect balance between smart and relaxed thanks to its longer length, so that you can easily take it from the office with knee-high boots, to relaxing at a BBQ in sliders on the weekend.
In short, the maxi dress is your new warmer weather best friend. A rediscovery that may come as a relief to those who are, many months on, still struggling to get used to life after lockdown where bike shorts are not the go-to outfit for any and every occasion anymore and feeling comfortable doesn’t always come before looking good.
If you're not sure how to find the perfect maxi dress for you (the easy answer is, buy a few), we've pulled together a handy guide to sussing that all out. From petite and plus-size options to long sleeve and floral-print numbers, here are all the best maxi dresses you can buy.
Petite maxi dresses for spring
Yep, that's right, contrary to popular opinion, petite gals can wear maxi dresses. Anyone 5'3 and under, it's time to rethink your wardrobe choices.
If you're used to what should be graceful floor-sweeping skirts pooling at your ankles and tripping you up, you're in luck. Sooo many brands offer petite options which will ensure your hemline is tailored to your proportions.
And since the midi has now been replaced by the 'midaxi' (half midi, half maxi) as the most on-trend length, trust us when we say you've got an advantage: no dress will swing at that unflattering below-the-knee length on you, ever. This means, more options when you're shopping!
ASOS DESIGN Petite recycled flutter sleeve maxi beach dress in black
Spring maxi dresses with sleeves
If you are looking to protect your limbs from the sun or just prefer to have your upper arms covered, there is a maxi out there for you. A few years back, when fashion was reluctantly lengthening hemlines, long dresses would often be balanced by spaghetti straps or halter necklines. Not anymore, though!
Coverage is cool whether that comes in short puff sleeves or full length fits.
Plus size maxi dresses for spring
We were pretty disappointed to see that there weren't that many on-trend options for plus-size maxi dresses on the internet (our Contributing Curve Editor rounds up the best plus size dresses with varying lengths here), but we're hoping for that to change asap. If you find yourself stuck for places to shop, we've found all the best brands that cater to curves here.
Anyway, we digress, a round of applause to brands like ASOS and Mango for serving us some ridiculously flattering spring maxi dresses. Our faves include the 90's inspired Levi's number with its tiny flower print and Reformation's wrap dress that happens to be an ideal wedding guest dress.
ASOS DESIGN Curve plunge front beach maxi dress in tonal animal print
V by Very Curve short sleeve v-neck ruched waist & tie tiered maxi dress - black
Floral maxi dresses for spring
Florals basically sum up spring/summer, are we right? And, believe it or not, they never go out of style, if you choose wisely of course: low-key patterns like the ones on the Hush maxi and Poupette St Barth sleeveless dress below are timeless.
But if you want to have more fun with your summer lewks, we recommend going for Warehouse's bold florals, something retro like Mango's orange shirt dress or a girly take like Anthropologie's purple daisy design.
HANNAH ARTWEAR Surya open-back floral-print silk-habotai maxi dress
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Abigail Southan is our Senior Fashion Ecommerce Editor and has five years' experience as a writer and editor in the industry. Abigail has a BA in History from the University of Bristol and an MA in Fashion Journalism from Central Saint Martins. Abigail currently covers all things style and shopping across titles including Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Esquire and Red. On a daily basis, she helps readers buy better with how-to-wear guides, first-person product reviews and deep dives into the latest trends. Previously, Abigail has worked for The Sunday Times’ Style and Fabulous magazine as their first ecommerce writer and was a founding editor of Sun Selects. She has also written for Net-a-Porter, I-D, Man About Town, Wonderland and 1 Granary, and has interviewed the likes of Paris Hilton, Dua Lipa and Christopher Bailey. You can follow Abigail on Instagram at @abigailsouthan.
Courtney Smith is Fashion Assistant at Cosmopolitan UK and Women's Health UK, where she works across both print and digital. She has been in the fashion industry for over nine years, initially as a model and later as a fashion assistant and writer in media. When she is not assisting on shoots with the likes of Tom Daley and Raye or bringing about a surge in online hula hoop sales, she can be found at the ponds getting in some quality time with her one true love: swimwear.
