The other day two people commented to me — “I could never wear that.”
Both were referring to my black maxi dress, which has a slight shine to the material. It gives off a somewhat dressy vibe yet feels like you’re wearing a well-loved, long tee. The dress, which skims rather than clings, happens to have an empire waist that hits just the right spot to somehow elongate and camouflage.
As for the two people who said “I could never wear that,” — one claimed she is too short to wear maxis. I don’t exactly have anything in that department. Another believed maxis don’t work with her hips. The comments inspired me to scope out just what maxi dresses can flatter different body types. I headed straight to Arden B. (Level 2), where you’ll find a wide selection.
I asked store manager, Tonya Sleeter, for tips on finding the right maxi. The timing couldn’t be better. You’ll find a number of the dresses at Arden B. marked down to half price!
The Paisley Border Maxi ($98) features adjustable straps, which makes for a more customized fit on top. The top of the dress hugs the body and the bottom has more drape to it, which is especially flattering for those who may not want eyes drawn to their hips.
Paisley Border Maxi
The next two dresses — the Paisley Halter Maxi (on sale for $39.50) and the Ikat Ruffle Maxi (on sale for $34.50) are slimming, with their empire waist styles. The waist-line of the dress hits just below the bust, which is often the most narrow area of a woman’s body.
Paisley Halter Maxi
Ikat Ruffle Maxi
Some women, with more curves, may shy away from stripes. Tanya, who owns the Diagonal Stripe Maxi ($69 ), says it’s flattering on lots of body types. It also has an unexpected sexy cut-out in the back. Bottomline, she encourages her clients to try on lots of looks and to shelve their assumptions on what may or may not look the best.
Diagonal Stripe Maxi
Here’s the same dress in rouge. It also comes in black and white.
Check out the view from the back!
The fabric on this stunning Reptile Print Maxi (on sale for $34.50) is all about drape. The cut adds definition around the waist-line without any cling. Eyes are drawn to the sexy key-hole.
Reptile Print Maxi
This standout Ruffle Front Chiffon dress (on sale for $44.50) features a trendy hi-lo hemline. At first glance, you may think that this can’t possibly be a maxi dress. Keep in mind — the model wearing it here is 5-foot-11. The longest portion of the hemline would be maxi length on someone like me. This dress is a great way to add the illusion of height to your frame.
Ruffle Front Chiffon Dress
This zig zag patterned, sweater maxi ($59), which features a criss-cross strap in the back, is ideal for petite frames and clings to the body. It’s perfect if you want to make it appear as if you have more curves than you do. Tonya jokes that even the mannequin looks like she has curves when wearing this dress.
Zig Zag Sweater Maxi
Tanya also points out that the empire waist style maxis can double as great maternity dresses, if you go up a size.
Which of these dresses would you go for?
