Gingham Style!

Written By Donna Lee

Let’s talk about maxi dresses. As a petite woman, under 5’ 1”, I’m the first to admit that floor length hemlines can feel like the kid at Halloween trying not to trip over his/her DIY bed sheet costume. I’m happy to say…and see…that there has been a welcoming acceptance of looser fitting clothing styles, annnd diverse body types in which these clothes so beautifully fit!

These are just a few ways I’ve worked this oh-so-comfy maxi dress from ASOS. This particular style is sold out, but I’ve listed lots of similar alternatives below.

Style 1

Belt it! I was a bit concerned about having too much extra material on this dress, after I cinched the belt.

TIP 1: Use a tie belt or even a scarf belt. This will give you much more flexibility with how much of the dress fabric will “gather” once you have the desired “cinch,” avoiding the frustration of belt holes that are either too tight or too loose from one hole to the next. In case you were wondering…I also turned the “tied knot” of my belt to the back of the dress. ;-)

TIP 2: Go HIGH…above your waistline. This will create more shape and draw attention to your fun accessory (you can even go for a pop of color!), so you don’t have that feeling of getting “lost” in your dress.

Donna is wearing a long, black and white dress with ruffles at the bottom, a black belt and black boots.

Style 2

Layer a cute, fitted denim jacket or cropped sweater over the dress…with or without the belt. I kept the belt here, since I liked the extra character it added to the denim, but I’m sure this look would be just as chic if you kept it simple with two pieces. For shorter women like me, “gently” accessorizing towards the top of your body (particularly with a maxi dress) can also give the illusion of height…so the focus is not on one long, oversized piece of fabric. These super comfy, platform sneakers are the perfect addition to complete this fun, casual look.

Donna is wearing a long, black and white dress with ruffles at the bottom, a black belt, denim jacket and white sneakers.

Style 3

If you want to embrace the oversized, flowiness of a maxi dress, throw on some cute heeled sandals that are high enough to peek out from under the dress. This was surprisingly my favorite way to style my outfit! Or…maybe it was the light and airy feel of not being tucked into a belt or jacket. Admittedly, it took some time for me to warm up to a piece of clothing that was not fitted in the waist and more shapely…yet, this transported me back to my 80’s days when puffy (clothing!) was as freeing as the fun times I had hanging out in the mall with my friends.

Donna Lee
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A SNEAK PEEK from FASHION WEEK (Spring/Summer 2022)