Summer Style: The Maxi Dress

I know it’s been too long since I last updated RITC, but with so many projects on the burner and crazy deadlines, time just slips away from me these days! Anyway, moving swiftly along… one of my favourite things for summer is the maxi dress, and as we finally begin our move into the hot season here in Cape Town, I’m seeing some great dresses that I plan to snap up in time for December.

One thing about maxi dresses for short people like me though, is that they often make you feel on the dumpy side. This is why it’s always a good idea to get the right length – very long dresses, if they are not very fitted especially, tend to be better suited to the tall types, while shorter ones that fall around mid-shin are great for the shorter types. I’ve also been seeing some fabulous culotte/pant-suit maxi dresses, which are somewhere between flowing jumpsuits and a new age form of pallazo pants (remember those gems, tres 90s!) – perfect in pretty summer florals and nice fabrics. On a related note, I’d also love to get hold of a pair of silk pants again, I used to have a couple of pairs when I was young, so great for summer!

Best way to wear maxi dresses? With flat gladiators or neutral sandals for day time, or strappy heeled sandals for night time. Some may say that wedges can also work, but I’m a bit iffy – unless the dress is a bit shorter, it can have a strange unbalanced look and if it’s a long dress, then would end up getting caught on the shoe.

Strapless dresses with a belt or waist detail are especially hot for summer – loving how Rihanna is rocking the maxi dress look: