Maxi Dresses for Different Body Types

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 • by Rose

When it comes to maxi dresses, many women seem doubtful whether to embrace the trend or keep it at bay. Unlike mini dresses or tiny dresses, a maxi dress does more covering up than revealing, and all the extra fabric that goes into a maxi dress looks quite tough to pull off. That is actually not the case at all; maxi dresses can flatter figures of any size and shape, and all that it takes is a little bit of making small adjustments to your maxi dress style.

The Petite Shape

Perhaps the most undecided when it comes to wearing maxi dresses are petite women. The common concern is that petite shapes might just get too overwhelmed by the voluminous fabric. But as we’ve seen in our previous article on Eva Longoria, petite women can carry a maxi dress look just as well as tall women do. The secret is choosing a maxi dress that has a sleeker silhouette something not too flowing or bouncy and one that shows a little bit of skin like sporting spaghetti straps or being sleeveless. To add more height, try a longer maxi dress and pair it with wedges or sandals with heels.

Try this:

A.L.C. Athletic Open Knit Dress, $374.00

Plus-Size Shapes

Maxi dresses do wonders for plus-size women since the long silhouette creates that taller and slimmer look. The thing to remember when choosing a maxi for this body type is to create a waist or curves. This can be achieved by choosing waist-defining maxi dresses like fitted styles or by just adding a belt to cinch the waist. Also, try to avoid printed maxi dresses and choose the ones that come in solid colors instead as the latter give you a more svelte appearance.

Try this:

camilla and marc Day Break Long Dress, $620.00

The Long & Lean

Lean girls are more lucky when it comes to trying out different maxi dress styles. If you belong to this body type, you can pick out maxi dresses with long sleeves, unique prints and interesting designs, which are actually a no-no for smaller ladies. Avoid the ones with too much fabric going on, however, as they create that more bulky look.

Try this:

Patterson J. Kincaid St. Tropez Maxi Dress, $198.00

Busty Shapes

For full-bosomed ladies, it’s best to choose maxi dresses that provide enough support at the top. That means staying away from maxi dresses with spaghetti straps or thin straps, and going for the ones that have thicker straps or halter-styled cuts. Maxi dresses that have a bit of flare at the bottom would be great as well as they would balance out the ampleness at the top.

Try this: