Why do most maxi dresses look so terrible on?

[jenenberry]

They always look so good on the hanger.
But, get them on most bodies (mine included) and they make a person look

Frumpy.
Pregnant.
3 X the size they normally are.
A lumpy sack of spuds!
And all that material = A billowing ship in full sail.

Am I right in thinking that only a small minority of women can pull the look off.
and it's not me

I like the idea of maxi dresses - but havne't yet found one that suits me.

I do like a long skirt to wear with a fitted vest/t shirt though. I find that I can show off the trimmer areas and not look so big. (am quite tall, but muscly! )

Just wish that we had more summer weather in this country to justify having lots of floaty clothes.

I got a lovely vintage (C&A so must be 80's/90's) floral/halterneck one - tried it on - I'm 5 ft 5 and 10-12, the cut is good too and the print is nice.

I never see a maxi dress I like enough when out to buy it!

the maxi dresses my ex-colleague used to wear are like this:-

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAXI-STRAPLESS-DRESS-SIZE-12-BY-F-F-TESCO-IN-BLACK-AND-PINK-VGC-/361346222292?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item5421e9c8d4

she was about 5 ft 3 or 4 and a size 10 but had huge norks (DD at least, F/G at most) quite firm according to her but not for maxi dresses with no straps and certainly not to work in a solicitors office with no bra at all on!

I have avoided wearing my maxis this summer as been feeling a bit frumpy in them but saw a lady wearing one that was huge and billowy but with spaghetti straps and was quite close fitted under the arms (but no where else and was not that horrible stretchy bandeau thing that everyone was wearing a few years ago)

She was quite slim so it looked really good and quite a fresh take on maxis that are quite form fitting these days - I am replicating the look today with a wet dragging hem thanks to the weather so it doesn't look quite right (don't know what I was thinking this morning)

What are English people supposed to disguise themselves as MaryBerrys? French? Czech? Citizens of the world?

Chic people? Not swathed in patterned polyester

What is your definition of Chic, Mary?

(genuinely interested)

Understated. Plain. Fitting but not revealing
Lovely simple colours. Nice fabrics.

I wear plain, understated,fitted yet not revealing maxi dresses in great fabrics. This polyester patterned business is a tired way of looking at the many varieties available for different body shapes.

This thread is like someone saying 'I think most boots/jeans look terrible on'.

If you are stylish you know what works for your body type . As long as you feel comfortable -nothing else matters.

Agree Deeznutz. The link between patterned polyester (which by the way, doesn't seem that English particularly) and maxi dresses is random. I've got some plain, understated etc dresses and also some vibrant, detailed and really quite plunging ones. Like both kinds, not sure if either chic or not. Probably not .

Just ordered myself a maxi dress from the Debenham sales, along with a few other dresses to try on, including one with zebras on it. Can't wait for the parcel to,arrive.

The problem with maxi dresses this year is they are so long. I'm about 5'7" and they drag along the ground.

i actually think mine is quite flattering
I'm 5'9 and size 12 on top, 16 on the bottom with a fat arse and thunder thighs, but small waist and boobs. it fits nicely on my slimmer top half, and skims over the horrors below.

I only have one - thi s but in navy, and it's really easy to wear

I'm 5'8", size 10, and they look great on me. I wear plain, empire line/knot front jersey maxi dresses to work with a contrasting cropped fitted cardigan, and out of work I wear slim fitting maxis with a more drapey type cardigan. I get compliments often, it works well on me. It also hides the fact I'm rubbish at putting outfits together!

"This thread is like someone saying 'I think most boots/jeans look terrible on'.

If you are stylish you know what works for your body type . As long as you feel comfortable -nothing else matters."

Absolutely *Deeznutz". Perhaps the short overweight people that posters are referring to on here just don't know how to dress for their shape?

I am pear shaped and find that the style of dress that Sparky refers to suits my shape beautifully. Although I don't wear maxi dresses to work.

5'10" curvy size 8 here - love a slim fitting maxi dress or skirt, usually a plain colour (with fitted vest top or T-shirt) and get compliments when I wear them.

I was out earlier and saw a tall willowy girl, about 16, walking towards me wearing a white and blue maxi dress. She looked wonderful, I would have looked like a bumpy frumpy whatsitty thing in a nightie.

I saw a couple of people at the airport today wearing simple, column type, spaghetti strap maxi dresses. One was 20 something, and had an ample but well upholstered décolletage. The other was somewhat older, but slim. Neither were tall and both looked great.

What really irks me are the ones that appear in the office. Not so much what they look like (though that too) but maxi dresses just are not office wear.

Depends on your office, I guess. I show my face in our Hague office for a few days each month dressed as described in my post above. I dislike and don't need to look 'corporate', and I quite like looking distinctive - I am the only woman in a senior role in my area so I stand out whatever I wear. I look well put together, groomed, etc. works for me.

Strapless ones are not a nice look unless you are really talk and slim - and even then it's a holiday garment.

Maxis are too OTT for the office where I work and we have relaxed the dress code recently. Besides, I like to keep some clothes separate from work clothes.