I hoped this day would never come…I think the midi dress is actually over

[Bringinguptherear]

I know it’s been known for quite a some time that the midi / midaxi dress has past it’s style peak. But until now I’ve still felt very comfortable with my wardrobe full of long dresses (so easy to wear!).

But yesterday, wearing a long shirt dress which felt totally chic a couple of years ago, it felt a bit dated, a bit bland, a bit boring. I felt everyone who looked cool was wearing something different and the (many) midi dresses being worn all looked a bit sad.

I am devastated. I’ve been a fully signed up member of Team Midi Dress and I’m not ready to give them up!

I love midi skirts and dresses. In fact, I just bought two midi skirts. One is cotton with a pleat detail. It's pink, a colour I generally avoid but it's a gorgeous shade and I fell in love with it. The other skirt is linen, chocolate brown with ivory polka dots. I expect I'll get a lot of wear out of both of them for many years to come.

TBH I haven't really noticed the midi trend disappearing, though trousers are certainly fashionable as well. I have numerous knee-length and just below the knee skirts in my wardrobe, and to me they feel a bit dated. I'll hold onto them, though. In a year or two they might feel fresh and stylish again.

I am exactly the same.
Hate mini dresses, but way too short for maxi dresses! 😂

I’ll take my midis to the grave with me!

@owlexpress thanks for the name check. Those tiered things, so many just seem to droop. I have curtains with more presence. The materials are so thin, the yarn is made in an even finer den, the weave is looser there is no body to the material. This compares with dresses my mother had that were physically heavier and of course she wore an underskirt, sometimes with a springy wire in the hem to help it stand away from her legs and move, it had life!.
PS. To look good you need (some) heels and remember to stand up straight and square your shoulders.

@Alltheyellowbirds I bought them in France years ago and can't find them. I do do a lot of repeat buying via Vinted and Ebay, I have about 4 pairs of sandals that I have duplicates of! 😆

😂 Why on earth are you reading Style and Beauty like someone who's interested in fashion?!
So mad.
Read what you enjoy!

Ah, less likely then. RIP perfect trousers :(

It's always the way, I do have alerts on. Took 3 yrs to find my Nike polka dot trainers that I love 😆

I think separates feel more current than dresses at the moment.

Though I'm hoping that I've just temporarily "got the ick" with dresses because every woman and her dog has got their summer dresses on at the moment and I'll rekindle the flame once everyone's back in jeans and bretons.

It's the flowery dress, denim jacket and white trainer combo that's done it for me. I haven't worn a denim jacket for a few years but I've actually bought a new one to wear with jeans and none flowery trousers & shorts.

Exactly. They've spoiled it for the rest of us.

Funny, I didn’t know this was a thing until I recently got a flurry of “what not to wear over 50” posts in my TikTok feed all ridiculing the midi-dress/denim jacket/white trainers combo.

I hadn’t realised it was such a no no! I don’t wear white trainers but I do have a denim jacket I’ll often throw over a summer dress - I live in Scotland and it’s rarely warm enough to go out in a dress without another layer just in case. What alternative would be deemed “acceptable”???

I much prefer separates, even if they do sound like something you'd find in a clearance sale at Grace Brothers.

For one thing, you instantly double your chances of getting a decent fit. Unless I go for no shape or something that's about 10% lycra, I've more chance of meeting a unicorn than I have of finding a dress that fits shoulders, boobs, waist and arse, and I'm not a particularly odd shape or size.

Plus separate tops and bottoms are so much more versatile. You can mix colours, fabric and texture, even prints. There's less laundry because tops require more washing than bottoms (or is that just me?) or if you spill curry down your top, half the outfit is still salvageable. And if you're on a limited budget, well there's no contest.

Some of the most stylish people I know stand out from the crowd because they wear what they want, don't necessarily follow trends, and look incredible. Wear what suits your body shape. It's no good trying to stay in fashion if the cut looks absolutely shite on you. Stick to the midi and wear with confidence.

I don't own a dress with a zip, as being inverted triangle shape, they never fit top and bottom, I love a midi dress ( I'm petite so nearly full length on me,), but the ones I own are manly stretch cotton type , nothing with buttons or zip , so I do have these for a long time as it's hard to get a good fit, I have a fit and slightly flar dress from mint velvet which fits great, just have to try lots on, I wear mostly wide leg trousers or midi skirts

I'm just watching a tiktok clip and the woman is wearing a plain black midi dress with gold flat sandles. She looks really nice.

The trouble is that when you wear them like that, especially with a lovely tweed blazer in a colour that actually suits you and carrying your favourite leather bag, you eventually realise (upon catching a glimpse of yourself in the reception doors) that it looks rather like you've parked your pony in the staff car park.

Don't ask me how I know this. The trauma of realising I'd turned into the bastard child of Alastair Sim and Margaret Rutherford runs deep in my soul.

Beauty and style are often poles apart from "fashion"

I thought à midi was between ankle and knee but apparently thats midaxi, so shows what I know. All my dresses then aren’t midi but midaxi.

😂I did think this once. I said to my mate, I look like I've lost my horse.

I don't own a tweed jacket though.

I don't wear them much as I am in love with my baggy jeans and gazelles.

The last time I wore my skinny jeans and boots was to an ACDC tribute. No blazer though, a denim jacket. I don't mind a bit of double denim either this year which I thought I'd never say.

After being on this thread earlier I was quite thrilled to end up buying this today. It’s billed as midi but is definitely maxi on me (5’5”). No flounces, flowers, tiers etc to be found and good heavy linen.

www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/321306724

I thought à midi was between ankle and knee but apparently thats midaxi, so shows what I know. All my dresses then aren’t midi but midaxi.

Midi definitely used to be that length, what is a midi now?

I just love the fact with a midi dress you pick one item of clothing and that's it - outfit complete. And midis work with most shoes (trainers, boots, sandals)

With separates and me it's always "I fancy wearing that top today...that works really well with those blue trousers...oh but they're in the wash. Maybe the black skirt instead - yes I'll wear the skirt. But I prefer the skirt with the white top. But actually that doesn't work with the shoes I was going to wear. Yeah I want to wear those shoes because I've got a lot of walking today. So actually trousers would be better with those shoes, So trousers but not the blue ones that are in the wash...ok the green trousers with the high waist, got to be a top I can tuck in which rules out the two I was thinking of, let's go for the stripy one...but it could do with an iron, I'm not sure I've got time to iron it now, what doesn't need ironing...."

Before I know where I am I've got half my wardrobe on the floor, it's been 15 minutes and I'm still standing round in my pants.

But you see I enjoy all that, op!

I like thinking about what to wear and dithering around about what works with what. And the more permutations, and the more risks there are, the greater the fun.

Admittedly I do tend to decide what to wear the night before and then stick to it.

Ah yes time was I used to love constructing an outfit too.

Will file alongside having a browse of my recipe books before deciding what to cook for dinner in my "I'm a perimenopausal woman with small kids and I haven't got the time or headspace" folder.

Midi dresses have been great for feeling a bit fashion-y and put together with zero effort. Maybe this is why it's the 40-50 demographic who is clinging on to them!

I’ve been there too op and I still enjoyed my clothes and found planning what to wear a delightful escape from it all.

I could throw the onset of old age and health dramas into the current mix if I chose. But then I didn’t realise the thread topic was really getting dressed dilemmas Top Trumps.

Have a nice evening.