Emma Balter shows how to pull of a maxi dress, no matter what your body type
Small-breasted – Lauren Cordell – New Look, £19.99
When you are on the small side breast-wise it is actually quite easy to find a maxi dress that suits. The only real no-go is a low-cut neckline, as you won’t be able to fill it. Bustier maxi dresses always work and come in handy for a lazy evening at the beach this summer. Dresses with a lot of frill detail on the chest have been seen around a fair bit at the moment, but your best bet it to opt for one that has reinforced padding in the chest area, like this New Look beach maxi. Whichever route you decide to take, it is always best to choose a dress that is defined up there rather than flopping over.
Short – Emma Balter – Republic, £40
It is common belief that short girls cannot wear maxi dresses. Get this idea out of your head immediately. Being short myself, I had thought this for many years until I actually bothered to try one on. The secret is to choose a maxi dress with a dividing seam that is situated just underneath your breasts, therefore elongating the lower part of your body. Patterns can serve as an optical illusion if they run vertically as seen on this Republic dress. A little extra tip – if you’re planning to wear it as an evening dress, wear heals instead of taking up the hem when you buy it.
Tall – Rosanna Sopp – New Look, £34.99
Everyone may think that the maxi dress is the perfect item for the maxi girl. Yes, but not if the material stops at your calves. Depending on where you shop you might have to have a look through the tall section just to avoid this happening. This can make shopping for your dress an extra pain, but once you have found the perfect one the result will be stunning. Excluding the length there are no specific rules to follow except this one golden one: choose a dress which has a waisted seam. ‘Dividing’ your body that way will give the illusion that you aren’t as tall.
Busty – Alex Bannister – Next, £45
Remember that the most annoying thing when busty and shopping is that the fashion industry does not realise you can wear a size 8 and sport a pair of double Ds. This makes it very difficult to fit into, well, pretty much anything. When choosing your maxi you might have to go a size up from your usual, or better yet opt for stretchy material – less glam but much more comfortable. The beauty of this New Look dress is that the detail on the chest shows a little bit of cleavage without it being vulgar and spilling out everywhere. Remember: always, always wear something supportive.