Tips on How to Style a Maxi Dress

I love a styling challenge – so when my friend Sarah of Flour and Spice blog asked me for ideas on how to style a maxi dress – I promised her a blog post on it. It may have taken me a month (or two!) to write it – but at least it’s still maxi dress weather, right?

Dress: c/o Chicwish / Clips: c/o Amazon / Bag: c/o Amazon

Sometimes I worry about writing a post like this because the tips can seem very obvious (oh…groundbreaking – wearing a jacket with a dress LOL) but even though these tips are simple, sometimes it helps to have them all together in one place 🙂

Let’s start with WHY we feel the need to dress up a maxi dress. Have you guys heard of the “rule of three”? We are aesthetically drawn to odd numbers – whether it comes to decor or fashion, so adding a ‘third piece” to your outfit can make it feel more complete.

So here we go – 4 easy tips on how to style a maxi dress – hopefully one of these tips will help you add an extra dimension to your outfit!

1) BELT IT – This is probably the tip I use the most. Adding a belt breaks up the monotony of an outfit and draws attention to your waist – which makes a dress look more fitted and flattering. The green dress below has an elasticated waist, which I accentuated with my gold belt. The striped dress has a matching fabric belt – I switched it out for a more eye-catching version.

Dress: SHEIN / Belt: SHEIN (similar) / Earrings: c/o Amazon / Shoes: c/o Amazon

Dress: c/o Eshakti / Earrings: c/o Amazon / Bag: similar on Amazon / Shoes: Sam Edelman / Belt: SHEIN (similar)

2) WEAR A JACKET – There is something very aesthetically pleasing about a structured jacket contrasted with a flowy maxi dress. You could wear a cropped (p)leather, suede or denim jacket – I always recommend sizing down and picking a jacket that is fitted on the shoulders – it doesn’t matter if you can’t do the zip up as you’ll be wearing it open.

Jacket: c/o NOIZE (similar) / Dress: SHEIN

3) ADD A STATEMENT ACCESSORY – You can complete your maxi dress outfit with a statement piece like the straw hat or pearl beaded headband I featured below. Other options include a dramatic necklace or a light scarf.

Dress: H&M / Earrings: c/o Amazon / Shoes: Sam Edelman / Hat: similar

Dress: c/o Chicwish / Headband: c/o Amazon  (it’s only $6!) / Necklace: c/o Amazon / Bag: c/o Poppy & Peonies

4) LAYER WITH A SHIRT – For my final tip, you can re-style your maxi dress by layering a knotted shirt to get that maxi skirt look. Depending on the cut of your dress, you could pick a chambray or white button down OR opt for a t-shirt.

Shirt: Old Navy (similar) / Dress: SHEIN (similar) / Earrings: c/o Amazon

What’s your favourite way to style a maxi dress? I think mine is the first: adding a belt 🙂