Maxi-Mizing Style: Magnificent 8 Collaboration

IMHO, the key to maxi-mizing your styling efforts on a toasty summer day is to go long. Few items in my wardrobe are as comfortable and versatile as my near-to-floor-length dresses and skirts.

As indicated by the title of this post, maxi dresses/skirts are the showcased pieces for this edition of the Magnificent 8 Collaboration. I first fell in love with this style in the 70s as attested to by the photo on the right taken in 1975. While floor length was common for dressier wear, I would typically go with a longer hemline even when it wasn’t particularly fashionable daytime attire. My mother often chided me for the “old lady” length of my skirts.

Far from it being a modesty thing, I thought that the longer line was flattering and elegant. Nowadays, hemlines seem to drop and rise from one day to the next to a point where it’s all a blur. Going by the common mantra of “I’ll wear what I like”, a maxi dress or skirt is still my go-to for an easy-to-wear and stylish choice. And I’ll wear it with a favorite denim jacket.

Besides their versatility and simply looking great, there are so many pluses for wearing a maxi dress. First, the first is comfort, especially in the heat and/or high humidity. Those made from a lighter fabric and with a looser fit cover a multitude of sins that you may not wish to flash about and yet still want to remain cool in the summer. By choosing one in a solid color, a maxi dress can take you from day to night by swapping out your shoes and accessories. The dress that I’m wearing in these photos was the only one I took on my recent cruise and it served me well from sitting poolside to dinner in one of the specialty restaurants.

In addition, you can wear maxi dresses in a variety of settings. A maxi dress is perfectly suitable whether you’re going around running errands on the weekend, going out to a party at night, or even in some office settings. Having such a versatile option can make planning out your day’s outfit a lot easier and save you money, in that you don’t have to buy new items for each type of event.

No matter your age, there are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for a maxi dress. To get the most out of their lengthening illusion, the dress should be fitted at or above your natural waistline. A v-neckline also helps to elongate you and make you look taller/thinner. Be mindful that too much fabric/pattern can overwhelm the look. and lastly, the hemline of your dress should kiss the tops of your feet and not drag behind you. After all, it’s not a wedding dress.

And while maxi dresses/skirts are a wonderful option for summer, they also have their place in your wardrobe throughout the year. I never check the calendar when deciding to wear one and they have appeared on this blog countless times as can be seen in the following line-up.

Time to move on to the Magnificent 8 Collaboration. Working in tandem are 8 stylish women, each in a different age bracket ranging from early 20s to early 80s, with the intention of showing that fabulous style has no age restrictions. So wear what you want, when you want, add a smile, and strut your style with confidence. And be sure to check out the other 7 amazing gals! These posts are shared on a quarterly basis … be on the lookout at the end of October for the next post in this series.

The Magnificent 8 Collaboration began in the Summer of 2018 as a quarterly venture (which means we’re celebrating 5 years 🥳) and this is its 21st installment. The previous ones were; Life’s A Beach, Distressed, Workout Wear, Spring Pattern Mixing, White Dress, Animal Print, Family Heirloom, Garden Party, Hello Yellow, Pearls, Outside The Box, Statement Pants, Inspired By, Invested In Style, Stick A Pin On It, Secondhand Style, Summer Linen, Western, Viva Magenta, and most recently Blazing Through Spring.

Have you visited any of the other Magnificent 8 gals yet and seen their spins on the theme of Maxi-Mizing Style? In case you haven’t, allow me to help get you on your way.

Grace of Graceful Rags
Mica of Away From The Blue
Roxanne of Glass of Glam
Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge
Rena of Fine-Whatever
Eugenia of The Age Of Grace
Lesley of Jodie’s Touch of Style
And Charlotte of Jodie’s Touch of Style

Remember, you can’t put a number on style!

Fashion statement or not, maxi dresses/skirts nearly always seem to be in style and a good choice in these hot days of summer. What’s your point of view on going long with your hemline?

Stay well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.

Photo credit: MMPerez