How To Style A Maxi Dress

A maxi dress has the potential to be your wardrobe secret weapon, from feminine florals to pared-back, minimal styles. However, for some, the idea of a full-length dress can feel daunting, especially when it comes to what to wear with it and how to adapt it for different occasions. That’s why we’ve established four styling pillars - texture, proportion, colour + accessories - to help you navigate the world of maxi dress styling or refresh how you’re wearing your existing favourites.

01 | The Right Jacket

Finding the right jacket to go with a maxi dress can feel like a tricky task, but once you crack the code of proportions, it’s effortless. 

Feminine-Masculine Balance

The easiest way to add an instantly cool edge to a long, slim-fitting maxi dress is to add contrasting proportions of a blazer. Whether you go for a contemporary style like our Intelligent Oversized Blazer, or opt for a timeless cut like the Sharp Shoulder style, tailoring is best styled over a maxi dress in a slim or bias-cut fit. 

Complementing Proportions

A cropped jacket is a maxi dress’s best friend. The long, fluid shape of a maxi is perfectly complemented by the clean-cut silhouette of our cropped jackets, because they’re designed to finish at just the right length on the waist to deliver the most flattering look.  

02 | Texture Clashing

Creating a texture clash is a styling solution that spans the seasons for maxi dresses. Whether it’s combining a chunky knit with soft and fluid crepe, or creating a tough-luxe union of leather + silk. 

Luxurious Knits

Layering a slouchy sweater over a slim-fitting maxi is a look that never goes out of style. It’s also a season-spanning solution, especially during the great British summertime, when it may be hot in the middle of the day (if we’re lucky) but we’re still faced with the dressing dilemma of chilly mornings and rapidly cooling evenings. 

Tough-Luxe Tactility

Creating a textural contrast is a great building block for any look, but it works especially well when you combine luxurious tough-luxe layers like leather or suede, over a classically feminine dress. This season, we’re looking to botanical floral maxi dresses styled under a cropped leather jacket or a classic biker style.