Midi dresses have been around for some time now and they’re definitely here to stay for a while longer.
So I thought I’d have a play with one of my midi dresses in this video (below) to give you some ideas on how you can style yours.
Midi dresses are a great transitional wardrobe piece, that can take you from summer into autumn and through into winter. There are so many different styles, colours and patterns too, so plenty to choose from.
A few quick tips:
- Think about the volume of material in the dress. If you’re petite or have a smaller frame you’ll generally look better in styles that have less volume. If you’re taller or are looking to add volume then the more voluminous styles will be great.
- Think about where the horizontal lines/details fall the dress. Does it have an obvious waistline? If you want to show off your waist this will be perfect, or perhaps you can add a belt on top to achieve the same thing. If you’d rather not draw the eye to your waistline then perhaps an empire line style dress, with the horizontal seaming under the bust, will be more flattering? Or a simple A line, floaty style perhaps with no seams in the body of the dress? If it is a dress with tiers in the skirt, again think about where they fall. A tier running across your widest point, say your hips/thighs for example may not be so flattering. A tier just at the bottom of the dress, on the other hand, may add breadth here and balance a broader hip/thigh so could be very flattering.
- Think about the neck lines and shoulder lines. A lot of the midi dresses that are around at the moment are high necked which may not be as flattering if you are fuller busted. Many have ties at the neckline, so don’t forget that you can just leave them hanging open which creates a lovely open neckline. Or choose the shirt dress style with buttons that you can leave open and just pop a camisole under. If you want to add breadth at the shoulder line to perhaps create balance with a wider hip/thigh, then the styles with pin tucks at the shoulders will work wonders.
- If you choose a patterned dress consider the size of the print. If you you are tall or have a larger bone structure you’ll look lovely in bigger prints. If your finer in scale or petite, smaller sized prints are likely to be more flattering.
- Think about where the hemline ends, is it at a flattering point on your leg?
- Consider your footwear too. It’s so true that shoes can make or break an outfit! One of the current looks is to team a midi dress with trainers. As I say in the video, I’m petite and so I chose platform trainers as they help to add an extra inch or two. Boots are a great choice for the winter, both ankle boots or long boots. Just think about whether you match them to the colour of the dress (this has a leg lengthening effect) or wear them in a stand out colour which will draw the eye downwards.
Above all, wear and style your midi dress in a way that feels like you. And if they’re not your thing, just give them a miss and choose something else!
(Apologies for the doorbell ringing at the end – it doesn’t ring all day and then goes just as I’m filming a video – typical!).