It’s become the Summer staple. They come printed and plain, bright or muted and they’re perfect for rocking hippie chic.
The humble maxi dress has earned a place in wardrobes across the world. Except mine.
Standing at 5′ is pretty tough at times, especially when I want a piece of the Summer’s hottest trend, the print maxi. But alot of high street stores here in the UK just don’t seem to realise not every girl is the normal 5’5″-ish or taller height. I know people say “Just wander over to Miss Selfridge or Dorothy Perkins, they do sizes for the vertically challenged”. Yes they do, and for the record this is fab for jeans, but maxis still don’t sit right on me. Maybe it’s my own fault (too little Vitamin D my mum always says) and maybe I should accept that maxi dresses are gonna be the one thing that doesn’t suit a ‘smaller frame’.
But I can’t help but get fashion envy when I see people floating around in their gorgeous print maxi dresses and sigh a woeful sigh.
So my solution?? Improvise.
I recently bought this maxi skirt at New Look – stick with me on this ok?
Hanging inocently in the store it looked like a midi-dress, but holding it up against me it was pretty much maxi length. Now, I don’t know about you, but it looked alot like a dress to me and it wasn’t until later my work-mate pointed out that it said maxi skirt on the label that I actually saw it for what is was.
So I bought it. Tried it on at home and voila! Yes it’s a skirt. but hitching it up, wearing the waist toggles as a halter and belt it right…well see for yourself…
Sorry about the blurry pic quality!!
I’ll be honest this isn’t the first time I’ve tried this. I had an old gypsy skirt that I wore as a mini dress before it got worn out and ripped, so using the same base I think it works.
Here are some more skirts that could be used as a DIY maxi dress.
I think the trick is to either find skirts with a ruched waistband that you can use as a top half like a normal maxi dress or find a plain maxi skirt and use a wide waist belt to cinch in the waist and give it some shape.
So there we go, a perfect solution for us tiny creatures. We can finally join the maxi dress wearing fashion throng with our heads held…well kinda high.
Just don’t let anyone see the label ;)
Ria Xx