What to wear with a colorful maxi dress

I've found the things in my closet that get the most compliments are often the things I was most on the fence about buying. Case in point: this dress. It sat in my bag at Net-a-Porter for over a week, until it went on sale again and I decided to pull the trigger. Even when it arrived, I was like, "Whoa! Is this cute? Is this ugly?" I went back and forth about it. I asked my boo what he thought and after a long pause, he said, "It's very colorful." I still am not totally sure about it, and I wasn't Sunday morning when I first wore it, but after getting several compliment's from my boo's friends—who are very into vintage cars and, by proxy, into design—I realized that, of course, it's one of those boundary-pushing pieces. It may be polarizing, but I love it. So, without further ado...


This dress is a lot of look. It has lots of colors that don't necessarily go together, it has horizontal stripes, and since it's a maxi, there's a lot of all of it. The cuffs are big and floppy, there are high slits, and yet the buttons allow you to show a little cleavage, if you so desire. It's also silk, and therefore it's incredibly comfortable—I wore it for an entire day and felt like I was in a nightgown. My only criticism is that it's a bit long (I usually wear a lower heel with maxis), so I might actually try belting it the next time I wear it. Then again, getting the length perfect on a maxi is probably quite the challenge, as I have very few that are just right.

 

What goes with a nightgown? A bathrobe! This duster cardigan (last seen here) is technically a sweater, but it's so comfy, it may as well be a bathrobe. When layering with a maxi, you can go either way—short or long—but since it's winter, I decided to maximize my warmth, especially since the dress has high slits on the side. Also, I should note, Sunday was a beautiful day in northern California, and I was lucky enough to be able to wear this outfit without a coat.



It probably seems counterintuitive to pair one pattern with another, but, strangely, I think this snakeskin-embossed purse actually complements the stripes in my dress. This purse looks bigger and slouchier in the photos than it does in real life; it actually converts to a folded clutch, and it's great for traveling too. It's one of my favorite weekend bags, especially for spring.



Since my dress is so busy, I kept my jewelry on the simple side: delicate necklaces, one streamlined bracelet, and a few dainty rings. I thought a longer necklace would look good with this, but it was getting all caught up in the buttons. When it doubt, try it out!



If you follow my Instagram stories, you probably see that I wear these oxfords (last seen here) quite a bit—they are so comfy, they're one of my favorites! I was planning on wearing a higher heel with this dress due to the length, but it was the weekend and I chose comfort instead. Plus, I prefer a flatter shoe with a maxi—it won't get caught on the hem, and it just looks cooler to me. And looking cool is important when you're wearing a dress this crazy. ;)



OUTFIT DETAILS: Equipment Niko dress (also here) || Zara duster cardigan (similar here ) || Stella & Dot Waverly bag (sold out in snake print; budget version here) || Miansai screw cuff || Stella & Dot Abundance necklace, engravable discsignet ring || X ring ||  Vionic oxfords (c/o)


5 comments

Patti said...

Love, love this maxi dress, and all the colors! Great look head to toe, and thanks for linking up, xo

-Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com

Laura B said...

I'm glad you gave the dress a shot! I think it's fabulous! The colors are so fun!

Ruth said...

Yes! I love the dress! Stripes are always such a classic, but I love the different colors in it!

http://www.mylittlenest.org

Angela said...

I bought a maxi dress once, and I was on the fence about it too. But it ended up being surprisingly flattering. It made me look like I was 10 pounds thinner than I really am!

Sherry said...

What a great maxi dress and I'm LOVING that sweater!