Forget your go-to maxidress — less is more this summer

One sunny day recently I looked around and realised that every woman in my vicinity was wearing the same dress. Not the same dress, exactly, but the same maxidress: colourful, floaty, often with a tiered skirt, wholesome and vaguely rustic yet a bit fancy. The short sundress is on the way back.

The maxi has become a summer-dressing comfort blanket that will not be given up without a fight — in fact I can pretty much guarantee that three quarters of the women on your flight will still be wearing one when you go on your hols this summer — but the hemline energy is moving upwards nonetheless.

Shorter doesn’t mean less interesting. Undercut the mini’s coquettishness with something that pushes back: a boot, or a sock with a sandal, don’t-talk-to-me sunglasses instead of a sweet smile, or a blazer or leather jacket to bring contrast between structure and softness.

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