Why 7th January is Maxi Dress Day

Did you know?

The 7th of January every year is also known as "Maxi Dress Day",
the day every lass who owns a maxi dress will don her favourite one and wear it out! :D



Who says so, you ask?
The answer is simple - I do! :D
I hereby declare the 7th of January every year as Maxi Dress Day.
Try it! It'll be a new tradition that unites shopping kakis everywhere. :D
So mark those calendars, ladies!

Oh, maxi dresses!
Love them or hate them, there's no denying that they've taken the world of fashion by storm -
and with that, maxi dresses are a must-have in the local online shopping community! :)
Well, not a must-have, but more like a want-to-have. Haha!

I know so many of you who secretly keep growing collections of maxi dresses -
but don't dare to wear them out! To be honest, I used to be a little nervous too,
because the fact is that: in Malaysia, maxi dresses turn heads.
But wear your maxi with confidence, because it's too comfy and gorgeous to resist!

Personally, I don't feel like it's a trend thing - like, if the trend is dead then you can't wear it -
because like I always say... what you wear is an expression of yourself, your own style!
Maxi dresses have actually been around since our grandmothers were our age,
so really, if you think about it that way, these dresses are pretty darn timeless! :D

Let's tackle these Maxi Dress FAQs just for fun!
"Do people really wear maxi dresses?"
"How do I wear maxi dresses? What with?"
"What types are there? Any personal recommendations?"
"Oooh... I want one! Where do I buy maxi dresses online?"

1. Do people really wear maxi dresses?

Definitely! Tinseltown starlets wear them too - especially on Gossip Girl's latest season (Season 3). Practically every episode I've seen features breathtakingly beautiful maxi dresses - here are some pictures that I've Googled to share with you! :)

The best part is about maxi dresses is how perfect they are for "Days When You're Too Lazy To Wear Pants". Seriously! Just pull on one dress, and your outfit is complete.

You can wear them mostly anywhere, too - campus, shopping, lepak-ing, bumming around the house, partying, maybe even casual Fridays at work! Just bear in mind that different types of maxi dresses are better suited for different occasions - I'll explain more below! :)

Ooh, and maxi dresses are especially useful for formal events (like proms!) where you just don't know what to wear, and don't want to spend a tonne of money on a ball gown. Also good for maternity wear (Angelina Jolie and Nicole Ritchie sure rocked their maternity maxi dresses!) - be sure to get the ones which are wide and flared below the bust, so that the material won't be restricting. :)

2. How do I wear maxi dresses? What with?

Common dilemma: You've got a tonne of maxi dresses, but you just don't know what on earth to wear them with! Unless you're going barefoot to the beach, this is possibly the most popular question I've ever been asked. :P

You can really wear anything you feel good wearing, but if you're asking for some general practices (depending on the type of dress you're wearing, of course):

• Footwear: Flats (ballet flats, Rubi shoes, sandals, gladiator flats), wedges, high heels, boots.
• Accessories: Bangles, hairbands, sunglasses, hats, a cute bag :P

Plus an easy tip would be to Google and see how your favourite celebs have worn theirs ;)

Personally, if I'm wearing my maxi dresses to campus, the cinema, or air-conditioned environments, I like to pull on a jacket or cardigan. :) This also works for those of us who don't want to show off that much skin/shoulder/arms. A denim jacket is pretty much multi-purpose this way, or funk it up with an edgy leather/PVC bomber jacket, or a cardigan (boyfriend oversized or tight-fitting knitted). All pictured below for your viewing pleasure! Oh, and it is also widely practiced Muslim chic to wear a long-sleever under your maxi dress - gorgeous but modest at the same time! ;)

3. What types are there? Personal recommendations?

There are probably more types of maxi dresses than I can ever learn - but I think some broad strokes are enough for you to know, to decide which kinds you want to buy! ;) I don't know about outside Malaysia, but maxi dresses here differ generally in terms of material, length, cutting, and the type of "top".

I'm not sure how to say this, but there are four main types of "tops" - the smocked bust, the kimono, the halter-neck or V-neck, the tube top with the drawstring waist (all four pictured below), and the toga.

I personally prefer the smocked bust because it's stretchy (fits most sizes) and you can wear a normal bra with it. The kimono and halter ones are sometimes harder to wear out because of the plunging neckline - you may need to wear a boob tube. As for the tube maxi dresses without a smocked bust, I usually wouldn't recommend them for larger-busted ladies as it might be uncomfortable (but this depends on the material and cut of the dress). The toga - I personally love these, but I don't own any (yet!) so I can't say if it's comfy or not. :)

As for material, the most common types in blogshops are cotton (which is the easiest to wear for casual purposes), chiffon (the flowy type), satin, denim, jersey lycra, and polyester.

My personal collection of maxi dresses :D Bought from Jessabella Pluz Size Stealz, Clothesbucket,
Our Mutual Passion, Stitch Pre-Order & Elegant Extravaganza.

Cotton is comfy, breezy, suitable for wearing almost anywhere casual - and the same usually goes for chiffon dresses (although chiffon might be a li'l bit more formal sometimes). Satin is perfect for night-time events and parties, the popular ones are "hanky" maxi dresses (handkerchief dresses) and tube/halter ones. Denim is the heaviest but best for "tough" wear - whereas lycra/polyester are the most delicate of material, and better suited for more formal events. With body-hugging lycra/polyester dresses, the one concern would be that if it clings to your rear end, it can cling on to the seams of your underwear - so don't forget to check the back! And buy some seamless undies. :D

My personal favourite material would be cotton maxi dresses because they're the easiest to wash, most straightforward to take care of, and lightest to pack (to the beach or for vacations that involve suitcases!). :)

As for the cutting - not all maxi dresses are free-sized, eventhough they usually fit sizes UK 6 to 10 pretty well! But for the plus-sized, we have to watch the material (some material is more stretchable than others), as well as the tiering. Sometimes the tiering is cut into blocks, which can restrict the material's stretch. Definitely enquire about the measurements of the hips area if you're a curvy chick. :)

This brings me to the length - which is about the trickiest part for me, personally. The fact is that most maxi dresses sold online have the perfect length for those whose height is 160-165cm. So, how long should your maxi dress be? Here's a general measurement chart (length measurement starting from bust, not including shoulder straps - especially since most straps are adjustable) for different heights:

• 166-170cm: 48-51 inches (think about what kinda shoes you plan to wear!)
  
• 160-165cm: 45-48 inches
• 155-159cm: Perhaps 41-45 inches (I'm not too sure, someone with personal experience on this please leave a comment to correct me if I'm mistaken! :) Thanks!)
  

With that said, note that when you ask for hip measurements, you have to take into account which part is the "hip" part for your height. :)

One last thing to take away from this maxi dress addict's Guide To Maxi Dresses? It starts with an "L" and ends with a "G"... can anyone guess? It's lining! Too many good dresses have been ruined by a lack of lining - make sure you ask if the dress is sheer. If it is and it doesn't have lining - but you still want to buy it, either pull on your best safety pants or bring it to a tailor to put some lining in. :)

4. Oooh... I want one! Where do I buy maxi dresses online?

I was going to review every maxi dress I could find, but I think I'd better split this into a second blog post! :P Let's keep this feature a timeless one, so to answer this question anytime, try Google Blog Search - useful keywords would be "Maxi Dress RM". :)

Whatever it is, just remember ...
7th January is Maxi Dress Day! ;)

I bought my very first maxi dress on 7th January 2009, from Clothesbucket. :P

Leave a comment if you've got a maxi dress story to share! :D

Happy Shopping!
Your Shopping Kaki :)