Written by Amy Beecham
Want the chic of a midi dress with the flow of a maxi? Meet their humble love-child: the midaxi. And it’s perfect for dressing up or down.
Summer dressing is synonymous with a flowing maxi dress. Whether you’re beach-side, picnic perfect or heading for drinks in the city, it really is the perfect versatile throw-on to help you deal with the heat. There’s just one problem: sometimes maxi can be a little bit too much.
If you’re 5ft 4 and under (like me), you may have avoided the silhouette altogether. If not, I’ll bet that on more than one occasion you’ve come home from a day out to find that your dress has been dragging along the floor with you and brought back half of the street debris with it.
The answer to your prayers? The midaxi dress. As you might imagine, this hybrid of the beloved midi and maxi dress is a hardworking addition to your capsule wardrobe for the summer. Sitting just below the mid-calf range but above floor length, it’s breezy enough to be a heatwave staple while still maintaining the effortless chic of a long, flowy gown.
“The midaxi can be a way to refresh your wardrobe. It can take us from work to wedding with very minimal effort, so you’ll be outfit repeating but with confidence,” explains Ella Shippey, creative stylist at M&S Womenswear. Indeed, the brand has seen a 600% increase year on year on sales of the humble midaxi, proving the popular piece can easily be incorporated into a cool summer wardrobe.
Tempted to try out the style of the season? Here are seven summer-ready midaxi dresses to add to basket now.
M&S animal print midaxi column dress
There’s nothing like a bold print to make a statement with your summer style. This versatile dress has long sleeves for those chillier evenings, but the light material means there will be no clinging on warmer days.
Shop M&S animal print midaxi dress, £39.50
Rixo mint midaxi dress
A little bit of ruching and ruffles never hurt anybody. In fact, add a little injection of fun into this vibrant mint number without going OTT.
Shop Rixo mint midaxi dress, £225
Urban Outfittersred bloom midaxi dress
Not just a teenage fashion haven, Urban Outfitters has a selection of boho inspired midaxi dresses to be taken seriously. We love the subtle lace-back detail of this crushed berry one.
Shop Urban Outfittersred bloom midaxi dress, £54
Next bandeau midaxi dress
This beach-ready bandeau dress can easily transition from swimwear cover up to evening out with the addition of gladiator sandals, an on-trend basket bag and statement hoop earrings.
Shop Next bandeau midaxi dress, £39
NA-KD crochet midaxi dress
Take on two summer staple trends in one with this striped crochet number. The low back and halterneck tie only add to the flirty summer feel.
Shop NA-KD crochet midaxi dress, £46.95
ASOS one shoulder midaxi dress
A midaxi isn’t just for daytime. Whether you’re struggling for a wedding guest outfit or have a calendar full of summer parties to attend, this draped back satin option will be the hardest working piece in your event wardrobe.
Shop ASOS one shoulder midaxi dress, £46
M&S square neck midaxi dress
Cooling pure cotton, floral print, baby yellow hue? This is the summer dress of dreams if we’ve ever seen one.
Shop M&S square neck midaxi dress, £29
Images: Courtesy of brands
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