In this Issue No. 11 - Maxi dress

Until last summer, I'd been suspicious of maxi dresses. This isn't to say that I found long dresses to be unflattering on the general population, just that I had an ever-present doubt that I personally wouldn't be able to pull off the look. Though I stand around five-foot-seven, I still felt too tall for the dresses. Now, I had no problem traipsing around in skirts that hit above my knees, but any fabric falling lower than my patellas would incite within me an uncomfortable feeling that I'd be a victim of sartorial proportion imbalance.So, I usually erred on the short side.

As it would happen, a People Style Watch issue showed a picture of Nicole Richie running around in a printed maxi dress that had been paired with a bright cardigan. She looked adorable. And though the look was easy to put together (dress + cardigan = nbd), the print of the dress gave a little extra oomph and the cardigan added polish while still maintaining a laidback vibe - something not so easily acquired from wearing jeans.

Without further ado, I went browsing for a maxi dress. As always happens when I am looking for something specific...nothing turned up that was remotely close to what I was searching for - bright prints + maxi dress - though it seemed easy enough of a combination to find. Whilst in pursuit of the elusive printed maxi, I actually bought another short skirt. After mentally berating myself for falling prey to the tried and true, I went browsing again and this time was rewarded with a long dress. Finally. It's so pretty and jubilant. I first added a white cardigan on top a la Richie, then chose a bold teal crochet crop to top it off for my next outing. Ultimately, though, I loved pairing it with my mom's vintage denim vest the best.