Good decision suzy

The trick is getting the length just right, too long and you look a frump, too short you look silly.  Full length mirror and the advice of a good friend is the only hope.  It can look good IF you get it right.

I'm not taking the risk (I don't have the time to try on loads to find the right one) squiggle....I saw some horrors today.
Thanks brisket...I'm sticking with my linen trousers/skirts and t-shirt/vest combo

and some of the patterns i have seen have not helped with the Mama Cass look

too much ironing for my liking

see...I'm a fan of the crumpled look Barney 

i am too suzy, irons are just not good for the environment thats my excuse and i am sticking to it

Every one I have tried on so far has made it look like I'm wither preggers, or have eaten all the pies

 barney...I'm stealing that excuse 
Saz....they just look like I'll be swamped in fabric.

I thought i'd be able to carry it off, cos I'm quite tall... but no, I just look hooj!

Spooky, I was listening to this, when I read your post!



I'm sticking with the crumpled long shorts and roomy t-shirts look.

Not a good look with hoodies 

spooky blizz 
Dame Ann....I concur .....
Saz, how tall are you? I'm 5'6" (and a quarter) and I can't imagine looking romantic and floaty in one.

  looks good on some though

Abigail's party  Blizzzzzzz

I'm 5'6" too Suzy, I must just know lots of short people cos I often seem taller than a lot of them

I did like this when I saw it yesterday: http://www.monsoon.co.uk/NEW-D...-Dress/invt/65231488

And I think that shape will look good on me... and not give me a 'just ate all the pies' appearance

True, barney, true!

I am surrounded by some awfully tall people saz..... however, my mother is about 5"3' and I've seen some photos of her in maxi dresses (from the 1970s) looking amazing. But, I've found out recently that she probably had some kind of eating disorder and has spent most of her life starving to death....she's much fuller figured now and so much happier (I've even grown to like spending time with her!)....I'm not prepared to starve for stuff like that..especially now I have daughters...

I just got this one: http://www.marksandspencer.com...g=UTF8&rh= 

And it seems very nice, feels flattering and not so long it makes me look frumpy or squat

Ooh, that IS nice *dress addict flexes her credit card*

I have never been able to pull off the maxi dress look and I have resisted the urge to buy one this year ... not easy when they are everywhere and all looking so pwetty

That Monsoon dress does look really nice  Nah....I'm not buying it!

It must be the weather.... I was looking at them online today as well...

&..  after half an hour of being seduced into thinking I would look like the plastic manekin they had pinned the dresses onto to be photographed, I had a reality check & suddenly they all looked Les Dawson or Liz Taylor (the larger years)caftan.

My cynicism spread to the ditsy tea dress section...   all I could see was Catherine Tate's Nana!

Every now & then I found a dress that had potential...  but they were all sold out! (strange that!)

I went to a wedding on Saturday and all the young girls from work (I'm in my 40's) had glam short dresses on - except one. She's 5ft nothing and had a maxi dress on! Did look odd at a wedding I must say....

I love maxi dresses and I have several, but I make most of my clothes, so I know what suits me and I can have the right fit and length for me ......I also save a fortune

*Places an order with HoochieCouture*

I always think I'm too small at 5ft 1 to wear a maxi dress but then I think of the ankle length skirts I wore in the 80s and it didn't bother me then


You also really need to wear flats and like Mariah Carey once said "flat shoes are not in my repertoire

Hmmmm....

I was quite pleased to see that maxis are trendy again...it appealed to my hippy roots.

Until I realised that, at 5'12" and size 18 (it's glandular, I tell you...), even if I did find one that actually came below my knees, I'd find a troop of boy scouts camping under it any time I stood still for too long...

Hoochie, I'm dead impressed....I have made some total fashion howlers, that weren't cheap, which is why I think I'm finally decided to swerve the maxi dress.
However, if someone were to 'gift' me one in a size 10/12...

Because you are so small you can get away with wearing it with wedges, as long as you make sure you buy it so that its long enough.

Sarum 5'12".....that's 6' right? 

Ditty, that's what I see too...I have a couple of kaftans, but they are ones I've had made when I go to Ghana, so they are for when I am required to dress African..and they are comfy.
African print is in vogue too at the moment....and that's one trend I'm one step ahead of.

I think that is the danger with kaftans...   they are like jogging bottoms... they call to you & after wearing them all formal clothing feels uncomfortable! 

Oh yeah....I hear that one! Whenever I have to go 'tailored' it feels like I'm in a straight jacket...could be my frame of mind though 

I've bought  2 maxi skirts recently from TKMAXX, I'm not a fan of the maxi but they can keep you cool on a sweltering evening they are fitted round the hips then flare out from below the knee.With the right top and a pair of backless highheels they don't look too bad.

Where are these ones? All the ones I have seen seem to flare out from the waist/empire line... giving me the preggers look problem

Ah, do you mean the skirts? I thought if I wanted to go the route of the maxi, that might be the way to go... I saw a woman in Hyde Park in one over the weekend and it looked nice, much more fitted than the dresses