by Rachel PughLast weekend I went to Virginia to visit some family. It was a beautiful spring day with the daffodils and tulips in full bloom, the cherry blossom trees boasting with blossoms and people everywhere enjoying the early April weather by means of walking, cycling, shopping and dining. As my party and I waited for a table in one of our favorite Falls Church, Va., establishments, I noticed a woman walk in with her family preparing to reserve a table as well. She was very put together despite the fact that her ensemble was simple, a subtle fashionable expression for a relaxing Sunday afternoon. The woman was wearing a long cotton/jersey material aqua dress with salmon color designs. The top of the dress was a tube top in nature and the dress was ankle length. To complete her kicked-back look, she sported sunglasses on top of her head, a few simple bangles and a pair of flat, strappy sandals. She looked comfortable, relaxed and refreshed, and her outfit deemed very appropriate for the afternoon that epitomized springtime in D.C.
As soon as I glanced at the outfit, I nudged my sister and commented on how much I liked the dress. My sister agreed, and we both decided it must be really comfortable and the perfect dress for days such as this. At the conclusion of the lunch, I visited the ladies room, where again I saw the lady with the comfy dress. My natural reaction was to compliment her, which of course I did as I made my way to the sink. She replied, “Oh, thanks so much. Yeah, I really like the maxi dresses.” And so my intrigue began.
Long cotton dresses have been around for decades, making a big splash in the ’70s and appearing here and there through the years. If you can’t recall the blasts from the past, think terrycloth. Long tube-top terrycloth dresses were very en vogue in the early 1980s. In looking at old photos, I’ve seen friends of my mother’s sporting the long terrycloth dress. And if my memory serves me correctly, my sisters and I possessed a few as kids as well.
Their texture often changes, but ankle-length dresses have never really gone out of style. Some of them have little straps that tie on the shoulder or have an almost spaghetti strap in design. Some are completely strapless and might have a little tassel directly centered at the top. Some maxi dresses are flowing, linen dresses that offer a lot of movement, while others might provide an empire waist and fit ever so slightly contour to the body. Regardless, I’ve always simply called them “long dresses” and never knew they were indeed called maxi dresses. Perhaps this is a new term for them — this I’m not sure of. What I do know is that this dress, no matter what you call it, is a must-have for the warm days ahead. Perfect for everyday wear, travel, etc., the maxi dress is low maintenance, which is ideal for the woman who wants to look put together but also wants to appear relaxed on the weekends. A good place to start your maxi dress hunt is either at Urban Outfitters or American Eagle. Both have very “chilled” designs in the dress category and serve as a great beginning to your new wave of maxi dresses for summer 2009.
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