The Biggest Maxi Dress Styling Mistake

last updated 6 July 2017

Maxi dresses are one of those pieces that reemerge every summer without fail. As soon as the days start getting longer, so do the dresses—they will simply always be a thing. Despite this, it's not the easiest of dress styles to wear. Certain maxis are decidedly more flattering than others, and some pieces and shoe styles are decidedly more successful than others when paired with them.

Curious as to what the single biggest maxi dress styling mistake is, we reached out to someone who would definitely have an answer: Cristina Ehrlich, whose impressive client list includes Priyanka Chopra, Allison Williams, Anna Kendrick and Alison Brie. So what's Ehrlich's expert opinion on the subject of maxi dress styling? She told us, "The one thing most women overlook with maxi dressing is making sure they use the proper undergarments. The fit of the dress should still draw in the high waist, and a well-fit strapless bra is what makes the difference between a poor or perfect fit."

There you have it: Exposed bra straps and a maxi dress without a defined waist are apparently a recipe for sartorial disaster. So naturally, we did a little scouring to find the best strapless bras and the most stylish waist-defining maxi dresses on the market, along with our favourite recent street style examples of flawless maxi dress styling.

Keep scrolling to see and shop them all!

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Shop Flattering Maxi Dresses:

Reformation

Sylvie Dress

This new arrival is from Reformation's ballet collection.

River Island

Floral Embroidered Maxi Dress

We recommend wearing this perfect dress on repeat.

Madewell

Silk Wrap Maxi Dress in Field Bouquet

This on-sale dress is perfect for a daytime wedding.

Dôen

Bellflower Dress in Clay Floral

We can't get over how beautiful this fabric is.

H&M

Maxi Dress

Found: the perfect pink maxi dress.

Diane von Furstenberg

Ruffled Satin Wrap Maxi Dress

Just add silver shoes.

Shop Strapless Bras:

Natori

Feathers Strapless Plunge Multi Way Bra

Calvin Klein Underwear

Perfectly Fit Padded Strapless Bra

Stella McCartney

New Stella Strapless Bra

Cosabella

Evolution Strapless Marni Bralette

Next, 12 wedding guest outfits you can rely on.

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater arts. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.