The 14 Best Maxi Dresses For Any And Every Occasion

Best sundress: Quince 100% Organic Cotton Tiered Maxi Dress

Read more in our full Quince review.

Best linen: Richer Poorer Linen Maxi Dress

Best floral: Farm Rio Blue Pineapple Garden Maxi Dress

Maxi dresses and floral patterns are a classic summer combo. The market is saturated with maxi dresses blooming with flowers, but Farm Rio’s Blue Pineapple Garden Maxi Dress has a nautical color story uniquely balanced with an intricate fruity pattern. It’s a laid-back frock you’ll want to frolic, nap, and live in throughout the warm weather months.

Best long sleeve: Golden Hour Maxi Dress

In case you missed it, Free People’s Golden Hour Maxi Dress went viral on Instagram earlier this year. While its billowy skirt and exaggerated sleeves give it a relaxed fit, the defined waistband adds structure. If this price point is a little too steep for your budget, Amazon influencers have dubbed this Argeousgor dress a handy $50 dupe (though you may have to dig around for your preferred color option). 

Best sculpting: Popilush Built-In Shapewear Slip Maxi Dress

This curve-hugging dress has a similar silhouette to SKIMS’ Soft Lounge Long Slip Dress, but the Popilush version has a secret advantage: inside is an invisible shaping bodysuit that pulls in and smoothes your waist without squeezing you, giving you an hourglass figure.  It even has a crotch cutout so you don’t have to completely disrobe when nature calls, and the leg openings have elastic ribbing to keep them in place.

Best formal: Abercrombie & Fitch Draped Twist-Front Maxi Dress

This formal maxi dress from Abercrombie is bound to be the highlight of the event. It comes in three color options: a classic black, dainty periwinkle, and bridal white. The silky finish is constructed from an enhanced satin fabric. But what really sold me on this ankle-length dress is the details: a thigh-high leg slit, plunging v-neckline, and eye-catching exaggerated twist-front.

Best affordable: Anrabess Sleeveless Split Maxi Dress

This is the perfect affordable throw-on-and-go maxi dress for grabbing coffee, visiting the farmer’s market, dressing for the beach, and more. It costs under $40 and is available on Amazon (with Prime one-day shipping to boot). You can choose from an impressive array of 45 color and pattern options, so if you like the fit, you can fill your wardrobe with a variety. The design also has deep pockets that can fit all of your essentials if you’d rather leave your purse at home.

Best plus size: Torrid Maxi Challis Trapeze Dress

The Torrid Maxi Challis Trapeze Dress is a size inclusive option for one-and-done dressing. The A-line silhouette accentuates the waist and flares over the hip, and the spaghetti straps are adjustable so you can alter them to your comfort level. We also love its V-neckline and that it comes in solid colors and quintessential vacation prints. 

Best silk: Reformation Jeany Silk Dress

I initially fell for Reformation’s Jeany Silk Dress because it’s eerily similar to the yellow gown Kate Hudson wore in the classic-com How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days. And if yellow isn’t your color, the dress comes in four alternative hues and patterns, like navy and a sandy Zebra print. What’s more, though the dress is fitted throughout, it’s also flowy and designed with adjustable straps to ensure you feel supported and comfortable. In addition to its ties, the dress is also adorned with back buttons (non-functional) for an extra aesthetic touch.

Best petite: Current Air Sidonie Pleated Maxi Dress

Speaking from experience, shopping for dresses as a petite puts you right in Goldilock’s shoes; styles are either too big or too small length-wise. Current Air’s Sidonie Pleated Maxi Dress, however, fits just right. The pleats throughout give the dress a kind of ethereal depth and the stylistic details of a plunging neckline and delicate ties just above the natural waist add to the piece’s boho-chic aesthetic. Though long-sleeved, you can easily roll them up to the elbow in warmer weather. 

Best white: Petal & Pup Belle Maxi Dress

This feminine tiered dress from Petal + Pup was designed to turn heads, and it certainly caught my attention. It’s riddled with ruffled tulle and has a square neckline with thin, elasticized straps. My top pick for the best white maxi dress has an almost fairy-like vibe that’s both delicate and bold. Reviewers rave about the stretchiness of its fabric, which is patterned with minute polka dots.

Best black: L*Space Chelsea Dress

If you’ve been searching for the quintessential little black maxi dress that’s both professional and playful, consider it found. This sophisticated L*Space dress can easily be dressed up or down with a simple switch of shoes and accessories. It has a ribbed and fitted silhouette, with poplin short sleeves that add a fun daytime flare and a tie at the bust, plus a side slit at the thigh that adds a sexy element for nighttime wear. 

Best for the beach: Cupshe Open Knit Split Hem Maxi Cover Up

For this summer, it’s time to level up your oversized t-shirt with a beach-appropriate dress as a swimsuit cover-up. Available in three earthy color options — khaki, apricot, and white — this knit number hits all the way to the sand for an effortless beach-chic look.  It features a full coverage neckline but has small cut-outs so you can still enjoy the ocean breeze.

Best two-piece: Love Bonito Joey Padded Crop Camisole Top and A-line Midaxi Skirt

Rather than wear a one-piece, you can create a similar silhouette with a maxi coord set.  I love this set from Love Bonito, that features a crop top cami and what they call the “Midaxi” skirt. The top comes in six colors, so you can mix and match them with the A-line skirt. But if the versatility of the pairings doesn’t grab you, maybe this will: The Joey Padded Crop Camisole Top comes with removable pads, so bras are optional.

Julia Guerra is a contributing beauty/style and fitness writer for Insider Reviews. With over six years of writing across both verticals, she is forever testing all things makeup and skincare, fashion, athleisure, products that benefit women’s health, as well as the best home gym equipment.  A full-time freelance writer and editor based in New Jersey, Julia previously served as a health and wellness reporter for Elite Daily and kick-started her career in the e-comm space as the beauty editor for BestProducts.com from 2015-2017. Julia’s bylines have since spanned across publications like InStyle, Insider, SheKnows, Eat This, Not That!, MindBodyGreen, and more. When she’s not writing (for work or creatively), you can find Julia curled up on her couch reading, practicing yoga, exercising in some capacity, adventuring with her husband, or spending quality time with family. Connect with her via Twitter @j_guerra27. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.

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