The best maxi dresses to see you through this season
Your ultimate guide
There is nothing better for styling out the current transseasonal weather, than a maxi dress, which is handily still high on the agenda for the Spring/Summer 2024 trends. Tapping into the season's top maxi dress trends, the maxi dress is luckily, a very versatile wardrobe staple for many seasons, so keep scrolling to find out which one will grab your heart.
Maxi dress trends
We are very much in love with this season's minimalist mood. While there are still plenty of references to the 90s thanks to slip dresses and square necklines, floaty fabrics and linens make for a perfect timeless design, which you can easily layer when it gets colder.
Are you into all things boho and feminine? We've got a feeling you'll love prairie dresses. If you pick a style with puff sleeves and a ruched bodice, it'll suit most body shapes too, and looks great layered under a denim jacket or oversized blazer.
If you like a pop of colour, then you're in luck. We've got everything from bright florals to bright checks, with a splash of orange. See Tory Burch maxi dresses and Max Mara dresses for some serious colour blocking. Wallflowers, abstain.
Regardless of the occasion, we've scoured the high street and designer fashion stores to find the best maxi dresses in the shops right now. Click through to shop our edit.
Best Wedding Guest Maxi Dresses
If you, like many of us, have an impressive amount of summer weddings, bag yourself a versatile floor-skimmer that can be reworked throughout the season. Maxi dresses are a great choice for formal occasions when complemented with a statement clutch and strappy heels - Zimmermann, Kitri and Rixo are among our go-to brands when it comes to choosing something special.
If you want to try your hand at one of this season's more daring trends, consider shopping for maxi dresses with a lace insert or geometric prints. Team with statement sandals for a striking new season look. We love high street brands Zara, & Other Stories and Mango for trendier pieces.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
Featuring a delicate flower motif, this dress is the perfect summer wedding guest dress that you can wear all year round.
This dress is the ultimate show-stopping wedding guest dress. Featuring a sleek off the shoulder design with a drop-waist silhouette and complementing shades of burnt orange and pink, you can't go wrong.
This classic dress is the ultimate destination wedding dress outfit. Pair it with blood-orange heels and a pearl handbag.
Featuring a dainty rosette detailing, this classic yet unique dress is the perfect minimalistic alternative for any wedding.
Best Holiday Maxi Dresses
We wouldn't blame you if you were already day dreaming (or sourcing inspiration) for your next summer getaway. To be totally honest, we are too.
From hot summer nights having dinner near the ocean, to morning dips by the pool, a maxi dress can really see you through any holiday occasion. Our pro tip? Invest in pieces that will suit your needs wether it's a beach cover up or a day to night dress, the more tailored to your needs, the more use you'll get out of it.
Without fail I always pack an chic yet easy throw-on-and-go dress that requires minimal styling.
This dress has the perfect billowy silhouette for those strong heat day waves where you want to be ultra-breezy and comfortable. A true must-have.
Bold colour is always a good idea on vacation and the low slung belt and 3D corsage tick two key Spring/Summer 2024 trends.
A trendy evening dress is key when packing for any holiday. These dresses always end up saving day wether you book a last minute dinner or need a stylish number for an unexpected surprise occasion.
Best Office Maxi Dresses
Everyone loves a maxi dress when looking for key power dressing office wear. From do-it-all dresses that are great for a quick grab and go, to layering staples that look incredibly chic paired under blazers and accompanying loafers or ballet flats.
You truly can't go wrong with a maxi dress in any season.
This sleek dress is the perfect office maxi dress option for those looking to incorporate some classic spring pastel tones and sophisticated texture with its ruffled details.
This fluttered sleeve dress can be elegantly paired with trainers as seen above, or with kitten heels for a more elevated look.
A great pop of colour for any warm day. This Ghospell dress features a modern silhouette with billowy sleeves for some extra drama.
Pair under a blazer or fluid trench coat, this Mango dress is a great capsule wardrobe staple for those warm summer days in the office.
Best Sheer Maxi Dresses
16 Arlington, Prada, Tory Burch, and Saint Laurent where amongst key motivators for the sheer trend this season. From sheer dresses to tops and even sheer coats, it's all about transparency. A personal favourite, fell amongst the sheer maxi dress.
Perfectly paired with sleek undergarments or used as a layering tool, we love the versatility of this texture and how breezy, chic, and innovative it is.
This semi sheer maxi dress is lined in the bodice for extra comfort with a sheer texture on the skirt and shoulders. Pair it with loafers or heeled sandals.
A great staple from the Victoria Beckham x Mango collaboration, this dress works great over a bathing suit or sleek undergarments for a bold look.
Pair this Reformation dress over a bodysuit and shorts for extra coverage or under a top and tights for more coverage.
This number has a sleek crewneck cut for a more casual feel as well as a single slit at the side seams for a seamless silhouette. Chic.
Best Evening Maxi Dresses
With warmer days come brighter evenings, meaning a dazzling evening dress is a rare commodity as evenings aren't coming around until 9:00 PM. Which is why we selected some truly elegant evening dress options that could see you through a brighter evening turning into a sunset spectacle. Elegant, chic, and timeless.
Because who doesn't love lace detailing on an evening dress? This satin camisole dress has a sleek cut that pairs beautifully with strappy heels.
This pleated maxi dress has an elegant sheer panelling effect in the hemline for some added drama. For some evening pzazz, you can't go wrong with red.
Topped with a maximalist bow detail in pastel pink, this dress will see you through multiple seasons as an elegant option for any occasion.
Inspired by fluid fabrics, this A-line dress has a super high neck and a comfortable silhouette that pairs perfectly with heels or flat shoes alike.
Sofia Piza is the Fashion Writer at Marie Claire UK.
Sofia Piza is a Fashion Writer with experience working across runway trends, shopping picks, creative production, and celebrity fashion news. Born in Mexico and raised in five countries, Sofia decided to settle in London after spending four years at the London College of Fashion, studying Fashion Journalism. When she's not sourcing inspiration from social media, you will most certainly find Sofia anywhere from a local vintage market to busy central London streets people watching - the possibilities are endless.
-
This iconic, down-right fancy, face cream is still the only product I go to for dry, sensitive periods and I just picked it up for £40 less
One of beauty's most beloved icons
By Rebecca Fearn
-
Katie Holmes nails tricky transitional dressing with this full Reformation look
This rich-looking outfit is currently 25% off
By Mischa Anouk Smith
-
I recreated Hailey Bieber’s martini-inspired birthday outfit—right down to that cinnamon lipgloss
Take note this party season
By Mischa Anouk Smith