the longer the better

while i am all about cute minis for spring, i find when i think about summer i only want to be draped in long, flowing, bright fabric. or maxi dresses from the 70s.

they are crafted from the most beautiful fabric, have the most ornate detailing, and always feel luxurious. while *a few* of them are boring and/or tacky...that is not the norm. and i believe wholeheartedly that anyone would look gorgeous and impossibly thin in the floor length beauties i have listed below.

as usual, all these dresses are from ebay. click on the photo to get to the auction.

the hawaiian


i feel like hawaii is the home of the maxi dress. these two dresses are wonderful examples. the left dress has a very "now" color palette of chocolate brown, turquoise, and lime. the cut of the dress is simple but has some nice, ethnic inspired detailing at the neck. the right dress is amazing. while i was not originally drawn to the print of the fabric, the buttons at the chest closure and the fitting of the bodice make it stunning.

the prairie


now i am not going to lie to you. i am not naturally drawn to the "little house on the prairie" dress but they could not be ignored when speaking on the subject of maxi dresses. i do think the two dresses above are very pretty. they seem to have a right place, right time sensibility and would look lovely at an outdoor concert...ooo a summer wedding...or...the park. these dresses would be the perfect excuse to have more picnics!

the "shaheen"


alfred shaheen, known as the master printer, was...and i quote from his website..."the cornerstone on which the hawaiian garment industry was built." he is a legend and there are many beautiful maxi length dresses of his floating around ebay. the two i have chosen above are not his typical hawaiian dress, but are stunning none-the-less. both are obviously asian inspired and show that his attention to detail is superb. *at first i didn't like the one on the left because it looks like it was only printed on the front side. then i realized it just has solid panel inserts and the back is printed too...although the seller doesn't do a good job of highlighting that.*

the rainbow


these dresses are simply designed but bright and playful. they are "center of attention" dresses and would look great with solid but elaborately designed accessories...specifically a very wide brim hat. and i love the way the one on the left looks splatter painted!

the diamonds in the rough


we all know that if you want to get a good deal on ebay, you have to look for the dresses that are poorly presented but could be amazing in person. *and if you don't know...now you know.* it is the constant overhaul of presentation that is swarming ebay through the mag-inspired vintage shops that raises the prices through the roof. *apparently women going after vintage goodies have an unlimited disposable income!*

the maxi dresses above have the potential to be beautiful...but aren't exactly displayed as such. the details are what drew me to these dresses. the left dress is backless with a beautiful collar on the halter neckline. the dress on the right is actually turned around. that is the back of a simple halter dress. but the unexpected back makes the dress a beauty.

the solid *but far from plain*


i mean come on...i know some of the dresses above aren't for everyone. and i may be imposing my ridiculous sense style on the entire blogosphere...but these dresses are perfect. simple, bold color. beautiful details. slenderizing. PERFECT! the yellow dress has the obvious beautifully crocheted empire waistline and hem, but upon closer inspection the bodice is actually pin tucked. *gasp* and i think we can all agree that i don't even need to point out anything about the teal dress...so i won't.


i really hope to be seeing a lot more of this length around when the weather warms up. if you fall in love with any of these dresses, let me know if you win.

happy bidding!