Easy breezy: why it's all about the maxi maxi dress when the heat is on

When the heat is on, easy breezy elegance is essential. Karen Dacre keeps her cool in the floor-sweeping frock we all need in our lives, now
Scarlet fever: (clockwise from left) Miranda Kerr opts for a paisley print version; Jessica Hart stops traffic in New York; Arizona Muse in a Grecian maxi; and Zoe Saldana dazzles in a floor-length bird-print gown

Of all the moments in life when fashion seems irrelevant — pointless even — the sweaty, legs-stuck-to-the-Tube-seat days of August are surely the best example. How, after all, can we be expected to faff around with belt-loops/turn-ups/top-and-shirt combos when our bedrooms have a microclimate to rival the Amazon? And how can we possibly consider donning a sheath of polyester/Lycra/silk/whatever when our journey to work includes 20 minutes fighting for survival on a train carriage that’s seen more sweat than one of Lee Evans’s shirt collars?

For times like these, practicality should, and usually does, win out, which is brilliant really because it allows us to indulge ourselves in the fashion we usually wouldn’t dare touch with a bargepole. The maxi maxi-dress is the perfect example of such a treat. A bone of contention where many fashion purists are concerned, the maxi is about as on trend as Nick Clegg. And frankly, we couldn’t care less.

Why? Just see how swishy and delicious it looks! The ultimate warm-weather pick-me- up, the joy of the maxi maxi is quite simply that it feels great on your skin. Oh, and if you shove your snobby fashion opinions aside for one minute, you’ll see that it looks pretty sweet, too. Not to be confused with the plain old maxi, which is a shorter, less floaty breed, the maxi maxi is a pavement-sweeper.

A winner on planet celebrity, the maxi maxi is a favourite with actress Jessica Hart, who looked properly showstopping as she swooshed down a New York street in hers, and with Miranda Kerr, who looks smashing — granted, when doesn’t she? — in her favourite Stella McCartney style.

To shop for a maxi maxi of your own this August you’re going to have to dig through the sale rails (sorry!). Begin your hunt at Zara, which is an expert when it comes to dresses with swoosh appeal, and if that fails, head for the middle market. French label BA&SH is a master in the art of the maxi maxi, as is Comptoir des Cotonniers, which offers floaty little numbers in deliciously soft cotton. Easy breezy.

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