Selecting the correct outerwear for an outfit can be the hardest part of styling oneself. Within this already difficult task, selecting outerwear for a maxi dress is the ultimate challenge.
Best Outerwear For A Maxi Dress
Yes, a denim jacket, cardigan, and shawl all look good with a maxi dress. A shawl — aka a rectangular scarf —is particularly timeless, but not especially warm, so my favorite outerwear for a maxi dress is a blazer. The structure of a blazer is a delicious juxtaposition to the flowiness and femininity of a maxi dress.
When To Wear A Blazer With A Maxi Dress
A blazer over a maxi dress is an on-trend, stylish look for brunch, parties, and even work, especially if you work from home, which most of us do these days, at least sometimes. A blazer over a maxi dress is one of my favorite Zoom call looks because there is minimal thought to the outfit with only two pieces to consider — but a blazer always looks sharp. You can also wear a blazer with a maxi dress at a wedding. More on that below.
What Jacket To Wear With A Maxi Dress For A Wedding
It doesn’t matter if you are a guest wearing a maxi dress, a bridesmaid wearing a maxi dress, or even the bride, a well-designed cropped blazer is the best jacket to wear with a maxi dress for a wedding if you actually want to wear outerwear, versus a shawl or the sometimes overzealous fur stole. Not that I would poo-poo a fur stole, it just doesn’t make sense sometimes, both weatherwise and style-wise. Just make sure the blazer you choose for a wedding does not look professional whatsoever. It should be in a soft or silky fabric with unique details.
How To Wear A Blazer With A Maxi Dress
First and foremost, the key to wearing a blazer with a maxi dress is the blazer itself. Almost any maxi dress will work, but the blazer must be perfect. The number one issue when pairing a blazer with a maxi dress is boxiness. You cannot wear a boxy blazer with a maxi dress if you want a slimming silhouette, especially if you’re short. There are exceptions, of course. Here are the few times you can wear a boxy blazer with a maxi:
- The boxy blazer is cropped and and the maxi dress has a fitted waist.
- You are tall and thin.
- The maxi dress is a bodycon dress (aka tight all the way down).
Exceptions aside, the best blazers for a maxi dress nip in at the waist. The hem length of your blazer is also a factor. Shorter is far more flattering, but the longer blazers are more fashion-forward. But proceed with caution. You generally do not want a blazer longer than your mid hip. Unless you are wearing a bodycon maxi dress, a longer blazer with a flowing maxi dress can look frumpy instead of forward. Your female form will get lost in all that fabric, and you’ll look heavier than you are. Confused? Just scroll down for my favorite blazers to pair with a maxi dress.
You can see me sporting a blazer with a maxi dress in my post What To Wear To Alt Summit.
Best Shoes For A Blazer Maxi Dress Look
A blazer can say work, and the maxi dress says play, so the shoe choice can be confusing. Let’s cut to the chase. Definitely skip the work vibe. Do not wear pumps or work flats with this look. Instead, go for sandals, chunky heels, or a pointed-toe bootie. The shoe choice depends of course on the actual maxi dress and blazer you end up wearing. You can see how I paired booties with a maxi dress in my blog post The Long Sleeve Maxi Dress.
Blazer With A Maxi Dress Looks From The Past
I originally wrote this post years ago and update it regularly due to its popularity. I’ve left these photos below for nostalgic purposes. Whenever I update older posts, I love to hold on to a collection of images as a bit of a time capsule so we can watch how our style evolves.
