Floral Smocked Spaghetti Strap Maxi Dress in Dusty Pink

This is a summer dress in the truest sense. A smocked bodice holds everything in place at the top, thin spaghetti straps keep the shoulders bare, and below the high waist the skirt opens out into something full and long that moves when the wind does. The floral print is doing the heavy lifting: soft pinks, warm oranges and pale greens laid over a dusty pink ground, drawn large rather than fussy, so it reads from a distance instead of dissolving into a blur.

The fabric is 55% viscose and 45% cotton, a blend that hangs and breathes rather than sitting stiff against you, and it is slightly stretchy. The bodice is smocked, which is what lets a dress with no zip stay put and still feel comfortable through a long lunch. The body is not lined. That combination of a fitted, gathered top and a very full skirt is a shape that flatters nearly everyone, because it marks the narrowest part of your waist and then gets out of the way entirely.

Sizes run S through XL. Length measures 48 inches at a size S and 50.4 inches at a size XL, which is a proper maxi that falls close to the ankle on most people. The remaining measurements, including the smocked bodice and waist, are listed in full in the table below, so please check them before choosing your size. Wear it with flat sandals for a garden party, a long lunch or a holiday, and add a straw bag if you are leaning into it. Throw a denim jacket or a light cardigan over the top when the evening cools and the dress carries straight through to dinner.

Why you will love it

• Material composition: 55% viscose, 45% cotton
• Floral print
• Smocked bodice
• Spaghetti straps
• High waist with a full maxi skirt
• Body: Not lined
• Slightly stretchy
• Available in sizes S through XL

Care

• Machine wash cold. Tumble dry low.