Holly tipped me off that a bunch of eBay sellers are doing a special promo on the maxi-dress through August 8. The dress above is part of the promotion, and you can find other dresses by searching for the label TVMF ("The Vintage Maxi Factor").
Despite hardly ever wearing them, I *love* maxi-dresses. They're so hippie-glamorous. I feel that they should be worn at home, entertaining, with bare feet. There should be something jazzy playing on the stereo (or coming from your iPod), none of the seating should be more than eighteen inches off the floor, and all the drinks should be at least half ice.
All of which would explain why I hardly ever wear maxi-dresses, because all the above prerequisites are hardly ever met, at least for me. But maybe I should relax a few of those conditions, so I could snap up dresses like this. This one is COTTON (a lot of those maxi-dresses are synthetics, which I really don't like) and it's got such a great print! If only it weren't beige … I can't really wear beige, unless I want to practice looking naked and/or invisible. But if you had darker skin than mine (I will NOT say the dread word TAN) this would be gorgeous on you! And look both elegant and effortless at once.
And maybe your feet wouldn't HAVE to be bare … flat colorful sandals would work. No heels, though. Heels with a maxi-dress is Trying Too Hard.
This gorgeous maxi is from the eBay seller nomusicnolife and is B38 … and in great condition! If you are looking for the perfect fancy beach party/casual outdoor wedding-guest dress for this summer, I think this is it.
Make sure you hold one of those froofy parasol-required drinks while wearing it, though. That's one condition I won't waive.
A Dress A Day 
Ooooooh. That is beautiful. I wore a seersucker one to work last week and I still can’t decide it it was office appropriate. But, I was desperate to get a few more wears in!
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Oh, so that’s what this kind of dress is called. I have two, both in monochrome, woodblocky, Hawaiian-style prints, and I describe them as “my Hawaiian hostess dresses.”When I am skinny enough to get into them, I do, indeed, wear them at home, entertaining, with bare feet. They make me feel very, like, together, man.
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Ah, if only I weren’t 5’2″! *I* can wear beige, and *I* am a B38. Damn shortness. It gets me every time.
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that dress is darling!
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I’m also 5’2″, B38, and if I can find a maxi-dress this gorgeous, I’ll wear it anyway, shortness be damned. :-P”Maxi-dress”–funny name for a really long garment. I always feel like I should go to the nearest Walgreens, not Macy’s, to buy one. [in stage whisper] “Ummm…what aisle are the maxi-dresses on?” [embarrassed blush]
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Hi everyone! We’re also including SEWING PATTERNS for the Maxi promo.. using the same search string of TVMF will bring some of those up for you, too!And don’t forget to search ebay stores, please!PS.. my son’s name is Maxwell and 9/10 times we call HIM Maxi.. I get the same blush, Miss Kitty..!
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Wow! I am stunned! Thanks so much for featuring my dress today. It’s really one of my all-time favorites, and I’m glad you think it’s special, too! You have no idea how happy I am right now! (today it’s ME, not the MAXI that has WINGS!)
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I have a maxi dress that’s bright green with little African animals on it (girrafes primarily). It’s synthetic but it feels more like a modern poly than a 1970s polyester. When wearing it, I feel like cocktail party hi-jinx should ensue like they do in Mame or The Party (with Peter Sellers)
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I adore the print on that, but (1) my B (or should I say AA) cannot even wish that it was 38 and (2) I too cannot wear the beige. Why am I teased and tortured by wonderful border prints everywhere I go with nothing good in the fabric stores? (not that it matters, I’m on a fabric-buying embargo for July and August)
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No matter what color a maxi-dress, or how beautiful they are, they are coming no where near me. I am 5 foot 1, which translates as child-playing-dress-up in a maxi dress. Besides which, hemming would almost certainly have to be involved to keep the thing from dragging on the floor, which would obviously ruin one of the most charming factors about this particular option.Being short is seriously no fun sometimes.
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Short people do have their revenge. If you do yoga, you’ll know just what I mean. You can usually do lots of things I can only hope to do and I’m not even that tall.I love this dress–so bold and so graphic. I have never been an major admirer of the maxi dress and it wasn’t until they’ve been re-posited as a fashion forward look that I really started to reconsider my stance on them. (Hence this group TVMF promotional effort.) Sure, I’ve sold a few, but only that ones that I thought were really special or would have an audience on eBay (like the Gunne Sax wench looks.) It was rare that anything else that was maxi would find its way to lucitebox.Now, I’m all over finding more of them. I love maxis. I have one I’ve worn 2 times in the past. I want to bust that one out soon. Unfortunately, it’s a little bit too poly and therefore not appropriate for the dog days of summer.Holly
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Petite ladies: Shorten this one FROM THE WAIST. That way, you don’t lose the border print.
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I love the look of maxi-dresses, but I have never worn one. I’m with you; it looks like the perfect dress to wear while entertaining at home.
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Congratulations Carrie! for making it to Dress A Day 🙂 . Just an fyi, we are also selling them in our webstores as well, mine is in Babylon Mall. I sold a fantastic maxi with a very funky print recently that is enjoying a new life 🙂 it had flowers at the bottom breaking off or floating to the top, a Tori Richard. Feel free to drop by and take a peek at it, photos are still there. Thank you for all that you do. Love, Liz/figure8studio.com
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My grandma would make my (hippie) aunt these maxi-dresses (and with the scraps, my Barbies would get ones to match)–she (Auntie M) would *do* the California, drink in hand, party thing. She tells the story of arriving at the house on the top of a hill, looking up, and catching the gaze of her future husband. She was wearing A Maxi, and he said that was How She Won Him…
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Anonymous, your hint is AWESOME! Shorten from the waist, I will!
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Beautiful! I love maxi dresses. We’re in our full-on pre-baby party at home with cocktails phase, so this would be fabulous. I wonder if any of them would be maxi enough for maxi-5’9″ me. :)Oh, and I am so fair that beige doesn’t make me look nekkid. I’m that white. Translucent, skim milk colored.
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“skim milk colored”Thanks, Kate! I finally have a way to describe my skin color! You are right beige is actually flattering to very white skin.
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Oh, yes — back in the day. Come home from work, take off those “work” clothes (including hosiery), slip one of these on and relax. Prepare dinner, feed the hubby and kids, clean the kitchen, go sit on the patio with iced tea/lemonade and watch the lovely central Texas sky turn into night. Wonderful memories this dress brings.
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I just had to comment on this. I was born in 1963 and I am a native Californian. In the 70’s my mom would throw pool parties and wear maxis and the men all had porn star mustaches and they poured Sangria from beautiful glass pitchers with lots of ice! Thanks for the memory!
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uu06o2 Thanks to author.
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actually, that’s brilliant. Thank you. I’m going to pass that on to a couple of people.
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Ya for some people that are petite like myself you should try the juniors section or a juniors store like forever 21. I’m 14 and id probably wear a small. It’ll be even better for petite woman becuase sometimes they have small boobs(which I hate!!!) but at least you won’t be giving everyone a peep show. Whenever I hear maxi dress I think of pads!!!!!!!!!
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