I’ve always chuckled at the term “maxi dress.” Not to be confused with maxi pads (!), maxi dresses are floor or ankle length informal dresses, often formfitting at the top and loose flowing at the bottom, and cut to flow over the body. Such, in any case, is the definition provided by Wikipedia! Maxi dresses come in a variety of patterns, colors and necklines, and can come with long sleeves, short sleeves or be strapless. You can style a maxi dress in a casual way with sneakers or flip flops or go fancier with a summer wedge.

Maxi Dress with Sneakers!

Last Spring, I wore the Zara maxi dress you see below to Hedley’s 8th grade graduation, pairing it with rose-gold gladiator sandals and a peach colored bag with matching hardware. While packing for my trip to Dakar, my eyes settled again on this comfortable dress. It’s long enough to shield legs and arms from the hot sun while being thin enough to be cool in the heat. I tied this dress’ thin belt along the front but you can also tie it in the back for a smoother look.

Here I am on Easter Sunday after church where we had lunch on the beach in Dakar, Senegal at a wonderful Italian restaurant. Let me be honest: this was the first time I have worn sneakers on Easter! I did so because the streets here are dusty and I knew our day would involve a lot of touring around on bustling streets and in museums. I have a fetish when it comes to clean feet! These Sandro white sneakers have been my closest friends during the past week providing plenty of cushiony comfort for long days on my feet, and protection from the dust of the desert.

The deep blue waters made for a gorgeous view during our Easter lunch! We had a lovely conversation with the restaurant’s owner, who came from Milan 17 years ago bringing her family recipes with her. We adored her fresh fish, pasta and yummy tiramisu.

Special thanks to the Cloudmom in-house photographer for stepping up and snapping pics at a moment’s notice.

Ladies, consider a maxi dress for this summer. I guarantee you will live in it!

Hope you had a happy Easter, Passover or Sunday and thanks for reading.

Melissa xx