July 12, 2011
J Crew image
You don’t have to be an urban planner to have a pretty good idea that what might be found on the surface on a sidewalk could be… icky. And while the dress above is quite lovely in it’s “street sweeper” way, given that the model is almost certainly taller than you, you should definitely consider having your maxi dress hemmed to a less overwhelming length before wearing.
Vivienne always freaks out a little bit thinking about the microscopic critters being carried into their hotel. Of course, shoes also carry in the same sorts of fungus, bacteria, and germs, but it just seems WORSE when it’s on your skirt…. And the thought that your new dress is going to start fraying the first day you wear it is just sad; fraying clothes are not attractive, unless they’re jeans.
love,
Janice
Maxi dresses are very popular in California as well, although I've not seen anyone wear one so long to be in danger of tripping. That quite literally could be a faux pas.
Elizabeth
I don't wear maxi dresses now, I did that in the 70's! Although I don't remember that it was the trend to have them dragging on the floor.
Mme UK
I have seen this problem around now and then. It's not only dirty, it's silly looking.
I don't wear maxi dresses because I don't think I could find one long enough to fit me and my husband detests them. Every time we see a woman wearing one, he makes a face and asks me why any woman would wear such a thing.
I just got back from a visit to England and maxi dresses are HUGE over there. And I thought the same thing when I saw a young woman in the check-in line at the airport wearing a maxi dress that was inches too long for her. But it wasn't just the dirt and wear on her dress that I thought of, it was the danger she faced when she came upon stairs. The whole look could have been quite nice, but ended up being very scruffy.
Jacqui
I have a couple of maxi dresses and love them. I am tall enough that they don't drag on the floor (I'm 5'10"), but if I weren't tall enough I would certainly hem the skirt edge. Why would you want to go around with filthy, dirty clothes? So gross! If that's not enough to ward off dragging hems, what about tripping on the sidewalk or on stairs?