How to style a simple cotton maxi dress

At last the sun is shining and we are able to get our summer dresses out of mothballs. Today I aim to style a simple cotton maxi dress to make it look special.

These photos were taken in Kew Gardens on the one sunny weekend we enjoyed during our very wet and cold spring we have had here in London. I am dreaming of going to France to our quiet and peaceful village in the hills above St.Tropez. I can just imagine walking along the beach with maybe a dip in the sea. Fingers crossed that we will be allowed to travel there by the middle of June. In anticipation I have bought this lovely cotton jersey pink maxi dress from Cos. It is an easy pull over your head tee shirt style with side slits. Above I am wearing it plain with a pair of white sneakers originally from Fitflop.

To zizz up this plain dress I tied a large shawl around my waist and added a plaited belt (optional). This gives colour and interest and helps to create shape by defining the waist. You could equally wear the large scarf around your shoulders which would draw the attention up towards your face.

Wearing a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and also helps to add a touch of mystery.

I can see this being such a useful dress. You could dress it up or down according to the occasion or just wear it slung casually over a swimsuit. I am dreaming of wearing this outfit for lunch on the beach. Miracles do sometimes happen.

Photographs were taken by Laura Hines. Follow her on Instagram

Sadly my pink dress is only available it extra small (it is quite generous). It has sold out twice now and they have restocked so it is worth checking back. I have added some other similar styles below.

A selection of simple cotton maxi dresses to style this summer.

If you want to see a further selection of summer dresses you can read my previous post here.