Ever since I started reading fatshion blogs, I’ve enjoyed seeing Nicole, Beth, Monkey and Elizabeth‘s Five Take posts. These posts always inspired me to try out whatever trend/item they were showcasing, so you can imagine I was delighted when I was asked to take the fifth spot when Valerie was unable to do it any longer. For those of you who do not know what Five Take is, it’s 5 different people, 5 different looks using 1 theme. Since it was my first week in, they let me choose the theme, so I decided on the maxi dress.

Dresses, in general, are pretty new for me. I’ve had some in the past, but I very rarely wore them outside of special occasions. Now it’s getting to the point where I need to stop buying dresses. I always thought floor length dresses were reserved form prom or other very formal events, so I was really excited when the maxi trend hit. These dresses are perfect for the spring and summer since they keep you cool and breezy, and also very feminine and chic.

I chose to wear my new maxi from American Rag at Macy’s. It’s a mixture of floral and subtle cheetah print and is definitely the most bold print I own. I’ve been trying to push myself out of my solid colored safe haven, so when I saw this dress I got pretty excited.

The best aspect of this dress is the fit. Right below the bust is a flat section before the skirt. I really like that it pulls in before the skirt flows out. Although I’m not comfortable with my arms, I figured I’d show what it looked like without the jacket.

This dress really deserves a good chunky necklace, but since I have none I made do by dressing down the maxi with a belt and denim jacket, and I added on my staple gold bangles and a cocktail ring.

Excuse my peeling nail polish. I’m always horrible at painting my own nails.. oh well! I really love this cocktail ring with all of the side detail plus the turquoise/minty green color.

For my hair I kept it wavy and free, which worked perfectly with the flowyness of the dress.

This kind of free flowing waves is a new look for me, and I kinda like it. I’ll have to keep experimenting with it to see if I really like it. To get the loose waves, instead of putting mousse in my hair, I put a spray-in conditioner. Then I dried my hair somewhat straight before using my curling wand to add in the waves. Switch in mousse instead of conditioner for a curlier look, and dry your hair with a diffuser.

(Shop: Dress, Similar Jacket, Shoes, Similar Belt, Similar Ring, Similar Bracelet)

Although my maxi gave me a couple of issues, such as the top rolling down (hello there, double-sided tape) and being slightly short (and I’m only 5’4″!), I really loved how easy and fun the dress was. I can’t wait to try out the other maxi dresses that have somehow sneaked their way into my closet.

What do you think about maxi dresses? Do you like to dress them up or keep them casual?

Don’t forget to check out the other Five Take ladies: Nicole, Beth, Monkey, Elizabeth