Midi Dresses

The midi is the length that solves the most problems. Long enough for a church, short enough for a city venue, formal enough for a wedding and easy enough for a Tuesday. Twenty-four styles here, most of them cut for daylight rather than evening — floral prints, chiffon, cotton-blend and stretch, sized XS to XXXL.

Free UK delivery on every order, no minimum spend, and free 14-day returns.

Where a midi beats a maxi

A maxi dress is the more dramatic length, but it is not always the better one. A midi dress wins in four situations, and they cover most of a British summer.

  • City and register office weddings — a floor-length hem reads heavy against a modern room. A midi reads current.
  • Anywhere with grass — garden parties, marquees, the races. A maxi hem and a lawn are a losing combination.
  • Anywhere you will be photographed seated — lunches, dinners, long ceremonies. A midi holds its shape sitting down in a way a fitted maxi does not.
  • Anywhere you want to wear it again — and this is the real argument. A midi goes back on for a birthday lunch, a christening or a work event. A floor-length dress usually waits for the next wedding.

Florals, and why they dominate this edit

Ten of these twenty-four styles are floral, which is not an accident: the floral midi dress is the single most useful occasion piece in a British wardrobe. It works from April to September, at a garden party, a christening, a day at the races and a summer wedding, and it does not need to be reconsidered each time.

Our prints run from vintage-inspired small repeats through to larger painterly blooms, on blue, green, pink and yellow grounds. As a rule, smaller repeats read more formal and larger prints read more relaxed — useful if you are buying one dress to cover several occasions.

Day dresses, and the honest version of that

Eighteen of these are cut as day dresses: sleeveless or with a light strap, unfussy through the body, and made to be worn with flat sandals rather than heels. Sixteen are tagged for holidays for the same reason — they pack small, they recover from a suitcase, and they go from a beach to a restaurant with a change of shoe.

This is the part of the collection you will get the most wear out of, and it is worth saying plainly: a summer midi dress at fifty pounds that you wear thirty times is a better purchase than an occasion dress at two hundred that you wear once.

Garden parties, the races, and dress codes

Ten of these are tagged for garden parties, and the midi is the correct length for almost all of them.

For the races, check the enclosure rules before you order — the stricter enclosures at Ascot and Goodwood require a hem on or below the knee and straps of a minimum width, and a midi with a proper strap clears both. For a christening or a daytime celebration, a floral midi with some coverage is the safest answer in the shop. For a garden party, think about the ground before the dress: a block heel or a flat will keep you upright where a stiletto will not.

Shape and sizing

Most of these are A-line: fitted at the top and away from the body below, which is the most forgiving cut we carry and the easiest to wear for a full day. A smaller group are fitted or ruched through the waist, which photographs sharper and wants a more precise size.

Sizes run XS to XXXL, with a few styles in UK numeric sizing, and full measurements in centimetres on the size guide. Our dresses are true to size — between two sizes, take the larger in chiffon and woven cotton, and your usual size in anything with stretch.

On length: our midi dresses are cut for around 5'7", so they will sit lower on a petite frame — often nearer the ankle, which many people prefer, but worth knowing before you order. If you are taller than 5'9", expect them to read closer to the knee.

Delivery and returns

UK delivery is free on every order with no minimum spend, and takes around seven working days. Returns are free within 14 days with a prepaid label in the box, so if you are between two sizes, order both and send one back at no cost.

Where to look next

For floor-length, maxi dresses. For above the knee, mini dresses. If the occasion is a wedding, wedding guest dresses narrows it properly, and garden party gathers the daytime styles. For holidays, The Holiday Shop.