ANNETTE | Floral halter maxi dress

It was ninety-six degrees at the garden party and I was the only one who looked comfortable.

Outdoor events in summer put you in an impossible position. Anything long enough to feel appropriate is usually too warm, and anything cool enough is too casual for a party where everyone else has made an effort. So you stand in the shade in something you do not much like.

Annette answers it with a halter and a long skirt. The neckline leaves the shoulders and back open, which is where the heat actually escapes, and the skirt flows loose from a defined waist so there is nothing held against the body below it. The print is a bright floral rather than a small quiet one, which is what makes a cool dress still read as dressed for the occasion.

Why women our age keep coming back to it

• Open where it matters in heat. A halter neckline leaves the shoulders and upper back bare, so a floor-length dress stays wearable outdoors in July.
• A waist that keeps the length from swamping you. The skirt is gathered at the natural waist, so the dress has a shape rather than falling straight from the bust.
• A print that carries the occasion. The floral is bright enough that the dress looks deliberate at a party without needing jewelry to lift it.
• It starts at XS. Long floral dresses are usually cut wide; this one runs properly small as well as large.

Buy more, save more

• Buy 2 items, save 10 percent
• Buy 3 items, save 15 percent
• Buy 4 items, save 20 percent

The discount is applied automatically at checkout.

How it fits

Sizes XS through 2XL. The waist is the shaped part, so check that first and take the larger size if you are between two. A halter neckline needs a halter or strapless bra, which is worth knowing before the day itself.

30 days to change your mind

Thirty days from delivery for a full refund, no restocking fee.

A few recent reviews

Cool to wear and long enough for an afternoon wedding. Both at once, finally.
Odette M., Sun City

The print is brighter in person than on the screen. I was glad about that.
Bonita R., 67

I needed a different bra for it, so order a week ahead like I did not.
Leola S., Tucson