Best Beach Maxi Dresses for Your Florida Vacation: Classy but Casual
It’s easy to fall into a style rut, even with vacation clothes.
I’ve been going to Florida during March break for years and recently realized the only kinds of dresses I ever packed were cute, short beach dresses, mostly my Tommy Bahama tropical beach dresses.
They’re my favorite things to wear when I’m down by the ocean or having a nice meal up at the hotel pool. But, with all the gorgeous beach maxi dresses in stores right now, I thought it was high time to try something different.
Here are two breezy beach maxi dresses I took to Sarasota, Florida, on March break. They’re casual and classy and give my vacation wardrobe a beautiful, modern lift.
shop the look
This first dress is by Spanx! Yes, they are now making dresses. Boy, is this comfy! I instantly fell for this sporty striped beach maxi dress because it’s such a classic beach look. It’s made of the same light, soft, stretchy material that their air-essential leisurewear pieces are made from. If you have never worn it, it feels as soft as a cloud. It’s absolutely fantastic!
In keeping with the classic nautical vibe of this maxi, I accessorized it with my favorite Dean Davidson earrings from his Sol collection.
My cute sandals are from Amazon. They’re denim slides, so they go perfectly with the all-American red, white, and blue theme.
You might want to carry a straw beach bag with this look, but I like this cute crochet one that is a bestseller on Amazon. It’s different and adds a bit of nice rope texture! To make the look pop, I tied a red Air essentials zip sweatshirt around my shoulders. I love the way this looks!
Crochet Beach Maxi Dress
The second Beach maxi dress I took to Florida is this sleek crochet dress from The Drop on Amazon. The Drop is Amazon’s influencer-inspired house brand, which I like to show on my Amazon livestreams. Everything from The Drop is always stylish and affordable.
Crochet is artsy and crafty, so it has a boho vibe, which is more casual/natural than my usual style. But in this case, the sleek tank style balances out the boho look and feel and makes it seem a little more elegant.
Don’t worry that this slim crochet tube dress is too narrow to fit into. It’s more A-line than tube-like and very stretchy, not tight at all. It’s surprisingly easy to wear.
I love the perky half slip sewn inside which gives a slight peek-boo effect to the bottom of the dress and that side slit is a darling touch. What a great find!
shop the look
When I ordered this crochet maxi beach dress, I wasn’t sure if the color was so light that I would look pale, like a ghost. I don’t tan well, and even with self-tanner, my skin is so fair that I never get that dark. But this dress turned out to be one of my favorites.
The key is to accessorize it to complement the crocheted beachy maxi dress look. I like to wear it with woven Amazon’s H sandals and this cute yellow straw tote from Target.
Once again, Dean Davidson’s jewelry elevates the look. I love this dainty beaded gold bracelet and these modern square hoop earrings.
shop the look
I’m so glad I branched out and bought these cute beach maxi dresses. They’re the perfect resort to wear when you are going to Florida or on any beach vacation. They’re relaxed, playful, comfy, and classy all at the same time, making packing for a sunny day a lot more exciting!
Fabulous after 40 has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click and make a purchase at no additional cost to you. So, Thank You!
