It hangs from the shoulders and touches nothing the whole way down.

Two things reliably go wrong with a printed tie-neck maxi once it is made in a larger size. The first is the neckline. The split is usually cut to one fixed length whatever the size, while the V widens as the pattern is graded up — so the opening spreads sideways, and cords anchored halfway down lever the two sides apart every time you lean forward. The second is the sleeve. A puff sleeve is closed at the bottom by a cuff, and that cuff is the tightest point of the entire dress; it lands at mid upper arm, exactly where the arm is fullest, and a flat elastic band there grips and leaves a line by lunchtime. Then there is the hem — a loose maxi has to travel over the bust and the hips before it starts falling, so it runs out of length at the front and finishes higher there than at the back.

The Michaela is built the other way round. Its neckline is finished with a narrow bound band running the whole way round the split, and the two cords are anchored at the very top of the opening — pull them and the neckline draws closed at the neck instead of being levered apart lower down. The sleeve cuff on the Blue, Purple and White is a soft gathered ruffle that stands away from the arm rather than a flat elastic band, so it rests on the arm without pressing into it; the Red has a plain flutter sleeve, open at the hem, that closes around nothing at all. The body carries no waist seam and no closure anywhere, so every bit of width is already cut in — there is nothing on this dress that has to be done up over the bust or the hip. And the hem is cut in shallow scallops rather than one straight line, so the finished edge breaks up instead of landing as a single hard horizontal.

Why it works

• Cords anchored at the top of the split V: tying them closes the neckline at the neck rather than pulling the opening wider further down.
• Bound band around the whole neckline: the edge holds its shape instead of rolling open when you lean forward.
• Soft gathered ruffle cuff (Blue, Purple, White): rests on the upper arm without a hard elastic band pressing in. The Red's flutter sleeve is open at the hem entirely.
• No waist seam, no zip, no buttons: nothing on the dress has to be fastened, so nothing can strain or pull open.
• Width released low on the skirt: Blue, Purple and White carry a tiering seam around upper-thigh height, so the extra fullness arrives below the hip and turns into movement rather than bulk higher up.
• Scalloped hem edge: cut in shallow curves instead of one straight line, so it doesn't finish with a single hard horizontal across the ankle.
• Light matte woven fabric, fully opaque: it moves when you walk and nothing shows through, including in the pale colourways.

Fit note

Michaela runs loose and long — ankle length on most people. Nothing fits at the waist, so take your usual size and go by bust and upper arm. Worth knowing before you order: the four colourways are not identical garments. Blue, Purple and White have the split V-neck with tasselled cords and a gathered ruffle cuff; Red has a plain V-neck with no ties and a plain flutter sleeve. The prints differ as well — Blue and Purple are ikat, White is a scattered wildflower design, Red is a damask-paisley on cream. The fabric is light and matte with a fine crinkle, so it creases as you wear it rather than holding a pressed line. Flat sandals keep the hem clear of the ground; a heel lifts it. Sizes M to 4XL.