All the volume of a boho maxi, released from above the waist instead of at it.

On a tiered dress, one seam decides everything: the one the gathers hang from. Put it at the natural waist and every fold of that very full skirt starts at the middle of the body, adding bulk at exactly the point the shape was supposed to skim past. The neckline is the second weak spot. A split V is a slit, not a shaped opening, and a slit with no finished edge rolls outward and keeps rolling — and the ties on most of them are sewn on for decoration, too short to actually knot, so there is nothing to set the depth of the opening with. Third are the cuffs. Elasticated three-quarter sleeves are routinely made with one length of elastic across the whole size range, so on a fuller forearm the cuff bites at one narrow point and leaves a mark. And a tiered ankle-length skirt in a light cloth needs weight at the bottom or it stops swinging and hangs down in a straight column.

The Melanie Melbourne Dress gets each of these right. Its gathering seam is set high, directly beneath the bust, so all the volume releases above the waist and the skirt falls free from there down — nothing gathers at the middle. The neck slit is edged with a fine woven trim down both sides, which gives it a firm edge instead of a raw one, and the ties are long enough to actually knot, so how open it sits is your decision rather than the pattern's. The cuffs are smocked rather than elasticated in a channel, so the stretch is spread across the full width of the band and comes back again. And the deep contrast border printed around the bottom, finished with a gathered ruffle, puts real weight at the hem so the skirt keeps moving.

Why it works

• Gathering seam set high under the bust: the volume releases above the waist, so nothing bunches at the middle of the body.
• Fine woven trim down both sides of the neck slit: gives the opening a firm finished edge rather than a raw one that rolls open further through the day.
• Ties long enough to knot: you set how deep the V sits instead of living with wherever it lands.
• Smocked sleeve cuffs: the stretch is spread across the whole width of the band and returns, so there is no single tight point on the forearm.
• Deep printed hem border with a gathered ruffle: weights the bottom of the skirt so it swings out instead of hanging in a column.
• Pull-on with no zip or buttons: nothing to fasten over the bust or the hip, and no closure to gape.

Fit note

Very roomy. This is a loose pull-on shape with a great deal of width in the skirt, so take your usual size — going up mainly adds width across the shoulder and length in the sleeve rather than room where you need it. The cloth is light and soft, which is what gives the skirt its movement; on a still day it will settle against you and it lifts again the moment you walk. The hem is ankle length on average height, so a flat sandal keeps it clear. Three colourways — Blue, Green and Pink — all printed from the same block-print motif with the same contrast sleeve and hem borders. Sizes M to 4XL.