Printed Maxi Skirts: How to Wear One Now, from Swimsuit to Dinner

The short answer: keep everything above the waist plain and close to the body, and let the skirt do the talking. A fitted bodysuit, a one-piece swimsuit, a tucked in shirt in one colour from the print: all work. Our pick is the Johanna Ortiz Territorio Atemporal Skirt, a floor length cotton poplin skirt in a wine and green botanical print. Shop all designer maxi skirts and the Johanna Ortiz edit.

A printed maxi skirt is the most useful single piece in a summer wardrobe after a pareo. It turns a swimsuit into a dinner outfit, it hides a long day on the beach, and it travels rolled in a corner of the case. The art is balance: a big print below, a quiet line above.

Four ways to wear a printed maxi skirt

How to choose the print

• Scale. Large botanical prints read as one bold gesture. Small prints read as texture.
• Colour. Pull one colour out of the print for the top. With the Territorio Atemporal skirt, that means wine, green, black.
• Fabric. Cotton poplin holds a crisp line and does not cling, so it looks good in heat.
• Length. Floor length with a flat sandal, slightly shorter if you want a heel.

Our picks

1. Territorio Atemporal Skirt

Light cotton poplin in wine and green, floor length at about 112 cm, with a fluid line. Johanna Ortiz suggests a fitted top for contrast, and we agree.

2. Whispering Tides One Piece in Wine and Green

The swimsuit that matches it, in the same palette: wear the two together as a dinner look.

3. Raiz Marina One Piece

A plainer ecru alternative under the skirt.

How to wear a printed maxi skirt in cooler weather

A cotton maxi skirt does not have to go away in October. Add a fine merino crew neck in one colour from the print, a long belted coat and a leather ankle boot with a small heel. Opaque black tights under a wine and green print look deliberate. On winter sun trips the skirt moves straight back to the beach with the swimsuit.

Matching sets: the print on print rule

Johanna Ortiz designs many prints across more than one piece, so a skirt can meet a swimsuit, a top, a pareo in the same palette. Wearing two pieces from the same print reads as a jumpsuit and lengthens the body. Mixing two different prints works when they share one colour: a wine and green skirt with a wine and green leaf swimsuit, for example. Keep shoes and bag plain when the print is doing this much.

More ideas in how to style a midi skirt, how to wear paisley print and how to style Johanna Ortiz.

Frequently asked questions

What top goes with a printed maxi skirt?

A plain, fitted top in one colour from the print: a bodysuit, a one-piece swimsuit, a tucked in shirt.

What shoes go with a maxi skirt?

Flat sandals and espadrilles by day, a heeled sandal for dinner.

Can you wear a maxi skirt to the beach?

Yes. In cotton poplin, worn over a one-piece, it is the easiest beach to lunch outfit there is.

How long should a maxi skirt be?

Just grazing the floor with your chosen shoes. With flats, take it slightly shorter so it does not drag.

Are printed maxi skirts in style?

Yes. Botanical prints in cotton are a resort staple, and they work beyond the beach with a knit.