In 1970, Women’s Wear Daily publisher John Burr Fairchild declared it the year of the midi. TIME called WWD the weapon behind his decree, and the pushback was immediate: 335 customers in Dallas signed a protest against being pressed into buying one length. The whole fight was about who gets to choose the hem, the publication or the woman getting dressed.

 

I like the midi now as a choice, not a decree. The best way into midi formal dresses, to me, is to let satin, sleeves, or embellishment establish occasion, then let the hem and shoe settle the proportion. Personal stylist Samantha Dawn recommends an open-toe kitten heel with an ankle strap for a midi, saying the strap makes the transition from dress to ankle more seamless. I would keep that idea close without treating it as a rule.

 

Aidan Mattox’s espresso satin has a scarf accent and sleeveless V-neck, so I would let it stand alone with a small black bag. As It May’s mint satin fit-and-flare gives the color room to read. Amsale’s lilac high neck and back ties feel composed rather than sweet, while Donna Karan’s burgundy side ruching and cascading ruffle add movement to a long-sleeve option. Hobbs London’s navy lace yoke brings texture without becoming a second event. With any of these, I would choose the shoe before settling the hem, then check both in a full-length mirror while the dress moves.

A sleeve changes the balance before an accessory ever arrives. I would keep the rest of the look spare when a cuff or collar is already doing its work. TIME’s 1970 account gives the word midi a precise old landing point, mid-calf, while noting that it was already being used for a longer range, from below the knee to the ankle. I am less interested in one official length than in where each dress actually stops.

 

Prabal Gurung’s pale-blue ruched bodice makes a long-sleeve midi feel polished without fuss. Simone Rocha’s black dress puts a pearl-edged collar against puff sleeves, so I would skip a necklace and let the collar hold the frame. Borgo de Nor’s Celeste brings pastel flowers, bell sleeves, and ruffled cuffs; Leo Lin’s Katrina adds pleated florals and a removable bow belt. The two prints have different energy, one painterly, one romantic, and both would take a simple shoe.

 

Julia Jordan’s wine velvet is an easy way to bring texture into a fit-and-flare shape. Ghost London’s Naomi adds picot frills and a tie-neck bow, while Elie Tahari’s Adira pairs dark florals with sheer sleeves and a stand collar. Elliatt’s ivory Kailee has a high mock neck and flared cuffs. What I would skip: adding a second statement at the throat beside the Ghost London bow or Simone Rocha’s collar. I would try the event shoe before checking a jacket over the sleeve, then see whether the cuff sits cleanly without bunching.

Vogue described Markarian as a New York label founded in 2017 and identified its designer Alexandra O’Neill with Dr. Biden’s cerulean Inauguration dress. Markarian’s Acacia dress takes a more romantic route, with yellow daisy brocade and pale-lilac tie straps. I like that a structured bodice can feel quite formal without making the rest of the outfit severe.

 

Adelyn Rae’s Areta uses denim-blue jacquard for a fitted corset shape, a useful counterpoint to Nocturne’s black boned sweetheart bodice and crisp peplum. Milla’s lavender birds and flowers sit over a generous skirt, while Roland Mouret’s silver metallic jacquard keeps the surface sleek and lets the internal corset do the shaping. These are four different ways to make the waist the point, so I would choose one detail to echo rather than matching every accessory.

 

Rebecca Vallance’s black Mariya has gold roses across the jacquard and a square neckline; Carolina Herrera’s Cabana is rosewater floral linen-silk with a pleated A-line skirt. Dolce&Gabbana’s sky-blue floral satin adds a fitted bodice to a narrow pencil shape. My fitting-room check would be simple: close the back, sit, raise both arms, and take a few steps. I want the bodice to stay put and the slit or skirt to allow a natural stride. What I would skip: a rigid necklace against a sweetheart or square neckline that already draws the eye upward.

Sequins have a way of making a simple silhouette feel decided, so I would let one surface do the talking. Alice + Olivia’s Fifi fades from icy blue to gold across a fully sequined sheath, while Likely’s Dorothea keeps its shine to a black bodice above crisp pleats. The first feels luminous; the second gives the length a cleaner outline.

 

Mac Duggal’s mocha mesh has floral sequins and short sleeves, a softer way to wear embellishment than a full surface of shine. Jenny Packham’s Aster keeps the dress midnight navy and puts gold clusters on three-quarter sleeves. HELSI’s forest-green Silvia is strapless with a back slit, while SL FASHIONS gives black botanical sequins a blouson shape. Dress the Population’s papaya Elisa scatters embroidery and sequins across a fit-and-flare skirt; Mac Duggal’s black high-neck style layers floral beadwork over sequin mesh.

 

I would choose the event light as carefully as the accessory. What I would skip: pairing an already beaded neckline with equally ornate earrings, especially when the dress has sequins across the bodice too. At a fitting, I would check the mesh at the side seam and underarm, then look at the surface in daylight and evening light. The question is whether the shimmer feels like one clear idea or several competing ones. A quieter shoe lets the dress keep its own punctuation.

With a midi, the hem and heel are a pair I would choose together. Samantha Dawn’s stylist advice is usefully specific: an open-toe kitten heel, especially with an ankle strap, can make the transition from dress to ankle feel more seamless. I would use that as a starting point, not a rule, and try the actual shoe with the actual hem before deciding.

 

Loeffler Randall’s Mikel bow sandal has a medium heel, listed between 2 and 2.75 inches, and a slim ankle strap. Badgley Mischka’s Cher pump sits in the 3 to 3.75-inch high-heel category, so the contrast gives two clear proportions to compare. Sam Edelman’s black-sequin Hazel echoes a sparkling dress without adding a new color story. I would check that the strap sits comfortably and that the hem does not hide the shape of the shoe when I take a step.

 

For bags, L’Alingi’s black Micro Eternity clutch has a removable shoulder chain, while Nina’s gold crystal clutch keeps the line slim with an optional strap. Maeve’s chocolate Fiona mini is crossbody, and its sequins and glass beads pick up evening light; the black beaded bucket is a softer shape. Olga Berg’s champagne crystal mesh pouch finishes with bangle handles. I would choose the shoe first, then test how the bag’s handle or chain sits beside the dress. The useful finishing touch is the one that stays out of the hem’s way.

I would decide the hem before settling the accessories. Pick the length that feels intentional, then try the shoes you would actually wear and check where the fabric lands from the front and side. A midi does not need a single official measurement to look formal; it needs a proportion that makes sense with its own shoe and silhouette.

 

After that, I would choose one bag detail and leave the rest quiet. TIME’s account is a reminder of how quickly a hemline can turn into a decree. I would rather let the dress, the shoe, and the woman wearing them make the call.

 

If this was useful, keep going with Cocktail Dress Edit, Wedding Guest Dresses, Tea length formal dresses and Semi formal attire women.