Stupid summer fashion trend: the maxi dress as "casual day dress"

It seems like a good idea in theory, and maybe this style looks okay in catalogues, on the runways, and even, kinda, sorta on the likes of Jessica Alba or Nicole Ritchie. I'm talking about the maxi dress, that brightly colored, ankle length-dress, usually with an empire waist and with a halter top, no sleeves or strapless.

The maxi dress made what seems like a brief appearance in the 1970s. I'm sure Mary Tyler Moore wore one or two on her hit TV show.

But, then you see women out and about in downtown Walnut Creek in their maxis, shopping in Broadway Plaza or heading out to lunch. The girls and women might be pretty, slender, and well-coiffed, but the dresses, rather than looking glam and trendy on them, just look frumpy.

I don't remember the maxi trend of the 1970s lasting all that long. Wonder why? Maybe because even in that era of bell-bottoms, polyester and other questionable fashion choices people could recognize a really ugly idea when they saw it. Wonder if this 2009 max trend is gonna last past August.

Sure, I'm no fashionista. I happen to admire any new fashion trend that comes along and looks good on women--even on women younger and more stylish than me.

But this maxi dress trend: The dresses are peasant-like and comfortable. I can see a woman finding it convenient to throw one on to look semi-dressy when she, for example, didn't have time to share her legs.

And, maybe these maxi dresses fit our supposed recession-era concerns about frugality and back to basics.

But the daytime ankle look somehow reminds me of those women from the polygamous Mormon sect in Texas. Of course, in their own throwback way, these women were making their own interesting fashion statement.