I have a few maxi-dresses, all of them at least nodding towards an empire line which helps hide the shoulders a bit wider, hips a bit narrower than I would like thing. I also have a couple of longer stroppy dresses with a fitted bodice and a flared skirt. These are even better than the maxis for giving the appearance of the shape I would like rather than the one I have.
Though I am wondering if maxi-dress is one of those things that means different things depending on which side of the Atlantic you are on. Like chips (no, those are crisps, silly). Care to post a picture of what you have in mind?
Rosie