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The dress is one of the hottest items to have in your wardrobe this summer. Lucky for us, there are quite a few dress trends to choose from this year. Finding the right dress is about finding the one that best dresses your shape.
The maxi dress
The maxi dress is a feminine full length dress that flairs from an empire line into a volumous skirt. It is highly fashionable this summer and you will see it everywhere in stores in a variety of colours, fabrics and prints. Let's be honest, this dress looks great on the very tall and slim, but it's not the easiest dress for most of us to carry off well.
How to wear it: This is a great dress for expecting moms, but not so great if you don't want to be asked "when are you expecting?" This dress, although comfortable, doesn't lend itself to giving one much shape. To pull it off, you do need to be relatively tall and select your cut and print carefully. Belt it in the waist to give some definition or select a style that is nipped in at the waist instead of the empire line cut. This dress can also be used as a great bathing costume cover-up; select a slightly sheer or thin fabric that will show your shape underneath and team with a beautiful flat sandal for a fashionable look.
Hour glass shape dress
Hallelujah, the hour glass shape is being celebrated again. The hour glass shape can be seen in a variety of styles such as the bubble dress, fit and flair dress and the curve hugging pencil skirt dress. The emphasis of this style is the clinched waist which shows off a woman's gorgeous hour glass curves.
How to wear it: For those who have a beautiful hour glass shape, start celebrating it in one or many of these dress styles. If you have a smaller top and a bigger bottom, select the fit and flair dresses as this is a great way of creating an illusion of balance. To get the benefit from these styles, it's important that the waist is clinched or belted.
The shirt dress
This is a straight up and down style with no shape. This dress used to create the safari look and is made in a neutral colour fabric buttoned from top to bottom.
How to wear it: On its own. It won't dress many body shapes well. To give it shape, clinch it in the waist with a wide belt. This can work well to disguise a little bit of a tummy as the emphasis is on the waist and the extra fabric gives a little "cover up". Just above or below the knee is a great length for this style. If you have long legs, wear with a flat fashionable sandal. If you need extra height, wear it with a wedge.
The Jackie O dress
This ever classic dress is back in fashion this year. Very simple in its cut, it fits in the waist and either flairs into an a-line style or falls straight down into a pencil skirt.
How to wear it: Variations of this style will suit many different body shapes. If you are wide at the hips, select a style that flairs into an a-line skirt for balance. For women who need a little extra shape, select a style that clinches in the waist and narrows at the hem. This will give an illusion of an hour glass shape.
The classic wrap dress
The ever classic wrap dress comes in a variety of fabrics, prints and colours. This dress is easily crossed over for comfort and style and looks great just above or below the knee.
There is nothing like a well cut wrap dress to give a woman curves in all the right places. Make sure the dress has "enough wrap" to ensure you have sufficient body coverage. When in stretch light weight fabrics, it's best to select a print as it fools the eye. You won't know what is fabric and what is flesh. These dresses don't always look good on the hanger, so try them on until you find the best fit.
Celebrate your femininity this summer in your best dress this summer. Don't stop looking until it gets the "best dressed" approval rating your body deserves!
To find out which body shape you are, check out Body Shape 101.
Check out fashion expert, Tracy Gold's blog here.
The maxi dress
The maxi dress is a feminine full length dress that flairs from an empire line into a volumous skirt. It is highly fashionable this summer and you will see it everywhere in stores in a variety of colours, fabrics and prints. Let's be honest, this dress looks great on the very tall and slim, but it's not the easiest dress for most of us to carry off well.How to wear it: This is a great dress for expecting moms, but not so great if you don't want to be asked "when are you expecting?" This dress, although comfortable, doesn't lend itself to giving one much shape. To pull it off, you do need to be relatively tall and select your cut and print carefully. Belt it in the waist to give some definition or select a style that is nipped in at the waist instead of the empire line cut. This dress can also be used as a great bathing costume cover-up; select a slightly sheer or thin fabric that will show your shape underneath and team with a beautiful flat sandal for a fashionable look.
Hour glass shape dress
Hallelujah, the hour glass shape is being celebrated again. The hour glass shape can be seen in a variety of styles such as the bubble dress, fit and flair dress and the curve hugging pencil skirt dress. The emphasis of this style is the clinched waist which shows off a woman's gorgeous hour glass curves.How to wear it: For those who have a beautiful hour glass shape, start celebrating it in one or many of these dress styles. If you have a smaller top and a bigger bottom, select the fit and flair dresses as this is a great way of creating an illusion of balance. To get the benefit from these styles, it's important that the waist is clinched or belted.
The shirt dress
This is a straight up and down style with no shape. This dress used to create the safari look and is made in a neutral colour fabric buttoned from top to bottom.How to wear it: On its own. It won't dress many body shapes well. To give it shape, clinch it in the waist with a wide belt. This can work well to disguise a little bit of a tummy as the emphasis is on the waist and the extra fabric gives a little "cover up". Just above or below the knee is a great length for this style. If you have long legs, wear with a flat fashionable sandal. If you need extra height, wear it with a wedge.
The Jackie O dress
This ever classic dress is back in fashion this year. Very simple in its cut, it fits in the waist and either flairs into an a-line style or falls straight down into a pencil skirt.How to wear it: Variations of this style will suit many different body shapes. If you are wide at the hips, select a style that flairs into an a-line skirt for balance. For women who need a little extra shape, select a style that clinches in the waist and narrows at the hem. This will give an illusion of an hour glass shape.
The classic wrap dress
The ever classic wrap dress comes in a variety of fabrics, prints and colours. This dress is easily crossed over for comfort and style and looks great just above or below the knee.There is nothing like a well cut wrap dress to give a woman curves in all the right places. Make sure the dress has "enough wrap" to ensure you have sufficient body coverage. When in stretch light weight fabrics, it's best to select a print as it fools the eye. You won't know what is fabric and what is flesh. These dresses don't always look good on the hanger, so try them on until you find the best fit.
Celebrate your femininity this summer in your best dress this summer. Don't stop looking until it gets the "best dressed" approval rating your body deserves!
To find out which body shape you are, check out Body Shape 101.
Check out fashion expert, Tracy Gold's blog here.
