From A-lines to wraps, babydolls to trapeze styles, there’s a dress – or two – for every woman this spring and summer.
If you’re going to buy only one new thing for the season, it should be a dress, says Nancy Sagar, public relations director at Neiman Marcus. “It is not only the most important trend, it is the most important item. Because there are so many silhouettes, every woman can find a dress for her own personal style. We like the feminine feel, and all the romantic details like lace, eyelets and ruffles in beautiful shades of pink, yellow and blue.”
Boulder-based image consultant Nancy Taylor Farel says she hasn’t seen dresses be this strong since the 1960s. “There are so many choices in silhouettes, fabrics, colors and styles, it’s like a going to a field of wildflowers and deciding which one to pick.”
It was time for the dress to make a comeback, says David Wolfe, creative director of the Doneger Group, a New York- based company that advises stores on fashion trends. “We went as far as we could in dressing down. People couldn’t look any worse,” he says. “Then there’s the urge to have something different. It’s the swing of the fashion pendulum.”
In uncertain times, classic items like dresses tend to return, Wolfe says. “Because there is so much fear – economic, political – we’re hungry to re-establish a conservative status quo.”
A dress is also practical, and modern women like that, he says. “Casual dressing got so complicated with the layering, it took too much time. What could be simpler than a dress?”
Designers are showing almost as many daytime styles as they are dresses for after-5, says Cynthia Petrus, public relations and fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue.
“We’re seeing a lot of waist detail, both in the high empire look and in belted waists that are of the same fabric as the dress, or in patent leather,” she says.
Professional look
For professional women, she recommends classic shirtwaists, wraps and safari styles in such fabrics as cotton poplin and polished cotton. “What’s great is you don’t have to be a size 4 to pull this off; they look just as good on a size 12,” she says.
Sundresses and short cocktail dresses are strong too. “We’re seeing lots of feminine details like ribbons, bows and ruffles from designers like Carmen Marc Valvo and Vera Wang,” she says.
But when it comes to finding a dress that flatters your figure, plan on spending some time in the dressing room, Farel says. She ticks off a list of “fit points” that women need to consider.
“The bust size has to be correct, and darts have to be placed correctly. They can be altered but usually not taken out,” she says.
Next is the waist – and not just the circumference, but where your natural waist is. “I personally have a lower waist, and if a dress is high- waisted, I’ll be uncomfortable all day, Farel says.
Proportion is something else to think about. “If the skirt is short and straight, you have to stand back from the mirror and take a good look at yourself. Are your legs really terrific enough that you can pull it off? You don’t want it to look like a tunic that you made into a dress. Those are passé unless you’re in your teens or 20s and wear them with tights. The same goes with babydoll or super short dresses – they’re best left for the young.”
Farel also recommends giving a dress the “sit test” before buying it. Sit on a bench in the dressing room and see if the skirt rides up and exposes too much skin, she says.
As for empire-waisted, bubble or no-waist, full-cut dresses like the trapeze, Farel says to be careful. “My guideline is that if you wore something similar as a maternity top, don’t do it again. This style belongs on skinny, small, young people.”
Check your colors
Choose dresses in colors that complement the shades of your hair and skin, Farel says. And when it comes to pattern, consider how much “value contrast” you have in your skin and hair. Bold prints look best on women with dark hair and light skin, or dark hair and dark skin, she says. To see if a dress works on you, try the squint test: Try it on, stand 6 feet from the mirror and squint. “If your eye is drawn to pattern rather than yourself, the pattern is too strong; it wears you instead of the other way around,” she says.
If prints tend to overwhelm you or you want something more professional-looking, go for classics like muted or small plaids, checks, foulards and vertical stripes.
The way a shoe is paired with a dress is important, too. Tall platforms and high heels can look out of proportion if the dress is delicate, she says. A feminine style like that should be worn with sandals or lighter shoes.
“If you’re going to wear 4-inch cork platforms, look for a dress with substance,” she says.
Flats are another popular shoe this season and can pair nicely with short dresses, as long as the weights are comparable.
When Farel was shopping recently for a dress to wear to a wedding, she discovered that so many of them were sleeveless she needed to find something to cover her arms. “Rather than just wear a cardigan like our mothers did, why not try a lace jackets, or a sheer blouse in a fabric like organza, or one with metallic threads,” she says. Shawls or stoles are another choice, but if you pull out your pashmina, make sure it’s again in a fabric that’s neither too much heavier or too much lighter than your dress. Look for ideas in the accessory department.
Don’t worry about the infatuation with dresses ending anytime soon, says Sagar of Neiman Marcus. “They continue to be an important element in the designer shows our buyers saw for fall. It’s a good investment.”
