Wrap Dresses-Every Woman's Friend!

I wear a lot of dresses--especially in the summer when it's so hot. Because I am one size on top and another on bottom, structured dresses that have a more defined bottom half don't fit me well very well. And sometimes my hips are a bit more pronounced than I like. ;) But I have discovered two dress styles that work on me almost-always. Wrap and shirt dresses are great options that can be found in a variety of prints, styles, and occasions. For this post I will be focusing on my love of wrap dresses. Shirt dresses will be covered in another post later one. :)

So to begin! If you will recall, the beautiful navy faux-wrap dress by Issa worn by Kate at the engagement announcement was striking not only for the color, but for the way she looked in it. Consequently, it sold out within minutes. Aside from the fact that thousands of women desire to copy her look down to her nail polish, this dress is so desirable because all women can pull it off. Have you noticed how the dresses that sell out instantly always have a skirt that is not pencil-like? It's because fuller skirts can make us look a bit slimmer, so we naturally gravitate to them.

Now, faux-wrap dresses and real wrap dresses have almost-exactly the same fit and fall on the body. Owning some of each, I have found this to be the case for me. For example, below is one of each:

 

The red dress is a faux-wrap. While you do need to know your waist size for these styles, the rest of the dress fits and falls the way a true wrap dress does, which makes them ideal for those of us with different sizes top and bottom. :) The navy and polka-dot dress on the right is a true wrap dress which, incidentally, is great for shopping since you don't have to constantly worry about getting clothes over your head. ;)

As you can see, each dress helps define the waist and down-play the hips. Another reason I'm such a fan is the V-neck wrap dress create. Being rather busty, I am very conscious about how much cleavage is being bared--especially in the work place. But on the upside, V-necks help elongate the neck and, therefore, the torso. Slip on a cami underneath when needed and you're all set to look stylish, classy, and work-appropriate no matter what!

Here's one more faux-wrap dress that I got because it reminded me of the Issa dress worn the day before The Wedding:

While the pattern is polka-dots and not birds (the Issa dress is a bird print) it is also a faux-wrap style, silk, and flows comfortably. Love it! (And yes, those are the Pied a Terre Imperia espadrilles.)

So that "wraps" it up (sorry, I couldn't resist!) my wrap dress post for today. I do have more that are part of my winter wardrobe, but those are packed for now and must wait for another day. So until that day, go out and find yourself several wrap dresses that make you feel like a Duchess!