Finding the perfect style of dress that fits your personality may be tricky, especially if you have trouble embracing your feminine side in your wardrobe. Dresses are not appreciated enough for their versatility. There are many styles of dresses that work for any occasion.
Embracing sexy clothing for women by finding the right clothes styles goes a long way in boosting confidence, feeling sexy, and staying comfortable. To keep reading about which women’s clothing styles for dresses will look best on your body type, with your personal style, and for a suitable event, keep reading.
What are the different types of dresses?
Dresses are one of the foremost adaptable garments, with dozens of chromatic styles, lengths, borders, middles, and sleeves. Dress lengths can generally be divided into mini, midi, tea, and maxi.
There are serape, a-line, peplum, conglomerate, and diva when it involves middle styles. Either some dresses mimic other apparel details. These include a t-shirt, sweater, pencil, shirt, slip, blazer, and smock.
Of course, you will also divide dresses by occasions, including admixture and ballgown, and culture with styles like qipao and coatdress. Sleeve variations can include out-the-shoulder, tube, long, bell, halter, strapless, and one shoulder.
Next, borders are another attribute, with a high- low, mermaid, asymmetrical, Bardot, and pouf dresses available. Other dress styles include shift, bodycon, armor, denim, pinafore, coatdress, and band dresses. With such a lot of choice, there’s a dress type to suit everybody.
Learn more about your best styles of dresses in this short guide.
Formal Dresses
While there are a seemingly endless plethora of dress styles on the market, let’s start with a simple kind with many sub-styles: a formal dress. Formal sexy dresses may include gowns, prom dresses, or semi-formal dresses.
The style you’re going for depends on what you feel comfortable in. You can go strapless for an elegant yet slightly revealing and sexy look. A long sleeve, long dress, on the other hand, is great for cooler weather but still hugging your figure in all the right places.
Depending on how formal the event you’re going to is will determine the kind of dress you’ll wear. A white tie event calls for a full-length gown and a look complete with possible long gloves.
A black-tie event is slightly less formal, with the option of wearing an evening cocktail dress that isn’t so campy.
Off-shoulder dresses allow for some breathability in hotter weather. They also flatter curvy body types. A business event might call for something like a mid-length sleeve dress. Whether the dress hits right above your knees or longer, the sleeve length adds a bit of respectability to the look, making it appropriate in a professional setting.
Many other formal dress styles include prom dresses, mermaid dresses, and slip dresses. Prom dresses should pretty much be saved just for prom. However, a mermaid dress can be rocked as silhouettes dresses that accentuate your body while you celebrate numerous special occasions.
Slip dresses show a bit of skin, highlighting your long legs and features. These are great for fancy dinner parties or other catered events.
Semi-Formal Dresses
Semi-formal dresses give you lots of options to be yourself in the type of clothing you choose while still dressing up. Semi-formal maintain a great degree of sophistication yet allows more leniency to what attire is permitted.
A chic dress is something that is more put together and fancy. It can be a slender dress or something boxier.
Knee-length dresses or midi dresses are perfect for a semi-formal occasion. They cover you up and offer comfort to women who maybe don’t wear dresses very often. Complimented with high heels and a teased, loose hairstyle, a midi dress is perfect for an outdoor wedding or semi-formal dance.
A cocktail dress is another dress that would be fitting for a semi-formal occasion. You can wear one out for drinks, to a fancy event, or to spice up your weekend outfit.
Cocktail dresses end right at knee-length. A cocktail dress with thin spaghetti straps shows off your neckline, which would be paired well with beautiful jewelry to accompany the dress.
It’d be hard to talk about a semi-formal occasion without mentioning little black dresses. Every woman needs at least one little black dress. It’s quite the iconic staple dress for anyone’s closet.
Little black dresses come in various styles but qualify as long as they are not too voluminous.
Waistlines Dresses
Different hems and waistlines are going to look best on people depending on their body type. Keep in mind these styles of hemlines when curating the dresses in your wardrobe.
Empire Waistline
An empire waistline has a fitted bodice or upper part of the dress covering both the chest and back around the waist. These compliment a body type where your hips and thighs are more extensive than your upper body.
It can accentuate the waist, tightening it. Wearing an empire waistline cocktail dress that has a corset feel to it will leave you attending your party feeling confident.
Asymmetric Waistline
An asymmetric waistline compliments the opposite body type well. If your shoulders are broad and your waist is slim, this type of dress will show off your most vital features.
An asymmetric hem is cut longer on one side rather than being cut straight across or symmetrical. Another type is when the dress is cut higher in the front than it is in the back. There are many types of asymmetrical dresses, so experiment with finding the right one for you.
It could end up being a dress that has one long sleeve and another short sleeve. Add a sense of flair to your outfit while knowing what dress makes you look best.
Casual Dresses
Casual dresses are maybe the best part about wearing dresses in the first place because there are no rules. Here is where you can really get creative and let your personality shine with different types of styles for casual dresses.
More punk and grunge types may be inclined to wear a dress with a shirt under it. These looks can be complete with black tights, your favorite pair of chunky boots, a band t-shirt, and an updo hairstyle using a scrunchy.
For more feminine, flirty types, flowy dresses for casual wear are perfect. Finding a flowy patterned dress also makes your choices fun. These dresses can be dainty and be worn with sandals and gold or silver jewelry.
There are even strapless dresses for casual options. Strapless mini dresses are a great casual choice for a girls’ night out.
Maxi dresses and midi dresses are quintessential casual dresses for women’s party wear. You can transition these from running errands to going to brunch to attending a beach party seamlessly.
Do you still want to know more about the Dress Styles? Check our long list!
Maxi Dress
Maxi dresses (c. 1970) – maxi was used in the late 1960s for ankle-length, typically informal dresses.
A maxi dress is a floor-length dress that should fall on the top of the feet. It is a breezy piece of apparel that allows your body to get the ventilation it needs. You’ll feel great being able to enjoy the summer breezes in your cute dress and not be soaked in sweat.
Midi Dress
There are many different varieties and options available with midi dresses to fit your body type and preference. Plus, they look super cute to wear regardless of the season, as they can be dressed up with cardigans and boots or dressed down with a pair of sandals.
A midi dress is any dress that rises above the ankles but falls below the knees, otherwise known as the mid-calf. There are various patterns and styles to choose from to fit your body shape and fashion preference.
A midi dress is not the same as a maxi dress. The most significant difference between a maxi dress and a midi dress is that a maxi dress will fall all the way down to the floor or the ankle, while a midi falls in the mid-calf area.
Midi dresses are perfect to wear in any season as they are made of various materials and patterns. They can be dressed up by adding jackets and jewelry or a standalone piece, only needing a pair of shoes.
Mini Dress
Mini dresses end at mid-thigh and are considered the shortest in length. Although typically form-fitting and sexy for semi-formal events, mini dresses can also be loose-fitting and casual or crafted in a flirty fit-and-flare style.
The mini dress is an ultimate classic that can make a woman look casual, chic, sexy, elegant, or several other things, depending on how the mini dress is worn.
One of the biggest concerns with the mini dress is that it is very short. While this is fine in itself, adding tights of any kind can be a great way to wear a mini dress in colder weather or to tone down the look if the dress is a little too short. Most women should avoid fishnet or net tights and wear opaque or solid tights instead. However, tights are not necessary with a mini dress, especially if the temperature is warm. If the dress is a little too short, tights can make it classier and offer more coverage, so they are always a significant consideration.
A-Line Dress
A-line dresses are one of the most popular dress silhouettes. The most common type of A-line dresses are form-fitted in the bodice and flare out at the waistline (through sewing darts) to form a triangle shape like a capital letter A. A-line silhouettes are designed to emphasize a narrow waist, wider hips, and the bust line. A-line dresses are one of the most popular dress styles because they flatter almost any body type.
The term “A-line” can also describe any dress that has a hem much wider than its shoulders, regardless of a cinched waist or corset-style top or an A-line skirt that sits just above your hips and flares out. Other dress silhouettes include sheath dresses, shift dresses, empire waist dresses, and ball gown dresses.
Artsy Fashion Style
If we had to describe what “Artsy” means in terms of the seven essential style facets, we would say it combines Dramatic, Natural, and High Spirited essences. The Drama is expressed in what is often an exaggeration in size and construction. The Natural is demonstrated in the looser fits and more textural fabrics. The High Spirited qualities show up in patterns, pattern mixing, and unexpected elements.
Asymmetrical Dress
The essential characteristic of the asymmetrical dress is a slanted hemline or neckline, with the most common design featuring a one-shoulder bodice. The degree to which the slant occurs in the skirt section of the dress can vary greatly, ranging from a subtle slant in one direction to more severe slants, which go both ways to create a peak in the center.
This asymmetrical dress style first came to the forefront of fashion back in the 1970s when top American designer Roy Halston released a series of dresses featuring the style. Halston took the concept of elegant cocktail dresses and blended them with Grecian gowns to create this eye-catching design.
Ball Gown Dresses
Ball Gowns are typically long, flowing dresses with a tapered waist, but they can come in various styles. You can find two-piece ballgowns with a separate top and skirt, strapless ballgowns, and long-sleeve ballgowns. Ballgowns can be expensive, so you might consider designing and making your ballgown.
Bandage Dress
A bandage dress resembles its name in that it snugly fits your body like a bandage. The name refers to the layers of material that make up the dress and give it a distinct look and feel.
The material tucks and supports all the curves and even bulges of your body and creates a smooth silhouette. The dresses are tight, strong, and even have the properties of shapewear.
High-quality bandage dress material consists of a blend of spandex, nylon, and rayon. They cling almost like a second skin and stretch to shape and highlight your curves.
Bardot Dress
Bardots – less glamorously known as off-the-shoulder tops – are omnipresent on the high street. It takes its name from Brigitte Bardot, the French style icon who changed the fashion game and was known for making the off-shoulder style popular.
Bell-Sleeve Dress
A bell sleeve can be long or short and is usually set smoothly into the armscye (no pleating or shirring) and flares toward the bottom. Bell sleeves end anywhere from the elbow to the wrist. Flared sleeves ending at the upper bicep are similarly shaped but are instead called butterfly sleeves. The effect is reminiscent of a bell in its shape. If the sleeve is relatively full in circumference and is gathered or pleated into both the armhole and the bottom, it is called a Bishop’s Sleeve.
Bell sleeves were initially found on a garment called a chasuble, which was the dress of clergymen during Medieval times. The religious association of these sleeves eventually dissipated, at which point the bell sleeve became adapted by the upper class. In the 1500s, the rich began to stylize the bell sleeve by making them more dramatic in size and more elaborate in decor. The trend of this sleeve made its way from the elite of France to England, where this style took off and made its impact.
Blazer Dress
The best blazer dresses nail smart, sharp, and sexy all at the same time. A menswear classic with a flirtatious twist, this tailored piece is far from office-appropriate – and that’s exactly how we like it. By lengthening a double-breasted jacket and nipping in the waist, designers can create an hourglass shape. And, minus a white shirt, lapels happen to make the perfect plunging neckline.
This style appeals to every kind of woman. And we mean that: everyone from Meghan Markle to Molly-Mae has been seen in one. The rainbow-colored, belted options the Love Island crew wore back in 2019 (yes, it was that long ago) sparked a whole new wave of the trend. Although we’re still partial to the classy tuxedo designs favored by the Duchess of Sussex – they’ll go the distance in your wardrobe.
Bodycon Dress
Bodycon Dress, short for body-conscious, is a popular style of dress characterized by its stretch, figure-hugging fabric, and seductive style designed to show off a woman’s curves. The bodycon dress was first introduced to the fashion scene in the nineties, offering women of all ages a chance to flaunt their bodies instead of hiding them under baggy clothes.
Over the years, the bodycon dress has gotten a bad rap, essentially going from classy to trashy. But the trashy side of bodycon is not a given. You can go bold and wear a bodycon without feeling self-conscious. You just have to choose a more chic and sophisticated approach. These bodycon dresses do’s and don’ts will show you how.
Bohemian Dress
Boho is short for Bohemian, and typifies a style of dress inspired by the lifestyle of free spirits and hippies of the 1960s and 1970s, and even the pre-Raphaelite women of the late 19th century. Boho style is characterized by long flowing or tiered skirts and dresses, peasant blouses, ethnic touches like tunics or wood jewelry, embroidery or embellishment with beading, fringed handbags, and jeweled or embellished flat sandals (or flat ankle boots). The look is often layered and colorful.
Today, boho (and the bobo lifestyle that first became popular in 2000) influences are most often worked into a look with other trends as well, rather than wearing the trend from head-to-toe. The style hit an all-time high in 2005, and was exemplified by Sienna Miller, Kate Moss, Mary-Kate, and Ashley Olsen. Currently, these women are still spotted in slightly boho looks, but in a modern mix with other influences like menswear, Americana, and sleek minimalism.
Chic Dress
The Chic Style Type is known for wearing monochromatic ensembles and sleek, clean lines—she exudes power and has an innate sense of fashion. As the Chic Style Type, you often choose black, white, and neutrals clothing, saving color for a bold statement accessory such as an alligator skin purse or a bright red lipstick.
In the Chic Style Type’s wardrobe, you’ll find sleek, modern shapes and of-the-moment accessories. A little black dress is always a staple, as is a little white dress. Although in the Chic Style’s closet, her LBD might have a contemporary asymmetrical hem with an Avant-Garde feel or a beaded neckline. Accessories and outerwear are where the Chic Style Type gets adventurous; she favors a sharp coat with a boxy silhouette and stylish, minimalist jewelry such as a slim choker or a single sculptural cuff. Some famous Chic Style Types include Angelina Jolie, Jackie Kennedy, and Victoria Beckham.
Cocktail Dress
The Cocktail Dress describes an outfit that is appropriate to wear to parties and other semi-formal events. For women, that typically means dresses and heels, but it doesn’t have to. A cocktail attire dress code calls for something different from what you’d wear to super formal, black-tie affairs. In many ways, it allows you to be fun, flirty, and creative with your look!
Cowgirl Dress
You don’t need to ride horses or chew tobacco to be country chic. For women, the Wild West is all about making a fashion statement with cowgirl-inspired pieces. These pieces may already be part of your everyday wardrobe — timeless, practical pieces that can also be worn for non-Western looks.
Cowgirl Dress is practical and fashionable, blending touches of femininity, masculinity, and down-home Southern charm.
Denim Dress
Summer fashion often means lighter clothes, sandals, and lots of bright colors, but one staple we can’t get enough of is denim dresses. If you’re apprehensive about trying the summer must-have, don’t be. Denim dresses are usually made from a softer fabric than jeans, are lightweight, and super comfortable to do everything from daily chores to going out to lunch with friends on the weekend.
Elegant Fashion Style
The founder of The Australian Finishing School has listed things ‘elegant women’ never wear and also in the same vain what they do wear.
Elegance is defined as ‘the quality of being graceful and stylish in appearance and manner.’ Therefore an elegant woman can be defined as someone who carries herself with poise in a sophisticated and fashionable way. The purpose of this guide is not to give you a step-by-step tutorial into carrying yourself with grace and poise. Rather, my purpose is to take you through the simple steps of finding the perfect style for you in order to accentuate your natural grace and poise, enabling you to present yourself as an elegant woman.
If you’re trying to be elegant, start by wearing classic styles of clothing, like knee-length skirts and tailored button-down shirts, and choosing clothes made from high-quality fabrics, like silk and satin.
Never too baggy, never too tight; the clothing of an elegant woman looks like it was made to fit just her. Try luxe jersey and stretch fabrics if you’re on a budget, if you’re able to splurge then get everything tailored to fit your measurements. Nothing says elegance like a perfectly fitted blazer or tuxedo trousers.
Empire Waist Dress
A dress silhouette refers to the overall shape that a dress creates when it hangs on your body—it’s the dress outline. Different silhouettes aim to emphasize or flatter different body types; one silhouette meant to slim and lengthen your figure, especially popular in wedding and evening dresses, is the empire waist silhouette.
Since empire waist dresses elongate the wearer’s frame, they’re especially great for petite women or plus-size women who want to redirect attention from their waist or hips to their bust. Empire waist dresses are extraordinarily versatile.
Ethnic Fashion Style
Ethnic Fashion Style embraces and represents a culture and allows one to celebrate her heritage and origin. Ethnic style is inspired by the culture where it originates.
Firstly, ethnic means that something shares the distinctive cultural traits of a group in society. It relates to a group that shares a racial, national, religious, linguistic, or religious heritage. This is regardless of whether the wearer still lives in her country of origin. Ethnicity is the traditional culture of a social group.
When you dress to reflect your ethnicity, you celebrate who you are and express your cultural roots.
Evening Gown
The Evening Gown, evening dress, or gown is a long dress usually worn on formal occasions. The drop ranges from ballerina (mid-calf to just above the ankles), tea (above the ankles), to full-length. Such gowns are typically worn with evening gloves.
Evening gowns are usually made of luxurious chiffon, velvet, satin, organza, etc. Silk is a popular fiber for many evening gowns. Although the terms are used interchangeably, ball gowns and evening gowns differ in that a ball gown will always have a full skirt and a fitted bodice. In contrast, an evening gown can be any silhouette—sheath, mermaid, A-line, or trumpet-shaped—and may have straps, halters, or even sleeves.
Exotic Fashion Style
The Exotic Fashion Style focuses on something very uncommon and different for ordinary people. It is often mysterious and intriguing. The clothing style centers on rich colors, embroidery, mysterious patterns, prints, and mosaics.
Wear bold, bright, fun colors. Often, a wardrobe change is all that is needed to create an exotic look. Ditch the jeans and t-shirts and load your closet up with fun patterns, bright colors, and unique cuts. Skirts and dresses provide a lot more options than pants and shirts do, in general.
Formal Office Fashion Style – Business Attire
Business attire is a formal dress code for many offices and corporate events. It denotes a professional style of dress that appears smart and sophisticated. For men, a suit is generally required. Women, on the other hand, can interpret business attire in a range of ways. While pantsuits and skirt suits are ideal, polished separates and business dresses can also work well.
You need to know that business casual attire and formal business attire differ significantly. As such, it’s essential to know which one you’re dressing for and how to do so appropriately.
Business casual is a somewhat relaxed style of office wear. It is often called upon for contemporary places of work along with “casual Fridays” in more conservative offices.
Formal business attire is more sophisticated than business casual and is typically reserved for more traditional offices along with certain professional occasions, such as client meetings and presentations.
Garconne Fashion Style
The word Garconne goes back to the 1920s and, in French, means tomboy. It’s a young woman who rebelled against the conventional ideas of ladylike behavior and dress. Back then, there were two kinds of defined styles for women: the flapper, which embraced the feminine, feathered, sequins dress. This style liberated women from the tortures of corsets and allowed them to express their girlness. Then there was Garconne which was the total opposite style, defined as tomboyish since the clothes were more loose-fitting. Some women who wore this style would even bandage their breasts to look less curvy. They would also wear trousers and suits.
With each style, the women during this time made a bold statement by what they wore. I consider my style to be a mixture of both. I love to feel comfortable in a pair of trousers and a button-down shirt, but I also love to feel sexy in a bodysuit, skinny jeans, and a red lip!
Geeky Chic Fashion Style
The Geek Chic Style is all about embracing your inner geek, but with a fashionable twist. The style celebrates clothing and accessories that are classically nerdy, like glasses, blazers, ties, and collared shirts. By mixing and matching different accessories, colors, patterns, and styles, it’s easy to create your own unique geek chic look.
Girl Next Door Fashion Style
The Girl-next-door aesthetic includes lots of pastels, light colors, and airy fabrics. It is often related to suburbia, summer, and warmer weather. The aesthetic also lends itself to specific patterns like polka-dots and florals or anything considered more feminine.
The most distinctive feature is the fluffy silhouette of the outfits and a cute atmosphere. The colors and designs make it look feminine at a glance, with pastel colors such as pink being the main focus. There are many designs featuring ribbon, ruffles, and lace, and even when sneakers are worn, they are in floral patterns, and the shoelaces are pink.
Girly Fashion Style
Girly girl is a term for a girl or woman who chooses to dress and behave in a traditionally feminine style, such as wearing pink, using make-up, using perfume, dressing in skirts, dresses, and blouses, and talking about relationships and other activities which are associated with the traditional gender role of a girl.
Girly Fashion Style Clothing types can be anything that catches your eye. Soft and draped fabrics with details like ruffles, pleats, bows, beads. The texture is a must. Lace, delicate fabrics, floral prints, full skirts, and dresses. Chiffon, lacy and pretty underwear. Soft, cute, and girly accessories. It works well to choose one vital statement piece in the outfit and have the rest support it by being more straightforward and more neutral.
Gothic Fashion Style
Goth fashion is tied to the 18th and 19th centuries, and conspicuously dark, mysterious, antiquated, and homogenous features mark the gothic style. This Gothic fashion is becoming an inspiration for other styles, which aren’t goth.
Goth fashion is distinguished by darkness, mystery, elegant wardrobe pieces and, smoky makeup even though it may surprise some that not all Goths always wear black. It’s said that all Goths have the desire to stand out in a society considered too conformist. Typical Gothic fashion consists of dyed black hair, black fingernails, dark eyeliner, and black period-style clothing.
Several other fashions or fabrics pieces that are directly associated with Gothic fashion include velvet, lace, leather, corsets, or gloves, to name a few. One exciting aspect of this mysterious style is that it has numerous substyles under the same Goth umbrella. Sit back and enjoy as we dive in and take a look at some Goth fashion styles.
Grunge Style Clothing
Grunge fashion emerged in the ’80s and reached peak popularity in the ’90s. The look and style were part of a broader subculture that was supported by the grunge music genre.
Musicians, such as Kurt Cobain, were pioneers of the aesthetic, which featured a careless and rough-around-the-edges appearance. Although the style began as an anti-fashion statement, it quickly became mainstream and made its way onto the runway.
As such, the trademarks of grunge, including heavy layering, flannel shirts, Dr. Martens, ripped denim, oversized silhouettes, beanies, and slouchy sweaters, were soon everywhere.
Halter Dress
The halter style is used with swimsuits to maximize sun tan exposure on the back and minimize tan lines. It is also used with dresses or shirts to create a backless dress or top. The neck strap can itself be covered by the wearer’s hair, leaving the impression from behind that nothing is holding the dress or shirt up.
If a bra is worn with a halter top, it is generally either strapless or of halterneck construction itself to avoid exposing the back straps of a typical bra.
A halter top is a sleeveless shirt similar to a tank top but with the straps tied behind the neck. In another style of the halter top, there is only a narrow strap behind the neck and a narrow strap behind the middle of the back, so that it is mostly backless. This design resembles many bikini tops, although it covers the chest more and may cover some or all of the abdomen at the front.
It has been suggested that the neckline’s appeal stems from the fact that “it eliminated the need for spoiling the back detail with straps, leaving an uninterrupted area of skin to expose to the sun by day and display by night.
Handkerchief Hem Dress
The handkerchief hem dress trend comes in and out of style every few years. With boho outfits being in for 2021, the asymmetrical hemline is in. The favorite part about the style is that it’s very flattering for most body types. It’s usually more fitted at the waist and has a fuller skirt, creating that hourglass silhouette. Also, the jagged hem adds just a touch of boho to your look so that you can wear it from the office to brunch on the weekends.
High-Low Dress
Originating from the Victorian era, the high-low hem trend was popular during the mid-1800s and reappeared during the 19th century. These dresses have a full circle hem. The length varies from short to long as per pattern. It was a popular craze during 2011 in the US and EU and a worldwide spring fashion in 2012.
High-low prom dresses provide the best perks of short and long dresses. Rock a high-low dress for the glamour of a long evening gown and the comfort and youthful style of a short dress. This sophisticated look is fun, feminine, and perfect for the transition from casual to dressy.
Hip Hop Fashion Style
The Hip Hop Fashion Style refers to a distinctive style of dress, originating primarily with African-American and Latino young people in New York City, that goes hand-in-hand with the expressions and attitudes of the rest of the culture.
Hip Hop Fashion (also known as big fashion) is a distinctive style of dress originating from Urban Black America and inner-city youth in New York City, followed by Los Angeles than other US cities. All have contributed various elements to the overall style seen worldwide today.
Hip hop fashion complements the expressions and attitudes of hip hop culture and has changed significantly during its history. Today, it is a prominent fashion worn across the whole world and popular with all ethnicities.
Kawaii Fashion Style
In English, the loose translation of Kawaii is “cute.” So, in essence, Kawaii fashion is cute fashion – but there is so much more to the movement than looking adorable alone. If you’d like to get to grips with the origins of this iconic Japanese movement, check out our guide to the history of Kawaii.
It continually generates new fashion into the world with the idea of “kawaii” as the keyword. Harajuku fashion is imaginative, so much so that it may seem eccentric at times to the older generation, but freely incorporating one’s taste is exactly the spirit of Harajuku style.
Layering is a vital part of kawaii fashion, no matter what specific style you want to achieve within kawaii. Mix and match sweet patterns with bright colors. Wear bright leggings or tights underneath ruffled skirts or dresses. Pair a white long-sleeved top with a colorful sleeveless dress.
Kimono Dress
Meaning ‘the thing to wear,’ the term kimono was first adopted in the mid-19th century. Kimonos are simple, straight-seamed garments. They are worn wrapped left side over the right and secured with a sash called an obi. The length of the garment can be altered by drawing up excess fabric under the obi.
The traditional dress of Japan is the kimono. Kimonos, generally made of silk, have oversized sleeves and reach from the shoulders down to the heels. They are tied with a wide belt called an obi.
In kimono it is the pattern, rather than the cut of the garment, that is significant. Indications of social status, personal identity, and cultural sensitivity are expressed through color and decoration. Only the elite regularly wore luxurious kimonos; the majority of people would only have worn silk garments on special occasions. The choice of obi and accessories, such as combs and pins worn in the hair, are also important.
KPOP Fashion Style
KPOP, the abbreviated form of Korean Pop, is a popular music genre that originated in South Korea. K-pop music takes influence from different musical genres like Jazz, Rock, Hip Hop, and R&B, among others to form their musical genre.
KPOP music bands have a massive fan following all across the globe, who shower their love enormously to all the popular K-pop music groups. Apart from their intoxicating music albums, the K-pop band members are well-known for their fashion ensembles too. Here is an insight into their fashion idealism.
Lagenlook Fashion Style
Literally translated to mean ‘layering look,’ this European clothing style is designed to suit everyone and is ideal for those looking to put their stamp on their fashion choice. Lagenlook is all about layering multiple pieces of clothing to create an individual look that reflects your personal style. Lagenlook is centered on the ideal of expression, pairing clothes and statement accessories to create unique looks that work perfectly for all body types.
The term ‘Lagenlook’ originated in Germany, but the passion for exploring quirky, unusual shapes in clothing spans many European countries. Designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, Marina Avraam, and Rick Owens have all championed the Lagenlook style, creating unique pieces designed to be layered.
The biggest misconception about Lagenlook is that it’s designed to hide the figure. Instead, we think it’s designed to celebrate all figures – using your unique silhouette as a canvas to blend colors, texture, and fabrics in a way that’s uniquely yours!
Lolita Fashion Style
Lolita fashion is a street fashion originating from Japan in the 1970s typically associated with the Harajuku neighborhood in Tokyo. Fashion has evolved and changed over time but continues to celebrate femininity, modesty, cuteness, and beauty that does not fit into mainstream fashion trends.
What is considered beautiful or cute in Lolita fashion is separate from mainstream tastes and trends. It’s about dressing for your enjoyment, not dressing for others. In other words, it is a self-centered undertaking, an activity of adornment that is not connected to socially productive presentations of self that achieve a goal such as dressing to get a job, dressing to get a boyfriend, dressing to go to school, dressing to fit in, et cetera. Well, I suppose the goal here is to feel happy and beautiful on your own terms.
Long Sleeve Dress
A long sleeve dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a garment traditionally worn by women or girls consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment). It consists of a top piece that covers the torso and hangs down over the legs. A dress can be any one-piece garment containing a skirt of any length and formal or casual.
A dress can have sleeves, straps or be held up with elastic around the chest, leaving the shoulders bare. Dresses also vary in color.
The hemlines of dresses vary depending on modesty, weather, fashion, or the wearer’s taste.
A long sleeve dress makes an excellent choice for a formal event. Even sheer sleeves create a silhouette long associated with elegance, class, and bubbly flutes of Champagne.
Are you going to an outdoor party? Long sleeve party dresses keep you warm as the seasons change. You don’t have to compromise fashion to ward off the chill around the bonfire or on the balcony at a New Year’s bash.
Long sleeves aren’t just for fall and winter; they make great summer clothing, too. Short hems pair well with long sleeves and low necklines to showcase your style without overheating.
Maternity Fashion Style
When you become pregnant, your body goes through a variety of changes that likely impact your self-image. As your baby changes and grows, your body does the same, and the changes are not always welcome!
As you begin to grow and embrace your new body image further along in your pregnancy, you might start thinking about what to wear to your baby shower. While you might begin to feel uncomfortable, that doesn’t mean you have to give up looking and feeling your best!
Mermaid Silhouette Dress
A mermaid dress is a long gown that fits snug to the body until the bottom of the legs, where it flares out like a fishtail. For this reason, a mermaid gown is also called a fishtail dress. Since mermaid dresses are always long, they tend to be made in styles suitable for proms, weddings, and formal evening wear.
The flared fishtail section of a mermaid dress often begins above the knees. The ruffle it creates is soft and flowing if the dress is made from thinner fabric such as silk, satin, or taffeta. If mermaid dresses are made from thicker material, the fishtail is stiffer. The very shape of mermaid dresses — tight fitting to the figure until the flare at the knee — gives the gown style a dramatic, glamorous look.
Military Fashion Style
The actual origins behind the military fashion style are pretty much on the surface, as it was inspired by the standardized uniform worn by armed forces. The fashion period between the Great World War and World War II was characterized by the massive militarization of society. Both men and women used military uniforms as soldiers, later using them in daily life.
Another reason behind the popularity of military fashion lies in its overall comfort and versatility. Unlike pre-war fashion, everyday army and tactical clothing were usually made from affordable materials. It was also more durable and comfortable than most high fashion suits and gowns of that time. Therefore most people preferred simple but stylish military-inspired clothing over posh and expensive looks.
Off The Shoulder Dress
Off the shoulder, dresses are characterized as having a neckline that generally sweeps across the chest just above the bust. The sleeves start in line with the neckline, just below the shoulder, and are usually just a material width instead of full sleeves.
This dress style dates back as far as the 1800s when off-the-shoulder dresses were worn as evening wear by those wealthy enough to afford them. As time passed, cheaper versions were manufactured, and the lower classes of society began to make their versions to bring the off-the-shoulder dress into the everyday fashion world.
The dress style hit mainstream fashion again in the 1970s when it was worn as a way of boycotting the more rigid feminine clothing of the era. Around this time, the one-shoulder dress also evolved significantly to include several mini-skirt versions following the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Today several celebrities choose to wear off-the-shoulder dresses. Those who have been spotted at award ceremonies and other star-studded events in this style of dress include Kate Hudson, who was seen wearing a Stella McCarthy creation, Camilla Belle in a dress by Marchesa, and Doutzen Kroes in Herve Leger.
One Shoulder Dress
One-shoulder dresses are beautiful and have been around for so many years, coming and going in different styles and trends. However, a lot of girls have difficulty coordinating them and choosing which style to go for.
One-shoulder dresses are actually perfect for curvy women. They highlight beautiful curves and are very flattering. A fitted one-shoulder dress that is above the knee is a great choice, especially if it has a slit on the side.
Pencil Dress
A Pencil Dress is a slim-fitting skirt with a straight, narrow cut. Generally, the hem falls to the knee or is just below and is tailored for a close fit. It is named for its shape: long and slim like a pencil.
The pencil skirt women wear, typically to work, is very tight to the butt and thighs. It is suggested that women wear a thong with a pencil skirt to avoid panty lines.
Peplum Dress
The Peplum Dress can be one of the most flattering, feminine silhouettes out there, but it can also be one of the least. Worn well (think Kate Middleton), it can yield diminutive waistlines and elongated figures. Worn poorly, and it can lead to exaggerated hips and unnecessary bulk. So what’s the secret to finding the right peplum? Consider proportion.
A flow-y, understated version is the most universally flattering because it won’t accentuate the hips, while solid colors or basic prints (think polka dots or simple stripes) can keep unwanted bulk at bay. Play with different styles and try different variations of the trend, be it in shirt, skirt, or coat form, and you’ll find the perfect fit for you in no time!
Pinafore Dress – Apron Dress
A pinafore dress is a sleeveless garment worn like an apron and may be worn as a decorative garment and as a protective apron. A related term is pinafore dress (known as a jumper in American English), i.e., a sleeveless dress intended to be worn over a top or blouse. A critical difference between a pinafore and a jumper dress is that the pinafore is open in the back.
The name reflects the pinafore having formerly pinned (pin) to the front (afore) of a dress. The pinafore had no buttons and was simply “pinned on the front.”
If there’s one piece of essential clothing you need to buy, it’s the pinafore. Recently they’ve become a bit of a craze; they’re the perfect simple, statement style piece that fits every season and any occasion, as well as looking super cute and flattering.
Pouf Dress
The real name of the pouf dress is a bouffant dress that it got from the skirt’s shape and how it poufs out. The best part of this pouf is that it makes an ordinary skirt look ravishing. The skirt is usually rigid and is sticking out due to cloth gathering at the waistband. You can have a layered skirt or frilly underskirt to make it broader and fuller.
Pouf dresses are love. They make you want to turn on heels and swan away. The skirt swirls up and gives a beautiful filmy look. This pouf is easy to earn. All you need is a crinoline or a petticoat for this purpose. They may seem to you old-fashioned, yet they are not. Petticoats and crinolines are very much alive in the latest fashion, especially with skirts and wedding dresses.
Preppy Fashion Style
The Preppy term was born in the early 20th century and applied to wealthy students—mostly coming from old money—who were groomed for Ivy League education. Unsurprisingly, this lent itself to a less-than-inclusive aesthetic that was begging to be subverted. By the time 1980 rolled around, the now-iconic humorous guidebook to the style type, The Official Preppy Handbook, was released. Its intentions leaned more toward ironic than informative, but it managed to spark a preppy craze that would create different offshoots for decades to come. Among the more notable references is hip-hop fashion, which pivoted the prep movement from its WASP associations to a fresher look that has changed what we think of when we say “preppy.”
There are particular designers that will forever be intrinsically tied to preppy style; Namely, Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. However, in recent years, brands including Thom Browne and Noah are ushering in a new era of prep—one that speaks to skateboarders, the hip-hop scene, and street style. In 2021, preppy style is less about a uniform and more about individuality: plucking items that nod to this traditional way of dress but applying them to your personal style.
Princess Silhouette Dress
Princess dress describes a woman’s fitted dress or garment cut in long panels without a horizontal join or separation at the waist.
Princess Dress/Line is not so much a ‘Once Upon a Time,’ but the feminine silhouette of a woman’s fitted dress popularly associated with Charles Frederick Worth, who introduced the silhouette in the 1870s. He named it after the elegant Princess Alexandra of Denmark. A princess line is cut in long panels without a horizontal joining seam or separation at the waist. Instead, it uses darts and long seams to shape the body. In 1951 Christian Dior presented a collection called the Line Longue, based on the princess line.
Punk Fashion Style
Punk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewelry, and body modifications of the punk counterculture. Punk fashion varies widely, ranging from Vivienne Westwood designs to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited to the dressed-down look of North American hardcore. The distinct social dress of other subcultures and art movements, including glam rock, skinheads, rude boys, greasers, and mods have influenced punk fashion. Punk fashion has likewise influenced the styles of these groups, as well as those of popular culture. Many punks use clothing as a way of making a statement.
Punk fashion has been commercialized, and well-established fashion designers – such as Anna Sui, Vivienne Westwood, and Jean Paul Gaultier – have used punk elements in their production.
In general, contemporary street punks wear leather, denim, metal spikes or studs, chains, and military-style boots. They often wear elements of early punk fashion, such as kutten vests, bondage trousers (often plaid), and torn clothing.
Qipao Dress / Cheongsam Dress
The cheongsam, also known as the qipao, is a type of body-hugging dress of Manchu origin. It is a high-necked, close-fitting dress with the skirt slit partway up the side. It was known as the mandarin gown during the 1920s and 1930s when it was modernized by Chinese socialites and upper-class women in Shanghai.
Qipao is now worn only during formal occasions like weddings, parties, and beauty pageants. The qipao is also used as a uniform at restaurants and hotels and on airplanes in Asia.
Rocker Fashion Style
First seen in the United States and then England, the Rocker Fashion Style was born out of necessity and practicality. Rockers wore heavily decorated leather motorcycle jackets, often adorned with metal studs, patches, pin badges, and sometimes an Esso gas man trinket.
Start with skinny pants. Always skinny pants. Body-con is a wardrobe staple for any self-proclaimed rocker chick—and black jeans or leather stovepipes, whether distressed or pristine, always strike the right chord. Tuck them into black booties for general admission, or wear them with spiky heels for the after-party.
Sheath Dress – Column dresses
A sheath dress is a fitted, straight-cut dress, often nipped at the waistline with no waist seam. When constructing the dress, the bodice and skirt are joined together by combining the skirt darts into one dart; this aligns with the bodice waist dart. The dress emphasizes the waist as its skirt portion is fitted. While the sheath dress can come in many patterns and lengths, it often is worn with short sleeves and reaches knee length.
The sheath silhouette emphasizes your curves and is especially effective for curvy or hourglass body types, with slim waistlines, wide hips, and large bust areas. Sheath dresses can come in a variety of different cuts and lengths.
Because sheath dresses are figure-molding, pay close attention to fabrics. The best materials are slightly heavier, with a bit of stretch—such as double-faced wool, Ponte knits—a sturdy, double-knit fabric—and stiffer linen blends. Any sheath dress that wrinkles across the hipline is too tight.
Shift Dress
A shift dress is a simple, short, above-the-knee dress. The bust is fitted with darts, and the skirt is either cut straight or with a narrow A-line. The dress has no waist definition and hangs from the shoulders. The neckline is a high scoop neck or boatneck. Shift dresses were originally sleeveless. Short-sleeve and long-sleeve versions have become popular.
In the 1920s, designers such as Chanel started to create loose, corsetless dresses. These new dresses, worn by ‘flappers,’ were the antidote to stiff, Edwardian dress. It was easy for women to shift or move around in a “shift dress,” hence the name. The term also signifies a culture shift.
The straight, shapeless cut of the traditional shift dress does not suit all body shapes. They are easiest to wear for women with a boyish shape, or for women with a uniform body shape, ie that their bust and hip measurements are similar.
The straightness of the dress fits tightly at the hips but loosely at the waist, making it hard to fit an hourglass shape.
That is why we, at Working Frocks, have slightly re-engineered the shift dress to accommodate all body shapes including those of us who are curvier.
Each Working Frocks shift dress that you own can have many manifestations. It can be dressed up with a jacket and pearls for the day, accessorized with heels and diamonds for the evening, and dressed down with trainers and chunky jewelry when you are off duty.
Colour plays a part in how you will want to wear your shift dress. Our newest permutations for spring are navy and corn yellow. Other colors will follow for summer.
Shirt Dress
A shirt dress is a style of a women’s dress that borrows details from a man’s shirt. These can include a collar, a button front, or cuffed sleeves. Often, these dresses are made up of crisp fabrics, including cotton or silk, much like a men’s dress shirt would be. They are typically cut without a seam at the waist; these dresses often have a looser fit, usually relying on a belt to define the waist. Button fronts and a forgiving fit make this a flattering look for most body types.
In the 1970s, Halston’s Ultrasuede shirt dress, one of his best-selling designs, could be worn unapologetically instead of a suit. Eighty years after Vogue’s pronouncement, the shirt dress is among the current season’s significant trends. Just as in 1938, prices run the gamut.
Shirt dresses are casual enough to use as a beach dress/coverup and look great away from the sand.
Slip Dress
A slip dress is a woman’s dress that closely resembles an underslip or petticoat. It is traditionally cut on the bias, with spaghetti straps. The slip dress looked like an undergarment but was intended to be seen, and through the use of lace and sheer elements, offer glimpses of the body beneath. Designers associated with slip dresses include John Galliano, whose debut design for Dior was a lace-trimmed slip dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales in 1996; Calvin Klein and Narciso Rodriguez.
Slips are familiar to most women, as thigh to full-length undergarments is meant to be worn underneath sheer dresses. In the 1930s, significantly as the flapper movement had relaxed rigid rules about wearing restricting corsets, several designers began offering the slip dress. At that time, the slip dress was usually a fitted bust and a narrowly fitting dress with a long skirt, much like the traditional undergarment.
To some, the slip dress was shockingly bare, especially the top, and designers like Mainbocher sought to compensate for the skimpy top by pairing it with small jackets worn over the dress. Thicker fabrics were used, too, so the dress didn’t require a slip. You might see slip dresses in heavier satins, so they suggested the lingerie look but were sturdier. Spaghetti thin straps meant wearing a bra, especially in the 1930s, was nearly impossible. This meant the slip dress was primarily designed for those with smaller busts and relatively skinny waists.
As fashion moved forward, the slip dress continued to be popular, with surges in popularity in the 1950s, the late 1960s (especially in Pucci designs), the 1990s, and again in the late 2000s. A principal difference between the early and later slip dress incarnations occurred. Starting in the 1990s, Fabrics became much sheerer, and women’s standard undergarment slips became much less prevalent.
This meant that women often wore the unflatteringly sheer slip dress, showcasing all undergarments they were or were not wearing. Slip dresses also became shorter, though long styles were and are still available. Knee-length slip dresses did become popular and were suggested as layering garments over leggings or even over jeans.
Smock Dress
The essential characteristic of the smock dress is the oversized fullness of the fabric. The full-back and chest are teamed with sleeves that have a tube design with unpressed pleats. The rest of the smock dress is also pleated and is decorated by smocking which is surface embroidery. This is typically in a honeycomb pattern. There are a few different types of smock styles that have been seen throughout the various fashion eras. The first is the round smock which has an open neckline and a flat, round collar. The second is the shirt smock which blends the boundaries between shirt dresses and smocks, while the third is the coat smock which is longer and buttons up the front.
The origin of the smock dress is unknown but believed to be ancient. They were worn in the early 18th century by agricultural laborers throughout the Midlands and Southern England as they were considerably cheaper than other forms of outer garments at the time. The embroidery styles of smock dresses varied by region and motifs were used to identify the occupations of the various wearers. By the mid 19th century, the smock dresses were dying out but were still worn as late as the 1920s.
As with most dresses in fashion history, smock dresses have made a comeback and can be seen on celebrities like actress Kirsten Dunst, Kate Bosworth, Jessica Alba, and Sienna Miller.
Sporty Fashion Style
Sportswear is an American fashion term originally used to describe separates. Since the 1930s has come to be applied today and evening fashions of varying degrees of formality that demonstrate a specific relaxed approach to their design while remaining appropriate for a wide range of social occasions.
The term is not necessarily synonymous with activewear, clothing designed specifically for participants in sporting pursuits. Although sports clothing was available from European haute couture houses and “sporty” garments were increasingly worn as everyday or informal wear, the early American sportswear designers were associated with ready-to-wear manufacturers. While most fashions in America in the early 20th century were directly copied from or influenced heavily by Paris, American sportswear became a home-grown exception to this rule. It could be described as the American Look.
Sportswear was designed to be easy to look after, with accessible fastenings that enabled a modern emancipated woman to dress without a maid’s assistance.
If your vibe is laid-back, contemporary, and classy, the sporty chic look is for you. But what does sporty chic mean, exactly? The street style mixes a sophisticated, urban aesthetic with casual, wear-anywhere elements. On paper, you might think this is a recipe for clashing, but when you throw on a sporty chic outfit, you’ll see why the trend works so well.
If you’re someone who loves the sporty look but wants to appear a bit more polished, this effortless fashion trend has your name written all over it.
At its core, sporty chic fashion is all about prioritizing comfort while making a statement. It’s perfectly mod and conveniently casual yet never sloppy. You might say sporty chic is the best of both worlds.
Strapless Dress
Strapless, as the name suggests, has no straps. The dress fits snugly around the bust with elastic or some form of boning to give support. The strapless dress is a great summery look or a very elegant evening dress.
A strapless dress or top is a garment that stays put around the upper body without shoulder straps or other visible support means. It is usually supported by an internal corset and/or brassiere, with the tightness of the bodice preventing the dress from slipping out of position.
In the early 21st century, about 75% of wedding dresses on the market are sleeveless and strapless. The specialist of WeddingWire, an online marketplace for engaged couples, says strapless “is the standard for wedding dresses and that won’t change anytime soon.
One reason for this is that they are much easier to alter to ensure a correct and comfortable fit. Designers prefer to make bridal gowns strapless because they’re easier. Sleeves are tricky, and dresses without them are much more quick and painless to alter.
SunDress Style
A sundress or summer dress is an informal or casual dress intended to be worn in warm weather, typically in a lightweight fabric, most commonly cotton, and usually loose-fitting. It is widely a bodice-style sleeveless dress, typically with a wide neckline, thin shoulder straps, and maybe backless. Generally, a sundress is worn without a layering top and is not usually worn over a blouse, sweater, or t-shirt or with leggings.
The sundress provides a feminine look that is more comfortable than a skirt and blouse or another dress.
While the word “sundress” was first used in the early 1940s, it came into vogue in the 1950s and was especially popularized by Lilly Pulitzer in the 1960s.
Sweater Dress
A sweater dress is a more extended version of a pullover knitted sweater. Sweater dresses are sold in different lengths, from thigh length to close to the ankle. Longer sweater dresses aren’t as common as the shorter styles, however. The most common sweater style dress ends just at the knee; this versatile length flatters all figure types. The sweater dress is a cold weather winter garment that can be worn in many different ways.
Sweater dresses worn over boots are a classic look. The great thing about coordinating boots with a sweater dress is that anything goes — these dresses look good with any boot length. Ankle length boots worn with a shorter sweater style dress and textured tights can look fun and funky. Boots and a sweater-type of dress, both about knee length, can give the wearer an elegant appearance. A sweater dress can also be topped with a shorter or longer coat.
The styles of sweater dresses are as varied as those of sweaters. For instance, the neckline of a sweater dress may be V-shaped, square, turtle, cowl, or many other possibilities. Colors, fabrics, and prices also vary. A sweater-style dress may be an inexpensive acrylic with a loose fit or a slim fitting cashmere designer garment. Sweater dresses may have a rib knitted design or feature twisted cables or a flat textured knit.
T-Shirt Dress
The T-shirt dress is a staple that every woman should have in her closet. If you want the comfort of a T-shirt, but also the ease of casual dresses, a T-shirt dress is the answer. The T-shirt dress is exactly what it sounds like: part T-shirt, part dress. Unlike more formal dresses, T-shirt dresses are 100% comfortable. You can throw them on during a hot summer day, pair them with a necklace, slide on a pair of sandals and you’re all set! That’s the beauty of the T-shirt dress. It’s effortless.
Looking for a summer dress should keep you totally cool and comfy while streamlining your seasonal wardrobe planning. Shaped like a classic tee, cut like a dress, and designed with wearability in mind, this ultra-simple summer outfit solution looks as awesome as it feels. In all its iterations — and there are quite a few — the versatile t-shirt dress is guaranteed to ease and please. From oversized fits to extra-long lengths (major The Row vibes!) to options featuring those always-desirable pockets or made from 100% organic cotton, there’s one for every occasion and style.
Toss one over your itty bitty bikini for the beach, pair it with some square-toe sandals when you’re out and about, or layer it over trendy bike shorts for an effortlessly fashion-forward look. However you want to wear it, it’s an outfit no-brainer no matter how hot the temps climb.
Tea-Length Dress
When you’re shopping for the perfect mother of the groom outfit, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all of the options out there. So if you’re looking to narrow down your choices or you’re not sure where to start, a good rule of thumb is to stick to tried and true silhouettes. The favorite silhouette? The tea-length dress. This ankle-baring silhouette is not only timeless and flattering but also comes in a whole host of styles to suit every type of wedding and mother of the groom.
The hem of a tea-length dress typically stops right above the ankle. However, some silhouettes may stop two to three inches above the ankle.
Tomboy Fashion Style
It is all about effortless dressing with a cool, menswear-inspired twist for women. With a focus on essentials like t-shirts, denim, and hats; it’s easy to replicate even when on a budget.
If you’re a girl who would prefer to keep it simpler over wearing hot pinks and gobs of makeup, you might want to consider trying out the tomboy look.
While you don’t have to ditch skirts entirely, tomboys are pretty much defined by not wearing skirts or dresses. Instead, wear cool, comfortable pants that have a boyish look. Stores like Gap sell ‘Boyfriend’ pants that are cut like boys’ pants but are fitted for a girl’s body.
Tube Top Dress
A tube top, colloquially known in the UK as a boob tube, is a shoulderless, sleeveless women’s garment that wraps around the upper torso. It is generally tight over the breasts and usually uses elastic bands at its top and bottom to prevent falling. The tube top’s precursor was a beachwear or informal summer garment worn by young girls in the 1950s that became more widely popular in the 1970s and returned to popularity in the 1990s and 2000s.
In 2012, Elie Tahari claimed that he helped popularize the tube top after arriving in New York in 1971. As spotted by Tahari in a New York factory run by Murray Kleid, the original tube tops were elasticated gauze tubes reportedly produced through a factory manufacturing error. Murray ran with this product for years, and eventually, Tahari bought tubes from Kleid, later setting up his factory to mass-produce tube tops to meet widespread demand.[3]
Vacation Fashion Style – Cruise Wear
A Vacation Fashion Style – Cruise Wear or resort collection or resort wear, sometimes also referred to as holiday or travel collection is an inter-season or pre-season line of ready-to-wear clothing produced by a fashion house or fashion brand in addition to the recurrent twice-yearly seasonal collections.
Designers, store buyers, and the media view “resort wear” as a specialized year-round clothing style and fashion season. It has become a cross-cultural style that signifies relaxation, affluence, and appreciation of nature, displaying a sense of style to the wearer.
From walking shorts, caftans and sandals, to full-length evening dresses for women and light dinner jackets for men, resort wear is unique in its design and function. Resort wear is generally made from cotton, silk, denim, microfiber, straw, light linen, and poplin that are easy to pack, lightweight, and breathable. They are easy to clean and look great without ironing.
It is characterized by the “nautical” style, inspired by sailor and yachting themes, classic Hawaiian prints of palm trees and hula girls, brushed denim from San Francisco, bright floral prints from South America, minty greens, yellows, blues, and whites from the Mediterranean and natural materials and glove-weight leathers from the Caribbean. Large hats, sunglasses, open-toed shoes, and innovative waistlines complete the look of sun-soaked destinations.
Vibrant Style
This style is for all you attention seekers out there. The vibrant style is full of energy and intensity, and the same is evident from the vibrant mix of colors, patterns, exaggerated embroidery, asymmetrical designs, and tons of vibrant, lively colors. If you are one of those girls who love vibrant fashion, your wardrobe will be full of colors that draw the attention of the masses.
Wrap Dress
A wrap dress is a dress with a front closure formed by wrapping one side across the other, and knotting the attached ties that wrap around the back at the waist or fastening buttons. This forms a V-shaped neckline and hugs the wearer’s curves. A faux wrap dress resembles this design, except that it comes already fastened together with no opening in front, but instead is slipped on over the head. A wrap top is a top cut and constructed in the same way as a wrap dress, but without a skirt.
A wrap dress is a perfect fit every time and can be customized to your figure. Whether you’re petite, curvy, straight, or tall, a wrap flatters almost every figure. Unlike these dresses, a wrap dress grows with you. Because they’re adjustable, you can tie them as loosely or tightly as you like.
Babydoll Dress Style
A babydoll is a short, sleeveless, loose-fitting nightgown or negligee intended as nightwear for women. It sometimes has formed cups called a bralette for cleavage with an attached, loose-fitting skirt falling in length, usually between the belly button and upper thigh. The garment is often trimmed with lace, ruffles, appliques, marabou, bows, and ribbons, optionally with spaghetti straps. Sometimes it is made of sheer or translucent fabric such as nylon or chiffon, or silk.
The babydoll dress is perfect for everyday wear, and by adding some accessories, you can change it from a daytime look to a nighttime outfit that’s perfect for going out for drinks after work. Jessica Alba wearing an Isabel Marant denim dress paired with chunkier boots
Belted Dresses
The key characteristic of the belted dress is the use of a belt, typically around the waist area although it can be low slung to rest on the hips in some dress styles. This style of dress can come with a belt permanently attached to it through being sewn into place or can be temporarily attached through the use of belt loops. However, in some cases, belted dresses come with completely separate belts.
The belts used on belted dresses can vary significantly from wide straps seen on the likes of celebrities such as actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Rachel Zoe to more slim-line belts. The style of the belt can also change significantly depending on the designer, with self-fabrics used in some cases while contrasting fabrics, leather, or even elastic is seen in others.
Bubble Dresses
The bubble dress has a particular and well-defined style which is characterized by a voluminous skirt. The hem of the skirt is folded back on itself to create a ‘Bubble’ effect at the hemline. This dress style can have varying bodice types, including cap sleeves and one-shoulder designs, but the bustier is one of the most common. The length of the skirt on a bubble dress is usually relatively short, resting mid-thigh or above the knee.
The bubble skirt has been gone for years now, but it seems to be making its resurgence. In his Cruise 2020 collection, Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière included a handful of bubble skirts, and from there, celebrities have embraced the revival.
Corset Dresses
A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effect), or support the breasts. Both men and women are known to wear corsets, though this item was an integral part of women’s wardrobes for many years.
Since the late 20th century, the fashion industry has borrowed the term “corset” to refer to tops which, to varying degrees, mimic the look of traditional corsets without acting like them. While these modern corsets and corset tops often feature lacing or boning and generally imitate a historical style of corsets, they have minimal, if any, effect on the shape of the wearer’s body. Genuine corsets are usually made by a corsetmaker and are frequently fitted to the individual wearer.
Corset dresses are used to shape the bodies of women into hourglass figures. Depending on the fit of this undergarment, these can be intensely restricting and uncomfortable for the wearer.
Vivienne Westward’s Spring 2012 collection saw corset dresses back on the catwalk whilst celebrity Paris Hilton and actress, Sarah Hyland have been seen wearing their corset dresses to award ceremonies.
Cut-Out Fashion Style
If the idea of cut-out fashion conjures up images of cheap and revealing bodycon dresses worn by teenagers and reality stars, you are not alone. Over the past few years, as fashion’s love of the cut-out trickled down to the high street, the trend slowly lost its cool, but high-end designers are now bringing it back in a big way.
Several significant designers backed the cut-out comeback on the spring/summer 2020 catwalks this past September, primarily for eveningwear. Still, there was also a dabble in making it work for the office. Meanwhile, the autumn/winter 2020 London and New York shows have seen the cut-out emerge as one of the most apparent trends for next season, seen on everything from slinky dresses to chunky knits.
How exactly has this flesh-flashing feature become chic again? Well, the answer is in the way designers have pulled it back.
On the SS20 Versace catwalk, Gigi Hadid made an entrance in a black dress that draped across her body, revealing just the top of her abs through a slit in the material, which was pulled together with a trademark Versace gold clasp. At Saint Laurent, Christopher Kane and Alexander McQueen, too, black eveningwear got the cut-out treatment in the form of slits, gaps, and unexpected necklines.
Drop Waist Dresses
Drop Waist is a silhouette a particular style of the dress gives. To create this silhouette, the waist of the dress is dropped lower, falling close to the top of the hips. By doing this, it creates an illusion of a torso being lengthened. This style was largely worn during the 1920s.
The drop waist dress is ideal for those who are slender with a small bust and hips. This type of dress allows you to show off your toned arms, collarbone, and legs. You can wear yours fitted or loose, but if you’re petite, a loose cut will overwhelm your frame.
Fitted Dresses
There are many types of different women’s fitted dresses, from the fitted sheath to sweater dresses. While they differ significantly in their appearance, fitted dresses all have one common element: They are created to showcase a woman’s figure. The primary difference between the styles of fitted dresses is their purpose and design, which significantly differentiates one fitted dress from another. Some are designed for casual wear, others are made for comfort, and others are still created for a night of glamor.
The dress style traditionally features fitted sleeves which are close to the shoulders and upper arms whilst a tightfitting torso is completed by a skirt that flares out from the hips. Variations on this style of dress include both long and shorter versions with differing types of fastenings ranging from small dome buttons through to lacing for a snug fit, depending on the era.
Tiered Dresses
The tiered dress is characterized as having a series of overlapping layers. They are generally different lengths and create a range of varying hemlines when it comes to the dress’s skirt.
Defined by a soft, unstructured silhouette with horizontal seams, the tiered dress is flowing, effortless and versatile. The shape works just as well in block colors as in different prints, and this season we’re being served everything from floral to animal print.
An evolution of the popular smock-style dress, tiered dresses are universally flattering, and right now, they come in various lengths, shapes, and dimensions – so we’re pretty spoiled for choice. During 2020’s fashion month, tiers were everywhere, from the avant-garde catwalk of Simone Rocha, where overlapping layers of frothy black lace were paired with a crochet harness and latex headwear, to Oscar de la Renta.
Trench Dresses
A trench coat is an outer garment made of waterproof heavy-duty cotton gabardine drill, leather, or poplin. One of the most incredible things about a trench coat is that it was initially developed for soldiers. It was used in the trenches during the First World War, precisely why it is called a Trench Coat.
Trench coats were shown at their very best in some of the most popular films and series. We have several fictional characters who flaunted trench coats, leaving us with a desire to add them to our wardrobe.
Tunic Dresses
Tunics have become an essential style in many of our wardrobes. Wear your tunic as a tunic dress, a beach coverup, or an oversized dress shirt tucked into your favorite See ROSE Go track pants. We all love a good tunic. Tunics come in various styles, from the long tunic, t-shirt tunics, and tunics with long sleeves or are sleeveless.
A tunic’s power is in its versatility and functionality. Tunics can be worn on their own as a dress, paired with our Tailored Track Pant, tucked or untucked, or even as a lighter alternative to a cardigan on those warmer days. When you find the fitting tunic for your wardrobe, there is endless style potential! A pro-styling tip from celebrity stylist Meaghan O’Connor is to follow the three look rule.
Blouson Dress
Blouson tops are loose on the upper body, with a cinched waist, causing the blouse top out and cover the waistband, giving it a tucked-in look. The waist of blouson tops could either have an elastic band that automatically cinches your waist or drawstrings, which allow you to fix the cinching according to your comfort. Blouson tops are designed to highlight your curves by defining your waist.
If you have a rectangle-shaped, pear-shaped, or hourglass-shaped body figure, these tops should be a part of your wardrobe. These tops can even complement top-heavy figures like strawberry or apple shape if you add a jacket or a blazer to your ensemble.
Camisole Dress
A Camisole Dress is traditionally seen as a kind of undershirt, creating a smoothing or frictionless layer or adding warmth underneath formal clothing or in cold weather. Camisoles typically feature spaghetti straps.
Camis can be loose, body-skimming, or entirely form-fitting. Most, these days, are probably the latter, made with materials like Lycra and Spandex. Most women wear camis as undershirts to smooth and provide warmth under professional attire or as casual tops convenient for around-the-house wear. They also meld well into the “athleisure” trend for weekend errand-running when paired with a loose sweatshirt or stylish hoodie to provide more torso coverage.
Fit and Flare Dress
A fit and flare dress is a dress silhouette featuring a fitted upper body and a full skirt. Like the A-line silhouette, fit and flare dresses feature a fitted upper body and a wide hem. Both silhouettes flatter a wide variety of body types. The difference between the styles is that the fit and flare necessarily include a fitted waistline, while the A-line silhouette does not.
Kaftan Dress
Kaftan is a Persian word, while the garment style is believed to have originated in Ancient Mesopotamia. From the 14th to the 18th centuries, the Ottoman sultans wore lavishly decorated kaftans; they were also given as rewards to important dignitaries and generals.
A kaftan, also known as a caftan, is an ankle-length garment with long, flowing sleeves. Initially, this loose type of dress was a long, buttoned-up robe worn primarily by men in the Middle East. Kaftans were traditionally silk or cotton and came with a sash or belt around the waist and elbow-length or longer sleeves.
Little Black Dress
The year was 1926: The month was October. The Roaring Twenties were in full swing when Vogue featured on its cover the first “little black dress” designed by Coco Chanel and ushered in the long reign of a fashion staple.
The little black dress is considered essential to a complete wardrobe. Many fashion observers state that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.
Typically, a little black dress is a casual or cocktail dress. The traditional LBD is a cocktail dress meant for after-five wear or semi-formal events. You should only wear a formal gown to a white tie event. You can wear an LBD to a prom or other school dance.
Peasant Dress
Peasant dresses are characterized by a certain “folksy” element that makes them stand out from the crowd. They may have provincial aspects, like earthy embroidery in floral patterns, but they can also have design details like puffed sleeves or low necklines in a manner typical of German folk clothing. Bohemian peasant dresses are usually produced in cotton or other hard-wearing fabrics, but you can find dressier versions in soft silk.
Peasant dresses are usually casual, but they can be dressed up fairly easily if you prefer. They look great when worn alone, but they can also be layered underneath chunky sweaters for fall, blazers for work, or underneath shrugs and wraps for a chilly day.
Sari Dress
The sari (often spelled ‘saree’) is traditionally worn in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. It can be an heirloom passed down through generations or a purely functional garment worn every day. It’s seen on streets and runways and has influenced fashion designers across the world.
Each saree color has a meaning based on caste, culture, religion, and belief. Red denotes courage. White means purity—priests and their acolytes wear it. Green symbolizes life and happiness. Yellow signifies wisdom and peace. Blue represents masculinity, courage, stability, and determination.
Skater Dress
The term “skater dress” describes a type of A-line dress. A skater dress fits snugly at the waist and flows out from there, forming the silhouette of the letter “A.” Instead of falling to the floor, though, a skater dress is cut just above the knee.
Skater dresses were inspired by figure skaters, who traditionally wear a fitted dress on top and a flared skirt on the bottom. They’re a cute, girly look for your everyday outfits – perfect for pairing with heels for nights out or trainers and sports socks for a casual vibe.
Tent Dress
The tent dress is a loose-fitting dress that gradually flares outward or grows fuller from the shoulder to the hem and has no waistline.
It is defined by three things: its oversized, billowing shape, its lack of a waist, and the easy, natural and breathable materials that it’s made from (usually cotton or linen). Simple and easy, they’re universally flattering, don’t cling uncomfortably, can be easily dressed up or down, and are an outfit-in-one.
The tent dress is a salvo against the tight corset body-con style favored by the Kardashians, Instagram, and fast fashion. In short, a female-focused form of summer dressing, or at least that’s the hope.
Tutu Dress
Tutu is a standard skirt worn by female ballet dancers, consisting of four or five layers of silk or nylon frills; the skirt is attached to a sleek-fitting bodice. Originally, tutu designated a short, trouser-like petticoat worn under a dancer’s costume.
The tutu was first introduced to the world by ballet dancer Marie Taglioni. Her father wrote a play called “La Sylphide” to show off Marie’s talents, and when she performed it at the Paris Opera, the tutu was such a hit that it influenced the clothing dancers to wear.
While there’s no definite story behind the garment’s name, it likely came from the French children’s word “tu-tu,” which means “bottom,” since it’s worn around the ballerina’s waist.
Find Your Style
The most important part of choosing amongst the many styles of dresses out there is that you stay true to your own sense of identity.
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