I love dresses! They are one of the easiest pieces to style in any wardrobe as they tick off both the top and bottom of the outfit. They can often be layered for the colder months with t shirts, roll necks, tights and boots and then stripped back to their basics for the Spring/Summer. Yet a lot of people find it hard to find the right styles, fits and cuts in dresses so I’ve put together some tips on how to find the perfect styles for you, along with some of my top picks. Let’s get dress happy!
Neckline
The neckline on a dress is so important. For most body shapes, styles with open necklines like V necks, button down shirt styles, round necks and scoop necks will help open up the chest area and draw the eye down the centre line of the body.
If you have a larger chest area open neck styles will also help minimise the size of the bust as there is less of an expanse of fabric. If you like a high neck style try adding on an accessory like a necklace, scarf or even a jacket/blazer to help draw the eye down the centre.
The neckline on this satin dress from Massimo Duti is everything! It’s interesting and eye catching and certainly brings the eye to the gorgeous décolletage and down the centre of the body to the statement thigh split!
I love this preppy style and how the scoop neckline is layered with this exaggerated bow blouse! A great way to show how a simple style can be restyled in an elevated way according to your personal style.
Waist
Big oversized dresses don’t really do much for any body shape. When investing in a dress think about how to add definition in at the waist. This could be through the natural tailoring of the dress to nip in at the waist, through the addition of a matching fabric belt, through gathering and elastic or through adding on your own belt in a contrasting print or colour. Doing this will help to create a waistline, even if you don’t typically have a defined waist.
I love how this piece naturally gives the shape in under the bust and in at the waist and then flows out to a wider shape at the bottom. Oh and not to forget the gorgeous colour, Silk Linen Gauze fabric and paired with those beautiful boots!
Wrap styles like this make creating waist definition super easy. They also add interest and detailing through the leg line too which I love. Plus this gorgeous green is giving me all of the Spring vibes!
Length
Do you prefer a mini length, midi or maybe a maxi? The length of a dress can really impact proportions and your height. For my more petite girls a really short dress can make you look shorter, while a maxi dress can create the illusion on height as long as there is not excessive fabric. For my taller girls you can play around more with hem lengths on a dress.
Remember though that where the end of the dress finishes it creates a horizontal line across the leg which can be shortening if done in the wrong place.
The longer length on this slip dress from Kitri is perfect. Sometimes an all over checked print can be too consuming, so styles like this I would recommend for my girls over 5’4”.
Skirt
Getting the style of skirt right on a dress can make all the difference to your comfort and the whole look. Straight or pencil styles are great for my girls with natural curves on the lower half of the body. They accentuate this area and show of your beautiful shape. For those that would rather not show off their curves, softer A lines styles are perfect. If you hve a smaller lower half or straighter silhouette try bigger more voluminous skirt styles, those with pleats or extra detailing to really add volume to the lower half of the body. Just make sure to do this in equal amounts to the top half of the dress to retain balance.
The sleeves on this are genius for those with a smaller top half! They are balanced out so well with the nipped in waist and fuller skirt. I think a style on my wish list for Spring/Summer!
I hope that helps you with your Spring/Summer dress shopping! Some, or all of these picks are going on my shopping list!
If you are looking for help hunting for the right dresses, or any other piece, then don’t forget I offer both in person and online personal shops. Find out more here! Was this blog helpful? Let me know in the comments.
