Alexander Wang, body-con dress, Cheryl Cole, Emilio De La Moren, Helmut Lang, Hervé Léger, hussein chalayan, Maxmara, Preen
In Fashion, Fashion Heat, Good Look, Trend, Trend Report, designer, dress on December 8, 2009 at 8:53 pm
The Body-con dress is the best thing invented since God invented us – “us” meaning women. I once wrote a personal blog post regarding “skinny bitches in Hervé Léger,” but admittedly, I’m closer to slim than I am to blimp. But my ode to the body-con dress is because of my love for short and skin-tight. I adore having my body being hugged by velvety supple fabric; I want a dress that will literally mould to my shape accentuating my curves, flaunting what I have while I have it. But beware, there’s a thin line between sultry and skank.
Maxmara for Hervé Léger was a genius idea. In early `08, once Cheryl Cole flaunted a tri-colour haltered Hervé Léger the best way she knew how, the body-con dress became a fashion frenzy, and a train of celebrities followed suit. One-by-one those girls pumped out Hervé in different colours and cuts, but the medal goes to the women with the hour-glass figures. They were the true definition of a Hervé Léger muse, and that’s the way it should be. To our benefit, other designers including Alexander Wang, Preen and Emilio De La Morena all have their own striking interpretations of body-con. I could easily fill a page of the best body-con dresses on the market.
The body-con dress must be tight and short, with holes and slits in all the right places (think shoulders and waistlines). Make sure you carry the dress with a punk mentality. It’s not for the faint-hearted and ultra girly, the body-con dress is for women who like edge. Those who aren’t afraid to command the room they walk into. The body-con dress screams sexy and dangerous, but not loose. To optimize the look, opt for stiletto ankle booties with a vintage leather biker jacket.
Alexander McQueen, Lace, textured dress, Julien Macdonald, Surface to Air, Sophia Kokosalaki, Weekend by Maxmara, Etro, sequins, ruche, drape, sixties
In Fabric, Fashion, Fashion Heat, Good Look, Trend, Trend Report, designer, dress on December 8, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Every woman should have a textured dress in her closet – at least at some point. The fabrics of a textured dress are intricately woven into a finished look that’s fragile to the eye, but rich in substance. Rather than going for a modern trend, when you opt for texture, you’re carrying on a fashion tradition that boomed during the sixties; when a designer’s collection emphasized three-dimensional prints and geometric shapes that are classic fashion emblems today. Wearing a textured dress delves deep into your personality, because you’ll choose it based on its characteristics more than anything else. Imagine attending an evening event in a classic red Jacquard knit dress with hounds tooth print by Alexander McQueen, or wearing a dove-coloured slate draped jersey dress by Sophia Kokosalaki to the opera. You’ll stimulate the senses and draw attention to your aura, highly regarded as a woman of style. Without question, a textured dress really is the ultimate chic.
The best textured dresses are usually made of knit or silk, as the results produced are complex yet artistic. Although it’s true that sequins can add texture, it’s too easy of a feat. Lace is a great fabric for texture, as are dresses made with graphic print details and ones that are heavily ruched and draped.
A textured dress is most effective when short to mid-length; as a long textured dress is more suited towards the long and narrow shaped. To dress tone down the textured dress, wear darker solid coloured leggings with a lightweight jacket.
