A Guide To Warm Weather Dresses

Hope all my American readers enjoyed a happy and safe Memorial holiday last weekend. The forecast called for rain on Monday (which it did), so we celebrated with my sister and her family on Sunday. After a round of miniature golf (which is always a riot when pre-schoolers are involved), we had hamburgers, hot dogs, and corn on the cob, followed by brownies and cherry pie. Yum!

Family, good food, and warm weather - some of the best things in life, for sure!

So after returning to my computer on Tuesday, what was the most often-asked question I found in my emails? "What can you tell me about dresses?"

Glad you asked! Now that we've covered cropped pants, shorts, tops, and skirts, let's finish off this series of "how to dress" articles with a brief look at warm weather dresses.

P.S. If you're enjoying your subscription to THE CLOTHING CHRONICLES and think some of your friends my like it too, please feel free to forward it to them, fully intact. Thanks!

If you like to wear casual dresses in warm weather, you're not alone. Many women tend to find them cooler than tops and shorts, while others prefer the camouflage offered by the additional coverage.

If you've never given the matter much thought, you should try wearing some casual dresses this season. Not only will they allow you access to all sorts of places that shorts won't, like nice restaurants, church services, museums, and the like, you can dress them up or down by changing a few accessories. Versatile AND comfortable - what could be better?

The ones that are shaped the same way you are. If that sounds simple, it's because it is. Once you know your body shape (see WARDROBE MAGIC for details), the rest is easy.

Straight Tank

This simple, unstructured sleeveless dress hangs straight from the shoulder and looks best on women with wide shoulders and small hips or those with no discernible waist. Great arms are a plus.

Lerner

Semi-fitted Tank or Sheath

Same basic style as above with a little bit of fitting makes this a solid performer for women who have an attractive hourglass shape.

Spiegel

Empire Style

The empire style has gathers directly beneath the bust, with the balance of material falling softly to the hem. This style emphasizes the bustline, drawing attention away from the rest of the body. Because of this, it's a popular look for women with small shoulders and large hips.

Fields

A-Line

The A-line dress, as the name indicates, is narrow at the torso and flares from the bust or waist to form two sides of the triangular "A". First used widely by Dior in the 1950's, this style works well for bodies with heavy hips or an hourglass shape.

Coldwater Creek

Shirt Dress

With its straight-up-and-down silhouette and vertical row of buttons, the shirtdress looks best on women with wide shoulders and narrow hips and those with no discernible waist.

La Redoute

Surplice or Wrap Dress

The surplice style wraps around the body and fastens at the waist, both visually slimming heavier bodies while adding substance to thinner bodies. It's one of the few dress styles that looks good on everyone, which is why Diane Von Furstenberg sold so many of them in the 1970's. This style works particularly well for women with hourglass shapes and for those with large busts.

Coldwater Creek

While collars, sleeves, and hem lengths vary widely on these basic styles, the shapes should give you enough to get you pointed in the right direction.

Once you've found a dress that's shaped the same way you are, you can focus on the details. If you have great arms, for example, try sleeveless dresses. If not, a short or 3/4 length sleeve might work better. Have great legs? Try a mini. If not, opt for knee length or longer.

It's not difficult, once you understand what to look for. Try different styles, different fabrics, and different manufacturers to find the looks that are right for you. Once you discover what works and what doesn't, shopping for dresses becomes a whole lot easer.