Dos And Don'ts For Dresses

What are the do's and don'ts of sundresses?

Sundresses are great because they can be worn in so many ways, and there are so many varieties of them. My favorite particular sundresses are certainly the ones that are more fitted, sort of that 50's housewife, really hourglass looking fitted, sort of a cap sleeve, pencil lined to the bottom, comes just at the knee. It's a really sexy look, think Elizabeth Taylor, think Sophia Loren. That kind of look is great for a sundress. It's even great when it's a bit flirty, it might be belted at the waist and kind of come out in a circle skirt type look. Great cottons and prints and dainty and girly. Sundresses can really work. You also have the sundress that is sort of the camisole top with the long flowing bottom. Those are as casual as you can get so you want to keep those to just summer. If you're wearing a cover, your bathing suit cover as a sundress that is a definite don't. You don't want anything that's too short that shows off anything that would be inappropriate and spend a little money on them and tailor them.

What are the do's and don'ts of cocktail dresses?

Of course the most infamous cocktail dress is the little black dress which is also known as the LVD. This was brought to us by Coco Channel back in the day. She said "I'm going to put everyone is black dresses and then everyone will be sheik". So it really started as the essence of sheikness. So in a cocktail dress you want something that is fitted really dressy and fun, yet elegant, sheik and sexy. This is great for a black dress. Also for cocktail hour, let's say, wear something with a pop of color. So maybe you have the red cocktail dress. Maybe you have something with animal print, because animal print is sort of the new black now. Don't be afraid to really play with color but what you don't want to do is have something that has sequins in it or something that has appliqué on it or just don't take the cocktail dress that has, you can work with print, but don't make it a print that is a tiger going up the front. So just stick to something that is simple, sweet, stylish, sheik, and stay away from gaudy, charactery, and costumey factors. Those are bad on the cocktail dress.

What are the do's and don'ts of wrap dresses?

Wrap dresses are great. They're really the best dress available. They were introduced to us in the 70's by Diane von Furstenberg, who wanted to make a dress that a woman could throw on, feel sexy, comfortable in, look great on all women, shapes and sizes, and one that can travel easily. It's usually made of a jersey knit or a cotton knit. What it does is it ties at the side and brings in the silhouette so that your waist looks tiny, your tummy is flattered, your hips are minimized and the top is minimized, usually with a three-quarter sleeve. The don'ts of a wrap dress are that you want to be careful that it doesn't open up too much at the top. You may want to wear a tank top underneath, or just a thin camisole to prevent too much cleave from happening up top. But, more or less, you can't really have a don't on a wrap dress.

What are the do's and don'ts of strapless dresses?

So when you're rocking the strapless dress you want to keep in mind that the silhouette fits well on you. A strapless dress, I believe should really accentuate a women's curves, it should be high enough so that there's no overspill, it should come in at the waist and I always like a little bit of a, I don't want to say so much a pencil skirt but a pencil skirt with give, so it really gives you that nice hourglass womanly figure. A don't is when you wear them too tight or low that you have all this spillage coming out in the back, in the front, on the sides, under your arms. It's unattractive, it's uncomfortable. I think that if we're talking fruit terminology a pear shaped woman can probably pull off a strapless dress whereas an apple shaped woman who might be a bit rounder in the middle, doesn't always, it's not the most flattering look for that style of body. So stick to a good strapless bra and a good pair of spanx and a strapless bra I think can be your friend.

The shirt dress-a do or a don't?

I love shirt dresses. I think shirt dresses are really appropriate for the office, or for the yacht club, throwing a sweater over it. You know, they're really fun for a casual office look. They're great with flats. They're great with pearls. I think that they're almost like a signature of a smart women. You see somebody like Ingrid Burghman wearing one, or something. Shirt dresses I like. Shirt dresses are sort of a modern take on a vintage look.

The mini-dress-a do or a don't?

Mini-dresses are something that, if you're wearing something so short, you need to be careful if it's age appropriate or not. Mini-dresses can work. It can be a do when it is well-fitted to your shape and it's appropriate to your age, but you can also work it by pairing it maybe with a black legging with a black shoe, so that the silhouette is long and lean and monotone and yet looks age appropriate. You want to be careful that it's age appropriate and that there are no assets showing.

The off-the-shoulder dress-a do or a don't?

The off-the-shoulder dress I really feel is a trend. So if you want to wear it as a trendy seasonal piece keep it to just like a one-off, wear it and get rid of it. I don't think it's something that should stay in one's closet. It could look beautiful but it's not going to be an everyday mainstay piece in your wardrobe so stay away from it if it's not something you're going to wear often.

Dresses with collars-a do or a don't?

Alright so, collars on dresses you should probably stay away from if you are over the age of seven. They are not so cute when they have that Peter-Pan collar. It definitely extenuates a part of the body. It's not a sexy look, I don't think, it's more of a let's dress up our doll look.