After scouring endless silhouettes, colours, and fabric, we reached out to Nikki
Pennie, celebrity stylist and style council member for David’s Bridal, who told us the shift dress is the ideal frock for ladies of all ages, shapes, and sizes.
“The shift dress is so timeless and classic,” says Pennie, who thinks Jackie Onassis put the style on the map. “If you get the right one it should skim your body and cleverly hide the parts you don’t want to emphasise like the waist, hips or bum. The stiffness doesn’t grab your body the way other styles do.
Instead it gives that slimming, vertical line that elongates any figure and makes you feel comfortable.” Not only is the shift dress universally flattering, Pennie says it is a no-brainer for any occasion. “If you have an office job, it is something you can wear to work with flats and then to a dinner with heels and a jacket. And you can just as easily wear it with girlfriends on a weekend.” We got Pennie’s tips on selecting the best shift dresses and how to style them. Read on to find your perfect match.
Go sleeveless
Pennie says if sleeves don’t have the right fit or are too tight they can draw attention to a problem area, so you are better off baring your arms. “A tank style is the best because you can wear it with a fabulous jacket or cardigan, or a scarf around the shoulders,” she says. “When you go for sleeves, it’s harder to wear a jacket over it and have that option.”
For the most versatile look, stick to neutral solid coluors
Pennie’s favourite shifts are cream for summer, chic navy, or black, which she feels is the most flattering. “It goes with everything; it is timeless and it is something you will have in your wardrobe forever,” says Pennie, who also advises against prints.
Try a textured fabric
“I love lace, and it is not going out of fashion any time soon,” says Pennie. “This lace David’s Bridal shift dress is perfect for summer because you could wear it to a fancy event or to lunch with your girlfriend with flats.”
Lace works on all body types
This dress goes up to size 3XL and is very flattering.
Get any fabric but silk
“If you are tall and thin it is perfect, but if you have a curvy figure it shows all your lumps and bumps and it is not the right texture to flatter your figure,” she says. Either way, she feels shifts should have a certain stiffness that silk just won’t provide.
Try a lower neckline
“Showing the décolletage is one of the most elegant things on a woman,” says Pennie. “ I think it is a sin to hide that!” She says a high neckline is not attractive and can even make you look neck-less, so scoop necks and V-necks are best. “If you have larger breasts the V-neck is incredibly flattering as long as it is not too deep. If you have some cleavage it is nice to show a little bit.”
If you’re petite, show some leg
“A shift is not too tight and it won’t float up, so you can go for a shorter length-quite a bit above the knee. A longer length will drown you.”
If you’re tall, any hemline will do
Pennie does love the midi length, though. “This fall season there’s a new longer length we are seeing a lot that hits between the knee and ankle. It’s elegant and chic
Source: Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment