Diane von Furstenberg Wrap Dress advice

[miaou]

Hello!

I just got a job promotion and decided to treat myself to a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress. The problem is, I'm a petite (as in short, not as in size 0) asian girl and the dresses I've tried seem to fit me poorly. I've tried sizes 2 and 4, and they seem too big. The v-neck goes really low and shows a bit more cleavage than i'd like...even if I wrap the dress around really tight, it's still a problem. (Mind you, I want to wear this dress to work!) The length of the dress is also too long, but I think this can be fixed through alteration. When I try these dresses on I feel like a little girl trying on her mom's dresses. Everything's just too *big*.

Any advice? Or perhaps maybe there's another brand that has a good quality (preferably silk) wrap dress out there that is better suited to petite bodies?

Thanks!

 

[Meg]

hey miaou,

I have the exact same issue with wrap dresses. They are supposed to flatter curves (which I have) and I always find on dvf dresses (and other cheap versions) that the neck comes down way to low. I'm 5'2/5'3 and never thought it was a height issue but maybe it is. No words of advice other than keep searching!

 

[Alliecat]

Being petite (short not small) myself that main concern I would have is where is the waist? To prevent too much clevage showing you can always wear a silk cami but if the waist is to low (same for the darting) then it wont hang well.

Just did a search and came up with this site with comparisons - there are wrap dresses here (what about a shirt dress?) and def some with petite.

http://www.dealtime.com/xDN-Clothing--ap_gender_age_women-dresses-ap_material_silk~V-rows~PG-4

When you tried on the DVF did you ask them if they had petite sizes - probably a silly question...

Good luck

 

[swingkat]

Hi!

I'm also in the 5'2 range and I have the same problem with wrap dresses and cleavage. I did manage to find a wrap dress that worked in a brand called Jackpot, but I did buy it size 4 which is one size bigger than my usual one. I do think though that the suggestion someone else posted about wearing a cami underneath, if you find a dress you really like and the only problem you have with it is the cleavage .

 

[miaou]

Being petite (short not small) myself that main concern I would have is where is the waist? To prevent too much clevage showing you can always wear a silk cami but if the waist is to low (same for the darting) then it wont hang well.

You're exactly right...I have a short waist and this dress is obviously fitted to the long lanky types. Because of this, it looks like the dress doesn't hang well on my body. Despite all this I still want one!

I was at Bloomingdale's and there weren't any petite sizes there...I looked on the DVF website and there were no petite sizes offered. I guess I could give a call to the flagship store here in NYC and ask what they suggest. I'm sure they've dealt with this kind of problem before...

It's kind of funny how everyone lauds this dress to be universally flattering...maybe for everyone else except petites!

 

[iLoveCouture]

I am wearing one at work right now What I do to prevent too much cleavage is layer a cami underneath. You can also put a jacket on top. I have seen these dresses go down to a size 0 (I saw one last week at Neimans). If you are very petite, you can always get the hem taken up.

 

[Meg]

hmm it's interesting to hear the height thing. The thing is I am far off a size 0 or 2 so that probably exacerbates the cleavage issue.

 

[Alliecat]

I was at Bloomingdale's and there weren't any petite sizes there...I looked on the DVF website and there were no petite sizes offered. I guess I could give a call to the flagship store here in NYC and ask what they suggest. I'm sure they've dealt with this kind of problem before...

yeah - I was looking at the DVF website - there isnt really that much there - but yes the flagship in NYC should be able to help.

It's kind of funny how everyone lauds this dress to be universally flattering...maybe for everyone else except petites!

I've found some great wraps - but most of mine are in jersey so the seem to drape better. Silk can be fab but can also be awful, esp if it doesnt fit exactly.

Shop around and see what 'tickles your fancy' so to speak. There is bound to be 'the' dress just waiting for you to find it - if you have the time after your extra work from your promotion. - Congrats on the promotion

 

[Meg]

Everyone does say that jersey wrapdresses are great on curves but seriously, the things make me look horrible. Because jersey is so 'drapey' it just shows everything negative about my body!

On the subject of the wrap dresses, I love the avocado wrap dress (which I think is made out of cotton? Much nicer on my frame) and I saw it in a shop in my area so I'll have to go and check it out this weekend and try and work on this cleavage issue more.

 

[Alliecat]

ooh, cotton wrap - that could be interesting. Immediately I think of a shirtdress when I think of cotton - praps cause it's more structured...

Yeah - jersey does show alot - best way to get around that is a slip. Also gets around the whole clevage thing as well.

 

[shedonnia]

I have several Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses and simply love them. Most of my dresses are silk jersey. However, I have a black DVF wrap jersey dress that isn't silk. These are classic pieces and should be part of every woman's wardrobe. I believe they are well worth the investment. They are beautiful and timeless.

 

[voodoo_mary]

Meg, Alliedcat- yes, the thing about wrap dresses is that they completely follow the lines/shape of your body. so if u have a boyish figure (like me) u look narrow and thin. if u have a pear-shaped figure, u looke pear shaped. there is no cheating or faking it when u wear a wrap dress; especially a DVF wrap dress. this i've learned.. i have ajersey knit one that is so pretty and the material is so gd that even my 50 plus year old mother covets it and wants one too! the fabric is key as it drapes and nicely. i also have a black eyelet cotton one that is more A-line and doesnt make me look tooo skinny.


and i also feel that wrap dresses are not suited for the short-waisted figures. usually, the straps are placed high on the waist, and this makes short-
waisted people look even more short-waisted!

 

[isntonthelabel]

hey, you guys, i'm having a wraparound dress problem (not sure if this belongs here, but you guys are all so nice that i might as well ask )
this weekend i'm having a party for my 18th, and i have a grey long sleeved wrap around dress that looks a bit like this...

the only problem is that i have NO IDEA what kind of shoes to wear with it! black heels look ugly, my flats are too bright and since i'm wearing copperish earrings i kind of need my shoes to be classy-ish...any ideas?
Also, it's really cold at the moment but all my jackets look a bit silly. Again, any ideas? maybe i'll just have to freeze...

yeah, i'm short and i have the cleavage problem too, but since it's not TERRIBLE (unless i move, ahha) i think i'm just going to get my boyfriend to tell me when it's out of hand

thank you guys soo much

 

[writergal28]

Re: petite issues...I think a lot of non-petite people don't realize that hemming doesn't always "make things fit." For a dress like the one mentioned in this thread, showing a lot of umm "boobage" is an issue. The industry must understand that when you're shaped like Eva Longoria, you need proportionate clothing, not altered clothing that was chopped off from the bottom or from the sleeves!

 

[lanarama]

I know this thread has been dead for a while, but I just wanted to add a note about a great wrap dress I found for petites... This is topic dear to my heart because I too suffered the over-cleavage issue when I tried to reward myself with a DVF a few years ago.
I stole this dress from my mom's closet. On the hanger (and on the dummy here) it looks a bit old ladyish, but on me, it looks great. It definitely defies the odds and solves the cleavage problem and the wrap hits high, but in such a way that create a flattering almost empire waist effect. The ruffles at the bottom of the skirt cause it hang close to the body at the bottom for a slimming, sexy slightly mermaidish effect (if you can imagine that) that has a vintage look.

Anyway it's on sale right now at lizclaibourne.com. I know it's not very trendy (and the print really isn't, either, but colors did evoke this summer's french nautical thing), but it's a good classic. I manage to accessory it well.

 

[justlooking]

the thing about wrap dresses is that they completely follow the lines/shape of your body. so if u have a boyish figure (like me) u look narrow and thin. if u have a pear-shaped figure, u looke pear shaped. there is no cheating or faking it when u wear a wrap dress; especially a DVF wrap dress.

I've never gone near a wrap dress because i would assume the above to be true. As said before, why is this supposedly the most flattering dress-style??? FASHION MYTH EXPOSED !!! ....

 

[fiatflux]

I am 5ft 8.5in and I just tried on a DVF wrap dress and it looked horrid on me. I am top-heavy, and I guess my figure type is a no-no for this dress. Waaay too much cleavage!!! I was so disappointed - I ordered it from the flaship store and received it this morning, but it's going straight back.

 

[oliviajames]

I am wearing one of them at work right now What I do to prevent too much cleavage is layer a cami underneath. You can also put a jacket on top. I have seen these dresses go down to a size 0 (I saw one last week at Neimans). If you are very petite, you can always get the hem taken up.