Long Dresses S/S 07

[saann]

asos.com

 

[John_M.]

Well, I haven't seen many ladies don long dresses. I'd define long as below the knees. There are still a few fashion pieces that may not be worn by many ladies today, but not completely dead in my mind. I'm thinking of very long denim trumpet skirts (skirts that flare out around the knees) in regards to long dresses. When I think of long dresses, I think of dresses that extend down to the ankles. But the ones I'm thinking of are probably "so '90s" as ladies would say. Purdles has shown why long dresses can still be stylish even if not many ladies are dressed up in them (or at least very long jumpers. Jumpers have basically given way to long tunics). Some long dresses are kind of like more of those social dresses or more formal-type outfits.

But in regards of if they are "in," I agree with the one who said, "who cares if they are in? Just wear whatever you like." Going with long dresses mean you'll have to find some nice footwear to go with them. I think you can go with sandals, pumps, or some sneakers. Long sundresses usually look great with either pumps or airy sandals. I'd probably go with some wedge or platform wedge sandals if this is what you'd like to wear. More casual dresses can also look great with espadrilles. Peep-toe espadrilles have been popular as of late. It's your call whether or not you want to give a little peek of your cute feet with proper espadrilles. As far as sneakers go, definitely reserve them for more casual dresses. I think the balance is completely broken when pairing a flirty or lovely long dress... with a pair of Pumas or any of those Vans-style slip-on sneakers (definitely avoid pairing those with long dresses in my view). There are some sneaker-like shoes that you can kind of wear with long dresses to "cheat" a sneaker look. The first are by wearing some of those skimmers. Most skimmers I've seen on ladies look more like sneakers, but probably feel as comfortable as ballet flats. The second is by wearing some Skechers sandals that have a sneaker/athletic appearance. I've always sort of admired Skechers for unique women's casual shoes and sandals. Here are some sneaker-like sandals I like from them that may look great with long dresses:

--- Skechers' Energy Series ---
* http://www.amazon.com/Skechers-Ener...e=UTF8&m=A2H2AYTJFCST9E&qid=1180596543&sr=1-6 (Energy - Multilane)
* http://www.amazon.com/Skechers-Wome...e=UTF8&m=A2H2AYTJFCST9E&qid=1180596543&sr=1-6 (Energy - Spiderweb)

There are probably a few more that would work. Just not a lot for me to share at this time. I'd probably understand the look better if I were a lady. But definitely go ahead with long dresses. Oh, and a plus to wearing long dresses... you're not required to wear leggings underneath like so many miniskirt types do. Maybe I'll provide more insight in a future post.

 

[saann]

agree on most of the stuff you said but sorry I think those shoes are horrible

 

[SwanDiamondRose]

i like longdresses. and yes with a slimmer silhouette. and either romantic like the jovovich-hawk dress or something more minimalist. in day to day life, where i live, i wouldn't be comfortable in one.

 

[The_Ida]

Where would one wear a long dress? I don't get it, it's so impractical. I think they are very pretty, but also very unwearable.

 

[snowqueen]

^^ casual everyday wear with flat sandels works well .. :Flower:

 

[John_M.]

As I mentioned before, I'd probably understand and appreciate dresses a bit more if I were a lady. I do have an active interest in women's fashion nonetheless. Saann has shown off some beautiful dresses in Post #61. Some of the dresses brought up in this thread represent lovely styles. Maybe even styles that would be beautiful even to wear at the office. Long nowadays means "just below the knees." Or at least that's been the style. I don't know if more choose to wear free-hanging garments (like skirts and dresses) just below the knees rather than wear skirts and dresses going to the ankles or even the feet. I've known a lady at my community college who wore this long denim trumpet skirt that went all the way to the floor. It wasn't enough to make her trip or anything. It probably wasn't a problem since she usually wears flip-flop sandals (which I don't have a problem with at all). I've known a number of ladies who'll wear a long skirt whether it's mid-calf or to (and even below) the ankles. So here's my thing. These long dresses shown in these pictures look wonderful. Question is, are there going to be ladies who'll be convinced about their beauty so that such ladies could trade their shorter dresses and skirts or something like in these pictures? Or are dresses like these are mostly last-decade material and not "in?"

A lot of you ladies have provided commentary. How do YOU feel about if there's enough to actually create some sort of long dress trend?

 

[melrose_place]

i love maxi dresses! pics from jcrew.com

 

[John_M.]

Beautiful dress pictures, melrose_place. About as beautiful as San Francisco. The white one seems like a wedding dress. I think the top picture you posted would be a dress I'd wear if I were a lady. I would even wear the dress in the third picture if I were a lady. My only thing is if it's possible long dresses could become trendy among people in my age demographic (18 to 25). I seen about four older ladies wearing these nice casual long dresses when I was at a Wal-Mart store this past Saturday. I really wish this could catch on with younger audiences as much as they are stylish among older women. It's a very wonderful look. Long dresses are just as airy as mid-length skirts. I think this can catch on. It's a dead, but not forgotten style that would be sensational even today.

 

[The_Ida]

^^ casual everyday wear with flat sandels works well .. :Flower:

They are still not very practical. How would one get around? So much fabric

 

[gr77]

I love long dresses.They're very sensual and elegant,I love how they "move" with me as I move.
I work for a clothing export company and our clients our booking some very pretty long dresses, especially empire line like the ones on post #68(I can't wait to get my hands on them!!)

 

[John_M.]

Something I noticed about most of the dresses in Post #68 is that the dresses seem to flare out from the butline. Most sundresses I remember flare out past the waist. The look of these very long dresses make them a bit like very long tunics. Post #61 has some of the more traditional dresses. Note how most of the dresses in Post #61 seem to hug the upper body more than the ones in Post #68. I will grant gr77 that they can be very elegant. These are all great styles that I've seen in this thread. I actually thought about this thread overnight about these dresses not being real practical with all the fabric. I wonder how you'd get around with these longer dresses especially when you have to use the bathroom or walking around on the beach with water washing up on shore or something. Still, most of these dresses look amazing. I'd love to see a lady walk around in a mall or a store with dresses like the ones at least on this page. I think even if the all-white dress in Post #68 was a long skirt, I'd still wear that if I were a lady. It would make a nice long skirt to wear. All I'd need would be some cute shoes if I were a lady.

So here's a question I have... these dresses are quite beautiful. Why hasn't this caught on very much with the fashionistas[I/]?

 

[chel_c]

i actually just got a t-bags print dress, that goes all the way to the floor! its so comffyyy and it fits so beautfullyyyy im just trying to figure out what shoes to wearrr!

 

[vogue_addiction]

i actually just got a t-bags print dress, that goes all the way to the floor! its so comffyyy and it fits so beautfullyyyy im just trying to figure out what shoes to wearrr!

gladiator sandals or other leather sandals (topshop has great ones!) mostly work with dresses like that.

 

[Madhuri]

I noticed a lot of those long printed dresses were sold out on J crews site when I visited a couple of weeks ago.

 

[iLoveCouture]

I love the ones that melrose posted. I live in FL so I love to wear a lot of light flowy dresses b/c it gets so warm. I like them with a cute pair of sandals.

 

[Tiffany7]

I love the J Crew ones!! I saw one at H&M the other day that I kind of liked... its was grey halter style (wasnt so sure about that) but the $49.90 price seemed a bit much... or should I say I didnt like it that much lol.

 

[girleen]

Target Maxis

www.target.com

I just picked up a dress (not this exact one) at Target, and actually they have some cute looks. I am not a fan of the above J. Crew. They look like tents even on a skinny model. If you're gonna do voluminous below the bust, the bust has to rock--major cleavage is the only way offset a tent down below. I like Jovovich-Hawk, but you notice the proportions are more slimming.

 

[larien]

if you cant choose the right accessory with them they looks horrible

 

[CHEAPandCHIC]

You have to have long legs and towering heels to pull it of IMO.