Stuff We Love: Summer of Dresses
A style challenge women of any size can take on
I used to love wearing strappy summer dresses, with sorbet-colored skirts swaying just so as I walked. Once I’d gained enough weight to make thigh rub an issue, dresses gradually fell from my wardrobe, supplanted by Capri pants and Bermuda shorts. Add to it the belly I gained and never got around to losing after having three kids, and I sort of forgot how to wear dresses and had no idea what styles fit my new shape.
A year after co-founding FGG, I know better. I can still wear cute dresses, and thankfully, more styles seem to be available in plus sizes these days. A bit of research rendered thigh rub a moot issue, and I learned to look beyond my old standby dress styles and experiment with styles that could accommodate more fullness in the belly and chest areas without making me look pregnant (notes to self: no more Empire waists! A-lines are your friend!).
With this dress-friendly motivation in place, I was excited to discover A Summer of Dresses, an idea that’s as simple as it is clever: wear more dresses this summer, and post photos of yourself to the site. Anyone can participate (here’s how). That’s it. What’s not to love about this idea?
If you need inspiration, check out these plus-sized Etsy shops or these ideas for sundresses for busty girls (we’ll post our reader question on sundresses for less busty girls soon, too). I keep hearing great things about Old Navy’s plus-sized dresses, which are only available online, however. No excuses, girls! I’ll participate if you do; I already know which dress I’m going to wear.
Tell us, girls: do you wear summer dresses? Why–or why not? What’s your favorite style for your body type, or where do you find the best deals?
Love these dresses ladies. I would recommend Monif C., my favorite place to get dresses online (or anywhere for that matter)!
I’ve fallen in love with eshakti.com. Custom made, gorgeous dresses for inexpensive prices.
A regular drool stop on my daily internet purusal.
Lilly,
What about wearing a strappy tank top under a wrap dress? I’ve done that and it looks cute – or you can have a piece of fabric sewn at the gap to keep yourself appropriately, uh, confined. If extra fabric under a wrap dress feels at all bulky to you (and that can depend on the dress), you can also have a snap sewn in; I’ve done that, too. I have the opposite problem; B-cups vs. wrap dresses/tops designed for fuller cup sizes.
Avoid the Empire waistline if you’re at all concerned about looking pregnant. Look for A-line cuts. Experiment. Try an Etsy designer who makes dresses you think might look good and see if they can work with your custom measurements and concerns. And it might be worthwhile to check out the bike shorts suggested by gwen in comments here; maybe that seller can come up with a fabric that will work for you under dresses/skirts.
I really think when our body shapes don’t fit the norm sold off the rack, a custom-made dress/skirt/suit can make all the difference. Sure, it costs more but if it fits perfectly, it’s worth it for occasions when we need to dazzle.
Good luck; I know how frustrating this can be. Let us know if you find anything that works.
In my younger & slimmer days I wore the heck out of dresses. But now? I just feel pregnant. I’ve got the belly that, in profile, sticks out (both above AND below the waist) as far as my boobs. Combine that with the sort of fabric that works best with undershorts/shapewear, and it never looked good. It clung to the tummy. If I get the more roll-skimming cotton, then it clings and sticks to no matter what fabric of shapewear I have underneath. I then end up having to yank down the dress/skirt constantly, because it’s bunching up and riding up in the front.
One style I’d always been told is “great for plus size women” is the wrap-style. Faux or real, I have the same problem – it actually exposes *too much* cleavage to the point where even I feel a little pornographic. That mostly happens when sitting, and the weight of the fabric isn’t keeping it closed enough.
I long for the day when I can wear a skirt or dress without the need for shorts, but none of the thigh-rub issues keep me from getting sweaty which adds to the chafing. I think that even in high school when I was a mere 130, I had the shape of thighs that necessitated the undershorts thing. Sad, really.
I am a huge fan of skirts and dresses (summer, fall, winter and spring).
On another plus-oriented blog I read (Miss Amelia’s Good Stuff Only) she mentioned a roommate who makes super comfy and cute bike shorts, now available on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/50697447/bike-shorts-all-sizes-made-to-order .
I ordered two pairs of these ($25 each) which came 1+ week ago and I love the lace trim: it has a fun retro feel, and it has a bit of va va voom if it peeks out from under your skirt. Also, this is not “shapewear” in the slightest: it has perfect stretch and is totally non-binding with a great fold-able waistband. I never got the “fun light-weight summer dress” with skin-tight pinching shapewear underneath thing.