At first glance it might be the ugliest thing you have ever seen, or at least a little outdated, but there’s something hot about the vintage print frock.
A throwback to the forties, it makes one think of war torn times when people kissed randomly in the streets, and that awesome red dress Kate Beckinsale wore in “Pearl Harbor.”
Why like it? Not only is it a great alternative to stripes, it gives your wardrobe a fresh-fun look. Besides that, those patterns are usually used in dresses that are tailored to flatter any body type.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good sheath dress or shirt, but when you have clothes that have a built-in waist, it makes you look like you have, in fact, a waist. The rest of your curves follow suit and show up nicely, but if you don’t have any it creates a nice illusion.
Another great thing about this style: you don’t have to match it with everything; red shoes with a blue dress are great! Red shoes with red dress? Not as great. Contrasting accessories are wonderful, especially metallics.
If you decide to embark on this fashion adventure not just any print will do; have fun with this. Create some contrast with your hair and skin tone. Also, look at your body type. Do you have a full figure? Get a smaller print so that people aren’t fully affronted by the large flowers. If you are petite, maybe try a dress with ruffles.
And for goodness sakes, don’t try a crew neck with this kind of print unless you are going for an Amish, choked by fabric look. Your collar bones are lovely, show them off, and by doing that you will draw attention to your face.
One more thing that we can glean from our ancestors: shoulder pads. This might have you reeling back in horror, but shoulder pads on a good dress can give your body structure.
Clean lines. An hour glass figure. It’s basic science really; if your shoulders are wider, other parts of you look narrow, plus they look sweet in a blazer. Gone are the days when you could only wear dresses to church and when jeans were considered casual. Clothes are meant to be fun, so have fun.
If you are a person who says to yourself “I could never pull that off,” get rid of that idea. Right now. Pulling something off is just a matter of putting something on and going with it.
If you are a male feeling like this is a gender biased column, here is my advice to you. You might be thinking that flower print in a flow-y type Hawaiian shirt might now be acceptable since it’s in for the women folk. No. It’s not.
