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The Jewish Chronicle

Get in line for a change of a dress

November 19, 2009 11:41
Ruched dress, £39.50, Limited Collection, Marks & Spencer

ByJan Shure, Jan Shure

2 min read

Trousers and their skinny counterparts, leggings, jeggings and treggings, may be in the ascendant on Planet Fashion, but in the real world, the Little Day Dress (or LDD) is what we are all reaching for this autumn if we want to look fabulously pulled together and on-trend.

Retailers across the sector report that dresses are selling well. Fenwick, with stores in W1 and Brent Cross, say dress sales are rising. “It’s still the one-stop answer to simple dressing — perfect for day-to-evening wear, with clever accessories to change the mood.” GIVe, George Davies’s new brand, believes dresses “are a key staple for any woman’s wardrobe this autumn”, while Per Una’s design director, Helen Low, also confirms that “dresses remain key”.

Part of the desirability of an LDD, of course, is the simplicity compared to separates: no first-thing-in-the-morning angst about whether the colours and/or proportions/shape of your top and bottom halves match. You just pull it on and, voila, figure fabulous, because a dress in the right cut for your shape really does do fabulous things for the body.

For really curvy girls, V-necks and wrapover bodices are brilliant, though a fine, plain cami or vest with a bit of stretch beneath a crossover bodice will prevent too much definition, which can otherwise have the opposite effect to the streamlining intended.