Every season there’s a new and fashionable hero item that dominates. The high-street stores offer 8375 different versions of it. Every second woman you see walking down the street owns it. “Influencers” are posting them all over Instagram. And all of a sudden – bam – you need it like you need that piece of chocolate cake at three pm.
While winter’s ubiquitous item was the white sneaker (preferably Adidas’ Stan Smith version if you could get your hands on a pair), this summer’s key piece is the wrap dress.
It’s floaty and summery and perfectly tightropes that fine balance between casual (yes, you can wear one to the beach) and dressy (yep, it’d be completely at home at your work Christmas party).
Here I am wearing my Auguste The Label wrap dress (you can grab it here for $185). Please note the summery feel, and also the fact that about three minutes after this photo was taken the heavens opened and rain poured down.
The wrap dress involves, well, the ‘wrapping’ of one side of the dress over the other - whether that’s with buttons, the way the fabric falls, a clasp or a tie.
Whatever the variety, the result is always the same: highly flattering. The V-neckline is timeless, it cinches around the waist and it doesn’t cling - making it ideal for sweaty summer days.
US designer Diane von Furstenberg basically invented the dress back in 1974 and it was a revolutionary versatile and comfortable item. Two years later, Von Furstenberg had sold over one million of the dresses.
Our love affair didn’t end there and, as the fashion life cycle is wont to do, the wrap dress is now firmly back on the agenda.
Best of all, you can score it in maxi versions, mini versions, sleeveless versions, long-sleeved varieties, etc, etc.
Here are my favourites, happy shopping!
Boohoo Satin Wrap Maxi Dress, $49.
Image: Boohoo
St Frock Mimosa Wrap Dress, $69.90
Image: St Frock
ASOS Mini Tea Skater Dress With Wrap Front, $43.
Image: ASOS
Forever New Lana Stripe Wrap Dress, $99.99
Country Road Print Wrap Dress, $249
St Frock Bayview Wrap Dress in Red Floral, $59.90
Image: St Frock
Sportsgirl Stripe Wrap Dress, $69.95
Image: Sportsgirl
Feather and Noise Rosy Dress, $89
Image: Feather and Noise
Realisation Par Valentina Dress, $180
Image: Realisation Par
Lioness Keep On Swingin Dress, $89.95
Image: The Iconic.
Featured image: St Frock.
Melbourne Cup style.
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Top Comments
I've always shied away from wrap dresses due to my bust size. I love them and have an average figure except for my bust. I find after a while the wrap unwraps so to speak.
Same. I actually adore the St. Frock dress featured in this post but I'd be falling out of it after not too long.
Annah Stretton a new zealand designer also does wrap dresses - the flipit dress. They are actually two dresses in one because it has different fabric on each side so you can wear it either way.