FashBlog.com

First let me apologize for the delay in the posting of last week’s fashion articles; this site experienced technical difficulties. But all seems well, so let’s continue with our look into some of the newest items…

Now, I have not yet seen these in our stores, but off-the-shoulder mini dresses may be there soon. These, according to at least one fashion magazine, are full-cut to counter balance their shortness. Some have very wide elastic gathering bands at the top; some have very narrow strips, and others don’t go all the way around, but stop at the sleeves. Speaking of which, I rather like the assortment of sleeves: one dress has ¾ length sleeves and one has cap sleeves, while another has puffy, baby-doll dress sleeves which are gathered with tight cuffs. I even see a version with full, flouncy short sleeves that land midway down the upper arm-a good length for anyone. It appears that all of the can be worn on the shoulders as well. But, the question is, how many could wear it? In my opinion, I think an off-the-shoulder top or evening gown can be alluring on a gal with an attractive neck and shoulder area, but the fact remains, not everyone is thus blessed. If a lady feels that her shoulders are already broad, this may not make her feel any more comfortable. Or, if someone is so thin that their shoulder blades protrude, again, this wouldn’t be a good choice. When one has incurred a very obvious case of tan lines from bathing suit straps, this style would easily place the focus on them. So, this neckline has its limitations. That said, if a girl has no such issues, it’s a nice change from the norm, and provides attention without the need to go too bare. Wearing such a dress as it is would offer the ultimate summer cool chic; donning it over shorts or capris would probably not work and take away from the carefree, breezy look such a style attempts to create.

The other look in a recent summer magazine seems like it should have waited for the fall; it’s focused on trapeze blouses and wide-leg pants. Again, in the humble opinion of yours truly, summer should be the time of less material instead of more, but I guess that someone, somewhere, just couldn’t wait. A trapeze blouse is a top that falls below a woman’s hips and is very full throughout the body-but hugs the shoulders. (In other words, it doesn’t fit like an oversized garment or your guy’s extra large t-shirt.) The material, cut with so much draping, falls in overlapping, soft layers, striving for a look of casual comfort with a touch of elegant femininity. Hmmm…I guess I’m not too sure about this right now. I think it’s perfect for many figure flaws, since the bust can be either accented or minimized, and no indentation is visible in the waist/hip areas, but I can’t help but think of maternity wear. If you have been religiously working out and are proud of the results, you probably would not think that this does you much justice, although we all have days when this would be just perfect.

The pants are a different story. Made to be tight throughout the thighs to emphasize their lower width, they seem to give an illusion of long, lean limbs, but the model I see is probably already six feet tall and wearing three inch heels. By the looks of them, the longer the pants are, the more definition between narrow thighs and wider bottoms, but that could mean they end up being longer than you’re comfortable wearing. You need to consider your own proportions; if you don’t have long legs and don’t want to always wear high heels, this style may not flatter-especially if you have no desire to relive the 70’s. However, pairing this style of pant with top does seem to correlate, with so much extra material. If you’re considering a different look for late summer/early fall, you may want to at least try these choice on to see what they offer.

As always, our bodies should be considered before we buy. If we’re objective in front of the store mirror, we’ll probably get a lot more wear from our purchases.