Dress: Elie Tahari via Nordstrom (sold out online but similar and another i’m loving), Shoes: Sam Edelman (old), Bracelets: J.Crew
One of the most challenging pieces of clothing to pull off for pearshapes is the shift dress. Meant to be worn straight up and down with little tapering, this does terrible things for a woman with curves. When I saw this dress on sale at Nordstrom a few weeks back, I decided to venture into the dressing room and try it on. Surprisingly, it fit nearly perfectly right off the rack. The hips of a size 10 fit just a tiny bit snug, and the area around my rip cage only needed to be taken in about an inch on each side. As for the colors and length, I was instantly in love. And that exposed zipper! Favorite.
Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to take pictures of the dress pre-alterations but imagine just a bit of extra room on either side. I also had the detachable belt taken in a few inches. Now, I do have some complaints about this dress. Even though I had it altered to fit my body, it is still a shift dress meaning there is little stretch or give in the thick, stiff fabric. As a result, when I walk the dress rides up just a tad. Also, I am not a huge fan of “racerback” tops and this dress tapers at the top leaving room for exposed bra straps. But, as a sale item and minimal alteration cost (total w/alterations came out to $100), i’m happy with it.
Do you wear shift dresses? Do you have them altered to fit your shape?
