Even the most die-hard trouser wearers would be forgiven to switching their allegiance to dresses this season. With such a selection of styles, lengths and flattering prints and cuts, there is a perfect dress for every figure.
Women's fashion 2008 is undoubtedly the year of the dress. From mini to maxi, trapeze to tunic, shift to smock. According to Karen Homer in her book Things a Woman Should Know About Style, “the perfect dress is the spin-doctor of fashion. There is no body shape that doesn’t benefit from the right dress."
If you never usually wear a dress, but want to metamorphose into a lady, try one on and see. The perfect dress should not hang on the body but follow its lines; often it's the simplest and least attractive dress on the hanger that is transformed once you put it on.
Says Homer, "good dresses tend to look nothing special on the hanger but look fantastic on." A dress that looks amazing on the rail is unlikely to look so flattering on your body — due to the simple fact that most women (unless you are a size zero) are not shaped like dress-hangers.
The tunic dress is a case in point. It can look lifeless on the rail but is one of the most flattering cuts, if you get it right.
Designer Tunic Dresses
In the world of women's fashion, diaphanous smock dresses have given way to tunic dresses this season, with some of the best currently highlighted on Net-A-Porter.com. In their weekly Fashion News magazine, 18th June edition, they feature “5 of the Best Tunic Dresses,” which includes one of Phillip Lim’s trademark tunics and an on-trend tribal print by Matthew Williamson. Something more summery is the Geo Clover tunic dress from Marc Jacobs; both Willamson and Jacob’s tunics are currently featured in the Net-A-Porter designer sale. Go Grecian with Vera Wang’s chic black embellished drape tunic or opt for a classic LBD (little black dress) with Rachel Roy’s Raz, also in Net-A-Porter's summer sale.
High Street Labels
Get designer looks for less with high-street labels such as Kate Moss at Top Shop’s embroidered white tunic dress or the similarly-styled sash-waisted tunic dress from Gap. Online retailer Asos has a wide range of options from long-sleeved to sleeveless and raunchy to refined. From on-trend ombré dip-dye to metallics or sun dresses with tribal or large floral prints, the traditional tunic dress has come of age, with its many faces. Asos features a demure lace tunic dress in the style of Lindsay Lohan (£14) or a Lohan inspired La Rok hi-shine metallic tunic (£65), perfect for a night out on the dance floor.
How to Wear a Tunic Dress
Tunic dresses are appealing as they are cool and comfortable for summer. They have an easy-to-wear shape and once you find the right backdrop you can team them with flats (for a cute little-girl-next-door-look) or sky-high stilettos or hefty heels to give you height and sophistication. To change the look of a tunic dress completely, add a wide belt to cinch in the waist.
Hot summer colors include fuschia pinks, purple hues, sunshine yellows, all shades of green, and versatile monochromes. Go for monochrome or a single block color which is not likely to date if you want to add a classic piece to your wardrobe, as tunic dresses never really go our of style. You can always throw it over leggings or pants for a more casual or edgy look.
