My History With Dresses

When I was growing up, it was drilled into us girls that ladies wore dresses.  Not pants!  DRESSES!!!  Well, times have obviously changed in a massively huge way.  Much of it is for the better I believe.  I like wearing pants and leggings and all sorts of other things.  I'm delighted that women in the United States and other forward-thinking countries don't have certain fashion restrictions placed on them by the culture or in the name of religion for the most part.

  So much of what was fashionable back in the day was prim and proper.  Dresses had to be a certain length...always below the knee.  I guess it was a holdover from the more Victorian times.  Conservative was the name of the game in my household, too.  Dresses, at least in my mother's and grandmother's thinking, were not to reveal too much.  It was best to leave 'em guessing or at least a little something to the imagination.  There were not nearly the options of fabric choices and styles for dresses, although many from that era are making their rounds once again.

Additionally, it was not uncommon (as it is today) to have hand-made dresses.  Many women sewed and used patterns or created them on their on for making dresses particularly for their children.  Those skills for the majority of ladies in the US are long gone or at least fading fast.  Buying dresses in the store was a special treat to middle and lower income families.  It just wasn't the norm for the time as mass-production hadn't nearly come into vogue as it has now.

My Best Dresses

Before I share  a few of my favorite, best dresses and why I like them, let me just say a word about why I like dresses today.  First and foremost, dresses, when they're the right style and fit for the individual and the occasion can make a woman look stunning.  In business, dresses have the ability to speak for me before I even open my mouth.  They create an image -- an impression -- that can be very powerful and helpful.

Among my favorite dresses are those made by St. John.  They are wildly expensive.  However, they stand the test of time.  These dresses also travel better than anything else I've found.  I can dress them up or dress them down, too.  There's something amazing about their knit fabric from which they create these dresses.  So, in business and out for a lovely dinner with clients I practically always can be found wearing a St. John knit dress or suit.  It just works for me excellently.

Another of my favorite dresses is a sleek, tightly fitting rayon formal.  It is low cut with spaghetti straps and no back.  It, too, has stood the test of time (better than my physique).  If I'm attending a dinner, I don a throw to cover my shoulders.  Then afterwards, I simply leave that in my chair for dancing or the other festivities.  Of all my dresses, this one does require the proper jewelry and accessories.  But the dress is the basic that allows me to add various wraps to give me a completely different look each time.

My last favorite of dresses is a black Chanel. Enough said!

Shopping for Dresses

With the Internet, finding excellent dresses at reasonable prices has never been easier.  There are all sorts of reputable auction places that you can check out.  This is in addition to all the traditional retailers that are more and more having a viable and pronounced online presence.  The only caution I add here is to make sure you're doing business with reputable establishments that stand behind what they offer.  Fakes and knock-offs are all to prevalent and it is no less so, unfortunately, in dresses particularly designer dresses.  But don't be afraid to save your time and money by shopping around online for ideas and options.

Glamorous Dresses! Spring Fashion 2010

If you're seriously interested in a history and learning more, I suggest you check out Wikipedia's superb article when you click on dresses.