All Sorts of Dresses

If you want to feel feminine then look no further than a classic wardrobe staple, the dress. Dresses come in all shapes and sizes and help you to feel special, no matter what the occasion.
Flirty floral dresses are perfect for summer days out, maxi dresses are great for sunny beach days and evening dresses make nights more stylish. Maternity dresses help you to look good all the way through your pregnancy.
One of the key ways to find your perfect frock is to dress for your body shape and size. If you don't know how you measure up then have a read through the following and pinpoint your measurements.
Standard height is between 5'3" and 5'10". Petite is any height under 5'3" and tall is anything over 5'10". Fuller dress sizes are anything over, and including, a size 16.
When it comes to body shapes, top-heavy is when your bust measurement is the predominant part of your body because you have a large and curvaceous bust and small hips and/or bottom by comparison.
An apple shape is when you have no waist whereas pear-shaped bodies have large hips and/or bottom with a small top half by comparison.
An hourglass shape is traditionally curvaceous, with large breasts and curvy hips and/or bottom. Slender or athletic body shapes tend to be more straight up and down, often referred to as boyish as well.
The easiest way to balance a bottom-heavy figure is to choose a dress that skims over the lower half of the body. Fuller skirts disguise heavy hips whilst accentuating the waist. A fitted halter-neck or strapless silhouette highlights the upper body and flatters bottom-heavy figures.
If you want to hide your arms, avoid tight fitting tops. Fluttery sleeves are both comfortable and flattering. Long sleeved dresses are also a great option.
You don't need to hide your upper body if you have wide shoulders but can look for body balancing options like an asymmetrical neckline or one-shoulder style. Avoid puffy sleeves or voluminous tops as they exaggerate shoulder width.
A thick waist can be disguised with a drop-waist dress, which hits somewhere around the hipbones. Empire waist dresses are also a good choice. The perfect dress for a smaller frame elongates and flatters. Clean lines and sharp tailoring help you look chic and smart and a shapely dress helps gives you curves and a feminine silhouette. When it comes to the type of dress you have several to choose from. Maxi dresses are great summer options and can be worn shopping or simply when lounging on the beach. A lace dress is ever popular and the classic "little black dress" will stand you in good stead, whatever the season. Knitted dresses are perfect for winter months whereas hotter weather calls for natural materials, such as cotton and silk.