90(^) sewmag.co.uk
Looking good doesn’t take as much
effort as you might think... wrap
dresses are a lazy fashionista’s best
friend because you can get dressed
while the kettle boils and still look
drop-dead gorgeous. Frankly, what
more could you want? If your wardrobe
is yet to rock one, this V-neck, curve-
hugging style suits practically every body
type, features flattering sleeves and is
often a demure length. The crossover
bodice is alluring, yet classy enough for
Sunday best – and versatile to boot, as
it’s so easy to accessorise. Best of all,
it’s comfortable to wear.
Historically, women’s clothing has
not been so effortless. A far cry from the
corsets and layers of our not-so-distant
ancestors, this easy on-and-off garment
would have caused outrage in their day...
and it did. British designer Charles
James offered a zipped style in the early
thirties, dubbed the ‘Taxi dress’ because
it could be changed into in the back of a
cab – but it was thought obscene and
didn’t take. During WWII, it was
reimagined in the form of Claire
McCardell’s award-winning popover
dress, used as a bathing suit cover-up,
party dress, and everything in between.
The wrap dress we know and love
today is largely unchanged from the
1974 design by fashion designer Diane
von Fürstenberg, influenced by designer
sportswear, along with the elegant, silky
wrap tops and skirts of ballerinas,
translated into 1970s style – bolder,
brighter, stretchier and more synthetic.
When it comes to stitching your own,
STYLE CLASSICS
start with a basic wrap dress pattern and
play with the neckline plunge and sleeve
style until you’re happy, then use that base
with any knit or jersey fabric that catches
your eye to make a garment that you feel
confident and secure in.
It’s not difficult to see why the humble
jersey garment quickly became a cult item
in more liberal times, with more than five
million selling in the five years after it first
hit the rack. The desirable silhouette (that
remains popular four decades on) became
a symbol of power and independence for
an entire generation of women, opening
the door so the career-driven female could
step into a boardroom feeling respectable,
practical and powerful without
compromising her femininity. Today, its
iconic credentials continue through the
wardrobes of admired figureheads such as
the Duchess of Cambridge and Michelle
Obama. For its designer von Fürstenberg,
it gave financial independence and the
freedom to divorce, then launch a dream
career and secure a Lifetime Achievement
Award from the Council of Fashion
Designers of America.
But why did this one style resonate
so deeply with so many women? Von
Fürstenberg was not an established
designer, but a 26-year-old woman
making clothes to suit her own taste
and lifestyle. This resulted in a garment
combining beauty and practicality in a
way that had been seen only a handful of
times before – think Chanel’s skirt suit –
that empowers women and reminds us
that to be both feminine and strong is
not a contradiction.
sew your own
- Discount cannot be used on any other product. Valid from 19/09/17
to 18/10/17 at sewoverit.co.uk
WRAP DRESS
Words by Emma Thompson
How simple jersey became
the armour of a generation
Ultimate wrap dress,
£8.50 (PDF), £14.50
(paper), sewoverit.co.uk
Grammer grey shoe,
£85, jonesbootmaker.com
Lara wrap dress,
£80, boden.co.uk
Tassle bag,
£37.99,
bonprix.co.uk
Wendi watch,
£50, dunelondon.com
Leisure
Bright blossom
neckerchief, £8,
acessorize.com
Brown shoulder bag,
£25.99,newlook.com
Suede bow
ankle boot,
£65, very.co.uk
Bonny floral cotton spandex
knit, £17.95 per metre,
girlcharlee.com
Beach Blossm Wardour
jersey in pink, £24.95 per
metre, libertylondon.com
Business
25% off *
the ultimate
wrap dress
with code
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StyleClassics wrap dress.indd 1 08/09/2017 14:39