What to Consider When Choosing a Cocktail Dress for a Special Occasion

The fashion for cocktail dresses originated in the 20s of the last century. During the prohibition in the USA, all women wore them - cocktail dresses allowed them to quickly leave a forbidden party, unlike lush and long dresses. However, this name for the dress began to be used only in the 40s.

Models and styles

The main characteristics of the dress are short length, open arms and décolleté. Knee-length items are used for events from 5 to 7 p.m.

Later meetings require women to wear longer versions of the dress. As for the selection of the model and cut of the dress, it is worth relying on the girl's figure indicators and the theme of the meeting.

The most popular and win-win in the fashion world is the little black dress in the style of Coco Chanel. This evening garment should be special and emphasize all the advantages of a woman's figure depending on the following factors:

1. A cocktail dress for graduation is not chosen to be strict, but brighter. It should be a product made of light materials with the use of trim. It is possible to use prints, large accessories;
2. There is an unspoken rule about the length of maternity cocktail dresses. It should be below the knee or a few centimeters above. Short miniskirts look vulgar on a pregnant woman;
3. Form-fitting styles allow you to emphasize your figure and make your image seductive. Often, such products have deep cutouts on the chest area or transparent inserts along the waistline;
4. Straight cut suits the maximum number of women. It hides unevenness in the waist and hips. But you need to be careful when combining it with other things - it is easy to turn the figure into a rectangle;
5. A bustier dress gives you the opportunity to highlight your chest and legs. The model can be either fitted or with a full skirt. Mini, midi, and maxi lengths are popular, since the main accent is the top of the outfit;
6. Cocktail dresses with a fluffy skirt are popular in the last season. They add playfulness and festivity to the image. You should not wear such an outfit in everyday life. It is more suitable for special events. It is not recommended to use maxi length - mini and midi dresses are considered fashionable;
7. The use of asymmetry favorably emphasizes the girl's figure. Most often, attention is drawn to the chest and legs. In the first case, a strap is made on one shoulder. And in the second, the legs are highlighted by cutting the length of the skirt in the front and leaving a long train in the back. Sometimes a wrap skirt is used, in which one part is longer than the other;
8. Lingerie style has been very popular in recent years. Dresses of different lengths and textures are worn by all Hollywood stars. Velvet, silk, lace are essential attributes of a proper cocktail shirt dress. This fashion has returned from the 90s. Even Princess Diana wore a dress in this style.

Popular fabrics

The material for the product should be chosen based on its purpose. After all, for different events there are both dress code conditions and ease of use. Summer and light cocktail dresses are sewn from fabrics such as:

• Velvet - ideal for wrap-around, fitted or lingerie styles;
• Silk is the easiest material to create a fluffy midi skirt from;
• Atlas is practical to use and allows you to create a chic look.

These three material options are the most common on the market. But you need to consider the event for which you are choosing the outfit.

If a girl is going to a party, it is worth giving preference to light and airy fabrics. Silk or satin are not quite suitable for these purposes - with a lot of movement, you quickly sweat in them. Therefore, a chiffon dress is better suited for parties.

This material can create an airy look and protect against high temperatures. Because it is difficult to form a product from it, you should pay attention to the seams. Such dresses often have defects.

At the same time, cocktail dresses with lace look good only in combination with dense fabrics. The ideal option is to sew a silk product with such drapery. You can complement the simplicity of silk, satin outfits with rhinestones, sequins and appliques. But you need to consider the texture of these materials. They are shiny in themselves, so you need to carefully introduce other similar details.

A dress made entirely of lace has its place. But here it is necessary to combine guipure with tulle, translucent nets. This will diversify the overall appearance of the product. Open areas are usually located in the chest area - the front of the dress is made semi-transparent with lace inclusions.

Expensive fabrics such as silk and satin are used mainly by luxury designers. Middle and economy market items are typically made of cheaper materials. Cotton is the main material used to create such items. It is better not to choose synthetics, as they do not allow the skin to breathe, and the dress wears out faster in such conditions.

Combination occurs within the framework of combining dense materials with solid finishing. Light fabrics should be draped with simple details. If you violate this rule, then there will be no agreement between the textures of the thing. Then the whole image becomes illogical.

Drawings and prints

Trends in the fashion world indicate the growing popularity of printomania. Drawings, logos - all this can completely fill the space of the product. The most striking are cocktail dresses with long skirts from Dolce&Gabbana. The central figure here is the "Majolica" print.

Bright patterns are placed on a white background - yellow, blue, sky blue, green, red colors, shades. Abstraction of the patterns is the main requirement. Last season, fashion designers used floral prints. Large flowers, placed both throughout the dress and separately depending on its parts, remain relevant. To outline the figure, a medium print is used, which moves from the top of the dress and dissipates to the middle of the skirt. Large flowers should be placed at the top of the skirt - from the waist to the middle of the length. The hem of the product is often decorated with a pattern.

Evening cocktail dresses from Valentino feature prints of predatory animals. This trend is also relevant, but looks best on straight or fitted dresses. Zebra and polka dots remain fashionable, complemented by sleeves with frills at the bottom or on the shoulders.

For those who love tweed prints, it is worth paying attention to the new autumn-winter collection of Chanel. The design house suggests wearing cocktail dresses with such patterns and in combination with their signature jackets. The style of almost all models is straight. To emphasize the waist, you can use a belt or a strap.

The Louis Vuitton fashion house stood out among all designers with its monochromatic outfits. They have only two models with prints. The most relevant for the season is the “glen check” pattern. It is also called “Prince of Wales” - these are diamonds or squares placed around the perimeter in a checkerboard pattern.

In Balmain collections, dresses with a chevron print take precedence. It has the appearance of a zigzag of varying thickness and color. Due to this, a cocktail dress “stretches” a girl’s figure, emphasizing the chest, hips, and waist. All items are fitted in their style — otherwise, it is impossible to follow the behavior of the print. Alexander Wang chooses maximum sexuality for his dresses. Therefore, among his cocktail dresses, you can find tweed and floral prints. All styles are either fitted or completely hug the body.

Stylish color solutions

The color range for cocktail dresses is not limited and depends on the mood of the girl, the location of the party, its theme. The following colors and shades are considered the most popular:

1. White cocktail dresses are the easiest to accessorize with - almost anything will suit them. This item should be worn for early evening meetings. For later outings, this color looks ridiculous. Additionally, they are decorated with shiny stones and trimmed with lace. A pleated skirt adds luxury;
2. Events in which red cocktail dresses can participate are varied. Due to the product in such a range, it is possible to create a bright and unique look. But you need to be careful - since it is this color and its derivative shades that attract attention;
3. A black cocktail dress is considered a classic for any occasion. This is a standard option that is used for different events and body types. At the same time, it should be played up correctly with accessories - silver jewelry, flowing shawls and capes;

There are several other color schemes that can be used:

• Beige - emphasizes the elegance of the dress and figure. At the same time, it is very easy to play with color due to accessories - it is complemented by both monochromatic and bright details.
• Emerald - it is best to use this color option with guipure. Then the dress becomes more voluminous, and its color - saturated.
• Blue - it is worth choosing those shades that are close to dark, cold. They will emphasize the business focus of the event.

You should not avoid multi-colored items - prints and patterns can make the item more unusual. Although it is quite difficult to combine the item with other items. You need to correctly place color accents - due to the active coloring of the dress, neutral jewelry will suit it. The overall appearance of the image requires thinking through such a moment as the combination of colors. The following standards are determined by a number of factors:

• Jewelry in the form of bracelets and chains should have a silver or gold undertone;
• Shoes should be light - sandals or pumps in a neutral shade;
• The bag is selected to match the color of the jewelry or some details of the dress.

Within this framework, the style of an image using a cocktail dress is created. It is better to organize color accompaniment depending on the ability to combine.

Forming a complete image for a girl takes a lot of time. For a social evening out, a cocktail dress is supposed to be chosen. Colors, fabric, prints and appliqués depend on several factors. You need to know them to create the right design. The body type is also taken into account - it is necessary to combine the format of the outfit and fashion trends. After all, designers in the last season use several types of cut and prints in their collections.

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