Fall Fashion Preview: Ladylike Dresses with Sleeves and Belts

Ever since I was a little girl, I've been crazy for dresses with sleeves and belts. So I was WOWed by the classic pre-fall frocks I just saw on neimanmarcus.com...

Whether you have a Gucci budget and shop at Neiman Marcus in Short Hills, or prefer to bargain hunt at Marshall’s, every girl’s closet would benefit from a couple of timeless autumn dresses.

Here are some of the basic design elements to look for this season …

1. Sleeves. For some reason, it can be really difficult to find dresses with sleeves. I look all the time. Sure, I like to be sans sleeves in summer, but I find it disappointing to view rack after rack of sleeveless dresses in fall and winter. Happily, we’re seeing more long sleeves, dolman sleeves, puff sleeves and cap sleeves on the horizon.

2. Belts. Whenever I find a cute dress with a belt (and especially if it has sleeves), I grab it. Sometimes the self-belt is adorable and you’re good to go. Other times, the dress can really be enhanced if you ditch the self-belt and add your own fun belt. Either way, the silhouette of a cinched waist is a fabulous, polished look.

3. Longer Skirts. People always ask me about the "right" skirt length. Go on any haute-couture site like neimanmarcus.com and you’ll find on-trend skirt lengths that run the gamut. So your best bet is to try on a lot of dresses and decide which skirt length is most flattering to your height and shape. I plan to wear a little longer hem this fall, showing less knee than I did last year.

You’ll find that some fall dresses work well with no hosiery (September-ish) or with lightweight tights as you enter October. As the temps drop, you’ll want to wear heavier hosiery, as long as your legwear doesn’t appear to be too heavy for the fabrication of your dress. For example, a silky dress looks better with no hosiery or lightweight silky hosiery, but not a thicker tight.

Style questions? Ask me any time at [email protected]

 

 

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