Pinafore Dress

Pinafore Dress

The Evolution of the Dress

From Greek togas to the Chinese qipao, women's dresses owe a lot of their design to multiple cultures.

Women's dresses tended to reflect the values of the day and the roles women were expected to play. If the woman was expected to work hard and get her hands dirty, her dress would be made for it. However, if she were an upper class woman with servants, her clothing would be a lot less practical.

Women's dresses today have stylistic elements from a great many different cultures and time periods, but they all really stem back from the turn of the 20th century in France. A female designer was basically repulsed by the fashion of the day, especially among the fine upper class women. Her dislike for the couture fashion, which hid women under layers upon layers of fabric, embellishments and feathers, drove her to start designing her own clothing. Clean lines, sensible fabrics and fewer layers made some call her fashion sense "masculine", but in reality her clothing made the female body under the clothing visible, which gave her fashion a lot of sex appeal. It wasn't long before her dresses really caught on, and women began embracing the liberation of modern dress design. That designer was Coco Chanel, and her fingerprints are still all over the modern dress industry.

Today there are a variety of women's dress designs to choose from, depending on a woman's style and occasion.

Sheath dresses are a classic design. They are essentially one piece and are fitted, typically hitting above the knee or mid thigh. Cocktail dresses are stylistically similar but tend to have a higher hem. Usually sleeveless.

Gowns are typically very long, and are usually best for evening wear. There are a variety of styles of gown, but most are sleeveless.

Jumpers or pinafores are apron shaped casual dresses. Not too fitted and usually worn over a blouse, pinafores are best for casual wear.

The empire dress usually has a low neckline, a high waist, short sleeves and a straight flowing skirt. A timeless classic.

A-line dresses are fitted at the bodice and then flow downward, creating an A shape. They can be both casual or formal depending on the fabric and design, and are a classic staple of the industry.

Qipao or cheongsam are tight fitted dresses of Asian origin. Usually made of beautifully embellished brocade, they are exotic and great for many special occasions. Typically floor length with side vents for walking, or cocktail length.

The little black dress is any style of dress that is black and simple. It is meant to be long lasting and versatile, dressed up or down as the occasion calls for it. First seen in the 1920s, it is still considered a wardrobe staple to this day. Dressrail.com

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does my daughter need a onsie as well as her long sleeved top and dress?

In the UK it is about 13 - 15 degrees celcius (about 55 - 59 degrees farenheit). I usually dress my 4 mth old daughter in a long sleeved vest/top and a pinafore dress with tights. When we go outdoors she wears a coat and blankets and hat and gloves if it feels particularly chilly. Do i need to start dressing her in a vest/onsie as well as the top and dress? or does the top under the dress count as her vest. Perhaps maybe a cardigan instead??
thanx for ur answers but does the long sleeved top act as the vest/onsie?

hi mich,
im in the uk as well, its too cold!!
i use to put a vest, top and coat on my babies and then wrap there legs up with tights and trousers and then blankets or foot muffs.
hope this helps.
Loopy

EDIT i use to have a onsie/vest, long sleeved top and coat on both my children, i still do now except its not a onsie vest any,ore its "big boys/girls" vest now.

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