Women have always cared more about clothes than men. That is not to say that all guys ignore haute couture. But they certainly spend a lot less time getting ready for a night on the town. In this age of equality, men are often still expected to pick up the check. However, the final tab ends up being about even, since the girls spend much more on their outfits and accessories than the guys.
Women have been slipping into party dresses for hundreds of years. The tradition began in the eighteenth century when kings and queens started throwing lavish parties. They would invite a short list of luminaries to these soirees, who were all expected to dress to the nines. The men wore suits and the women dressed in formal gown. In fact, the word formalwear was created to describe the dresses that were worn to court, in the presence of a monarch.
The first evening gowns were made from dresses called kirtles that were generally altered for formal occasions. In other words, they were gowns that girls would wear to church, but were not fancy enough to wear to court. So they would simply add a train and a few furbelows to make them more presentable. You see, there was no such thing as designer dresses in those days. Even fancy gowns were worn more than once, typically to church. The idea of wearing a dress only a handful of times would have seemed absurd to women living in earlier eras. Elaborate gowns did not catch on until the eighteenth century.
The mantua was first formal dress to cause a fashion trend. It was considered all but de rigueur for female guests of the king and queen. The dress later became the sack-back gown, which was a much more formal and elaborate number. Evening gowns of this era were conservative and did not show much skin. The sack-back gown, for example, was a floor-length dress, generally with long sleeves. It was not until the second half of the 19th century that designers started using less material.
Dresses from the Victorian Era got progressively shorter over time. Low or décolleté necklines came into fashion as did short sleeves and slightly higher hemlines. Gowns were also worn off-the-shoulder or with halter straps. The Roaring Twenties caused a convulsion in the fashion world, as eveningwear became more spare.
Where are we now?
They say that clothes make the man. But what about the woman? Even in an informal era, women spend a sizable sum on formalwear. Dresses for special occasions have never been more popular or more expensive. The average, unadorned wedding dress costs over a thousand dollars. But gowns that are worn more than once are generally more affordable. Just as they were hundreds of years ago, party dresses are designed for formal events.
We Are All Different
As important as dress codes may be, it is more important to be comfortable. One of the first lessons girls learn about formalwear is that different dresses flatter different figures. A woman who has a pear-shaped body cannot wear the same gowns as a woman with an hourglass figure. Most girls discover this when they go shopping for their prom dress. The prom dress is often the first formal gown a girl picks out on her own. Let us take a look at a few of the most common body types and the formalwear that works best with them.
Pear-Shaped Figure
Most pears carry excess weight in their hips, thighs and bottoms. This can be a challenge when shopping for formal gowns, because they tend to draw attention to problem areas. Looking good in eveningwear is all about creating the illusion of balance. For the pear-shaped woman, this means drawing attention away from the widest parts of her body and making her top half appear larger and more equal. A slightly looser top with a lot of detail can create this effect. Puffy sleeves and a scooped neckline will draw eyes up, away from the larger lower half. As far as the cut, A-line dresses with flared skits work best on pears. The Empire waistline, which gathers under the bust, will also help move eyes upward.
Hourglass Figure
Hourglasses generally have large, shapely busts, smaller waistlines and broad hips that are proportional to their shoulders. Women with this figure are often on the short side, and the wrong formal gown can make them look even shorter and heavier. An hourglass should always try to draw attention to her best features, which are typically her bust, waist and shapely legs. She can do this with a V or scooped neckline and a wrap-around top that will draw attention to her slim waistline.
Apple
Women with an apple-shaped figure have a noticeably larger upper half. Her waist is generally undefined and her bottom is on the flat side. Apples tend to put on the pounds in their midsections, which can make them look stocky or thick in the wrong formal gown. As it was with the pear, balance is the name of the game. This means finding a dress that will help elongate the torso. Apples look great in wrap-around tops and décolleté necklines that draw every eye in the room to their best physical features. Belted jackets can also be used to suck in the tummy a bit. Whatever your body type, there is a formal gown that will fit and flatter it.
Scott Payne is a freelance writer who writes about weddings and specific products such as wedding dresses.