The Wrap Dress

I have long been in awe of the DVF wrap dress. Women like Michelle Obama, Kate Middleton and Miranda Kerr have all worn it and managed to look effortless, sexy and commanding all at once. Diane Von Furstenberg herself continues to wear them and they still fit her like a glove. She and many other fashion icons have said wrap dresses are flattering on everyone, so I’ve been chomping at the bit to try one from DVF herself. So when several were added to Rent the Runway’s Unlimited program, I immediately added the chain link wrap dress to my cart.

The dress arrived in the mail and I tried it on. It took quite a bit of pulling and tucking to get it to cover the girls. (Hey – I thought these dresses were made for everyone!) Then, I had the issue of how to get the flap to stay closed. In the end, I settled on adding a tank top underneath and fashion tape for work. I couldn’t afford a fashion malfunction.

The tape worked great until I sat down that morning on the El. My entired lap would have been exposed, had I not worn a slip underneath (you can’t be too careful in the Windy City). The open front continued to bother me all day. It wasn’t until I saw my boyfriend that I remembered why I wanted the wrap dress. He complimented me on how professional I looked, as well as how the dress defined all of my *ahem* assets. However, it was those assets that made me so uncomfortable in the dress all day.

In the end, I decided a wrap dress is not actually for everyone. I’ve seen one look great one numerous women, but women with less curves than myself and who don’t live in a city of wind tunnels. Still, I can’t discount the confidence I felt walking down the street channeling DVF herself. (If you want photographic evidence and a good laugh, click here.) She’s a “force to be reckoned with” according to Naomi Campbell, and by God so was I in one of her designs. So what if my dress was dangerously close to a wardrobe malfunction? It was all part of the mystery. And as Diane herself would say, “Attitude is everything.”

This might not be the last time you see me in a wrap dress. Just next time with more fashion tape, of course.

Dress and purse via Rent the Runway Unlimited. Photos by Sarah of The Kissing Booth Blog.