Second Style Magazine

The dress, that ubiquitous sheath of femininity. We step into it. We slide it over our heads, and in an instance we become girls, we become ladies, we become women. And although they both leave our legs exposed, there is something quite distinct about wearing a dress versus a skirt. It’s the dress’s all-encompassing form. It’s the way it touches us all over. There are times when I away from the dress, and all of its feminine prescriptions. But this week, designers unleashed dresses that were flirtatious, sexy, dramatic, and just plain irresistible. I present them for you here in two collections: The Casual and The Elegant.

The Casual

7 Deadly Sins: DeadMansParty, Rose4theDead, and VodooDolly

LilMiss Ludovico was The 7 Deadly Sins team were swept up in a dress mood this week. She They brought us not one, but three rockabilly-goth dresses that are sexy and retro with a little fun thrown in. DeadMansParty is a slinky, skintight halter dress that has a colorful pattern of Dia de los Muertos-style skeletons all over the bodice. Rose4theDead continues the sexy-meets-morbid theme with a sweet turquoise skirt and a skull and cross bone printed peasant top (Note: This could be a skirt and top, but the cummerbund detail made this appear more like a dress to me). Finally, VoodooDolly is a black sheath dress with a blanket stitch detail. This dress has elements of the rag doll theme and features an appliqued heart with prim pins to jab through it. LilMiss Lil Miss and Loki show us that while a dress may be sexy, classic, and downright feminine, there’s one thing it doesn’t have to be and that is serious. View designer’s post. W=N, R=N, F=N

Casa de Shai: Animal Fever Tube Dress

I suspected early on that the dress is where Shai Delacroix turns when she wants to have fun. I am now convinced that the dress is where Shai turns when she wants to express herself, period. I mean this woman actually makes me want to put animal print on my body. In fact, her Animal Fever Tube Dresses make me think that animal print belongs on my body. Every day. Everything is right about this dress from the cut of the halter and the waist-cinching obi, to the perfectly-scaled animal prints and delicious sheen. But perhaps my favorite detail is Shai’s decision to include a front slit on the dress. This not only makes the dress sexy as all hell (look at that sit pose!), but it prevents that horrible warping of the pattern that happens with the mesh skirt. This dress is intoxicating with desert heat and animal musk. A sexy and casual dress that is anything but ordinary. View designer’s post. W=Y, R=N, F=Y

Mischief: Elegance Dress

I have a feeling that Janie Marlowe only sleeps one hour each night. The amount of new that pours forth from that woman’s Wacom tablet is somewhat astounding. And yet she manages to see things anew, and bring us looks we’ve never seen from her before. This week, that look was a ruffly, but not froofy, prim mini dress called Elegance. While the black version of this dress is go anywhere safe, I think it is the color versions that show off its magic. The satin halter has a deep V that hits right at the pelvis. This is inset with a deeper-toned velvet, which is the same fabric that encircles the skirt waist, forming an elegant, jewel-accented belt. All of this is tight and fitted to the body, but gives way to a salsa-ready, three-tiered ruffle skirt. This dress is a composition of contrasting textures, yet subtle and refined. I’m hoping it’s a design Janie decides to play with more, as it is a scintillating and sexy dress. View designer’s post. W=N, R=N, F=N

The Elegant

Blaze Columbia: Unforgettable

Unforgettable may be the name of this gown, but it also describes its creator. Every time I think that I have seen that prettiest Blaze gown ever, seven days passes a prettier one is introduced. You simply cannot forget about Blaze Columbia, because he is ever present, designing the most enviable and glamorous creations. gowns you would have fantasized about, if only your imagination was that good. any time I reach for a word to describe this gown, I feel inadequate. The pictures may just have to speak the thousand words that I am unable to come up with. Suffice it to say that Unforgettable is an elegant lace gown with matching gloves and stockings. While in white it would make a perfect bridal gown, I must agree with Celebrity that it’s in chocolate where its beauty sines through. View designer’s post. W=Y, R=N, F=N

Simone! Design: Jocelyn

Often it seems that Simone Stern plays with designing for two extremes of womanliness. First, there is the seductress for home she designs scanty, lingerie and lingerie-inspired outfits. Then there is the princess, for who she designs layers of crinoline, lace, and silk. The Jocelyn gown is for the latter extreme. It is a swooshy and and dramatic. It’s elegant and pretty. It’s a flowing, Cinderella fantasy. I love the way the light plays with the skirt as well as the simple, beaded accents on the bodice. This dress is just plain sweet. A soft, fairy tale dream that says, “Get me home by midnight.” View designer’s post. W=N, R=N, F=N

• Disclosure information has been abbreviated to the following: W=Seen in world, R= Review copy received, F=On friends list, Y=Yes, N=No
• Items are presented in alphabetical order by brand name. No ranking should be implied.