Women's Dresses

Hem length changes a dress more than any other decision made about it. Short and mini dresses finish above the knee and read as the most direct of the lengths, while knee-length styles stop at or just below it and take a heel or a flat equally well. Midi dresses fall somewhere through the calf, where the exact stopping point does the flattering, and long dresses carry on to the ankle or the floor.

Cut and closure then decide how formal the same length reads. Shirt dresses borrow the collar, placket and cuff of a shirt and belt at the waist, so they work loose or drawn in; elsewhere a waist seam, a wrap front or a straight column each hold the body differently. Sleeves range from none to full and necklines from high to deep, with the fabric following: crepe and satin fall, poplin holds its shape, and jersey moves with the body.