the delphic expanse

Okay, I am not exactly a super trendy person and most of my clothes come from The Gap, but I do like to be a little fashionable. But sometimes a trend bewilders me. A couple of years ago it was sunglasses that were so big and round that you looked like an insect. This year? Maxi dresses.

And this is a serious question. I'm 5'7" and pretty thin, and I put one of these things on and looked in the mirror. "I'm Mrs. Roper!" I thought. For those of you born after 1980, Mrs. Roper was the landlady on the early seasons of the sitcom Three's Company. Yet, these Mrs. Roper dresses are everywhere and in every shop. I haven't seen many people wearing them, though. I think they are probably very comfortable for around the house, at the beach and such - but for a formal occasion?

Does anyone think they look good in these dresses? If you do, more power to you, because, man, I suspect the discounts on these dresses are going to be big.

I have to admit, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to fashion (despite having worked in a clothing store, once) and I had to look up what you're talking about.

I do see a number of women in my area wearing these and I do live in a beach area. I think the ones that have spaghetti straps and the strapless ones aren't as bad as the ones with sleeves.

I suspect my body type wouldn't lend itself well to this type of dress. It falls too straight and I'm hourglass shaped. Sooo...I'll stick to jeans and a t-shirt, lol.

I agree, the spaghetti straps make them a little less "Mrs. Roper" than the ones with long sleeves, especially the butterfly sleeves. And I'm sure that at beach resorts and on cruises they are just fine. I just live in a landlocked state is all!

I had to look these up too! LOL I'm more of an "Old Navy" kind of gal (at least, when I'm fit).

I think the dresses are okay for the beach or general lounging about, but yes, I agree, I don't see them as formal wear.

I bought one last year. Mine is in neutral colors and has spaghetti straps, hopefully countering the "Mrs. Roper" feel. I like it for when it's really hot and nasty out.

You are correct, Aquarius.

I think slightly fitted, spaghetti straps and subtle pattern/color is probably necessary to combat the Mrs. Roper. Plus, you have the luxury of being pretty tall and I think that helps.

This for example, is Mrs. Roper. In Soviet Russia, Maxi Dress wears you.

This however is adorable.

On a different note, a few months ago, my mom sent me a dress as a gift that was super nice and I would never wear. She then had the return gift card sent to me, and I bought a plain navy blue shift dress for a conference banquet in July. The neck was very high though - straight across, just under the shoulders. It took some getting used to, but I think it is very Audrey Hepburn.

I hate buying clothes that I don't wear, so I probably think a little too much about what actually looks good on versus what looks cute in pictures.

Yea... I would have to say the Mrs. Roper thing is NOT fashionable unless you're attending a retro party. Some things are better off left in the past. Besides, IMHO, they only look good on taller women. I'm only 5'1 and I'd look like I was wearing my mother's clothes.
The one with spaghetti straps really updates the look. I would actually wear that if I could find it in a petite. But for either... they really do scream "BEACH" to me, and definitely NOT formal!

The gap has a few options, with tall, petite and regular sizes available, which is really great. Boden USA is another company that has tall, petite and regular. I'm 5'7" (six and half precisely, but I round up) - that makes me a firm regular size.

There's nothing wrong with a beach look in the sweltering summer heat, although I would say that for a formal, professional setting it wouldn't be right.

As I learned while sewing, the fabric can also decide how the dress can be used.

Here are a couple of examples where I think the style can be used in a more than beach-y occasion:

http://www.stylehive.com/bookmark/esmer ... avy-687651
http://www.stylehive.com/bookmark/gypsy ... non-675240

I agree crystalswolf. I even think the second one you could get away with for a semi-formal occasion.

I also agree with Artisticmom. I'm 5'4" and no matter how thin I was, nor how well hemmed the dress was, I still think it wouldn't look good on me. Too much fabric for my shorter frame.