The A-line shop dress, shaped like an A-frame tent, became popular in the 1960s and is versatile, easy to wear, and can be made from any fabric. It can be worn by women of any age and figure type and can be dressed up or down for any occasion. Many designers have created modern versions of the classic dress.
A shop dress is an A-line garment with the capital letter “A” being narrowest at the neckline and widest at the hem. It is shaped like a typical A-frame tent, hence the name. The shop dress first became popular in the 1960s, when women’s dresses became much less structured than the cinched-waisted, much more tailored dresses of the 1950s.
Most of these dresses are quite short and generally range from a mini skirt to just below the knee. A shop dress can be in a sleeveless summer style or it can be long-sleeved with a turtleneck. These dresses can be made from virtually any fabric, pattern, and color and can be worn by girls and women of any age and figure type.
The inventor of the little dress, Hannah Troy, was a strong promoter of the store dress. She felt that it was a flattering and elegant look for the fuller type of woman. These dresses are also very easy to wear, as many of them simply slip on or have a single zipper.
The store dress is one of the most versatile garments a woman can have in her closet. For example, a tent dress in a solid color made from a season-spanning fabric can be worn at any event, from a funeral to a wedding. If the dress is short, it can even look great as a casual tunic over pants. A sleeveless dress can be worn on its own in the summer months or topped off with a jacket or sweater and even tights in cooler weather. A knee-length tent dress worn with the right suit jacket and accessories can look perfect for a business meeting or job interview.
Many of today’s designers have created modern versions of the 1960s version. Donna Karan had a gray cotton dress with a pleated front and attached scarf, while Nicole Miller’s version was a black summer garment with a spectacular blue butterfly print on the front. The wide variety of dresses available means that a woman can have several of this style in her closet without looking like she has many dresses of the same style. Also, the shape of the dress can even be changed by adding a belt.
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