Drop waist dresses first made a splash in the roaring 20s when flappers wore the loose-fitting, curves-obliterating silhouette to dance the Charleston, then had a resurgence with the low waists of the grungy 90s. Based on many of the looks seen on the Spring 2012 runways, the silhouette is about to make its return to fashion.
While many believe the waistline of this look, which sits on the hips, is unflattering to all but the super-slim, the dress actually creates an illusion of height by elongating the torso. But would you try this trend? After all, fashion has worked so hard to bring that waistline back up to the actual waist after those low-rider years we’ve all tried to forget. Love it or hate it, stylish celebs like Camilla Belle, Freida Pinto, and Naomi Watts have been dropping it like it’s hot in drop waist dresses on the red carpet lately.
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Crisp whites and ladylike lines usually dominate at the Veuve Cliquot Polo Classic, but Camilla Belle took her look in a different direction. Her two-toned leaf print Ralph Lauren dress featured a high neck and a drop waist with a flouncy assymetrical hem skirt. Naomi Watts told drop waist haters to talk to the hand as she went for a more glammed-up version of the drop waist dress at a screening of her new film J. Edgar, wearing a flapper-inspired glittery Stella McCartney gown with a low V and a slit-up-to-there.
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Freida Pinto has embraced the drop waist, wearing it twice on the red carpet in the last month. She looked sweet and old fashioned in a peach crepe and silk drop waist dress by Louis Vuitton at the BFI London Film Festival. Her nude strappy shoes by Manolo Blahnik kept with the demure look. Earlier in the month, the actress showed her stripes at a photocall for her film Black Gold, wearing a casual black and white Ferragamo dress with spaghetti straps and a banded black drop waist. The more conservative look was ideal for the location in Doga, Qatar.
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Marion Cotillard wowed at the Paris premiere of Contagion in an unusual black and white checkered dress from the Christian Dior 2012 collection, which showed off a tailored version of the drop waist. The geometric design and slight puff of the tulip skirt created shape for the usually shapeless drop waist. Cotillard’s strappy metallic and peach shoes were also by Dior. Model Talulah Riley showed off a different kind of drop waist at the Burberry Body fragrance launch in LA. The mustard sweater dress by the designer which she paired with leather leggings and chunky clogs featured a low ruffle which sat on the hips, imitating a drop waist.
