Dressing the Issue

   
Our venerable correspondent, Ireti Bakare-Yusuf, takes a look at the return of the dress...

The loudest cheer this summer was all about the dress. Not for a long time has a single garment received such a loud collective cheer from women throughout the world.  No longer were we slaves to skinny jeans or forced to dress down to achieve the boho look; which in my opinion was over worn and over-hyped. 

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the long Spanish-thigh-flattering skirts as much as the next girl…..especially given the fact that I may have been favoured in many ways, but not with a good pair of pins…..so the long hippy skirt was for a long time one of my favourite pieces.

And then I got bored.  I’m a glamorous gal, no-way was I going to continue to be enslaved by my thighs.. The micro mini was sent to the back of the closet and out came the dress, like a hidden debutant, gloriously basking in shades of the avenue. It was obvious this was not going to be a battle it was more like a shuffle. The dress was back and God help any other garment in the way. And boy we were spoilt for choice.

The Lord-of-fashionistas offered up more stylish dresses than we could keep up with.  There was the New Look dress courtesy of Dior, there’s the classic shift dress,  the more womanly baby doll dress, perfect for any boyish figure, not to forget the tiered A-line. Volume (also tipped to spill into the winter for those of you starting to collect your winter holiday wardrobe) and knee length were the order of the season and gosh did we love it. This season’s stylish dresses borrowed from the 50’s , 60’s and even the 70’s and we just couldn’t get enough.

Dior’s 60’s New Look Dress

Not backward in coming forward, the Nigerian fashion scene joined in with a celebratory gba be! Ok, so we may have lots in common with our western sisters when it comes to fashion….but of course, we always go one better. We took the dress and turned it into Dressage.  In Nigeria a dress is not a dress unless it  has been printed, made out of a fusion of contrasting fabrics or hand-painted, thanks to the age old tradition of tye and dye.                                         

 Dresses in Nigeria weren’t just about the cut they were about the fabric.  Ankara (the favoured fabric of the Nigerian fashionista as predicted by yours truly over 2yrs ago), was elevated with sequin, satin and just about any fabric that was brave enough to dare. The ubiquitous linen fabric (a staple diet of any Nigerian wardrobe) was graced with some sass by the application of hand painted prints with bold colours. Cotton dresses came with monochrome prints. Even our modern tradition of bubu/kaftan was glamourised with hand painted  prints of bold colours reflecting  Nigerian aesthetic sensibilities. Yes, the Nigerian woman didn’t have to step into Zara, Top-shop, Mango, or any other high street store in the west to stay in the dress-gang!

Suddenly it was ok to be as feminine as you dare. Of course by far the most sexiest (a la LBD) and dramatic of all garments, most women would ditch the best of all garments for a good well-cut carefully detailed dress. Long-length or mid-length, the dress is an essential to any ladies wardrobe. I readily confess that I invested in far too many than was strictly required, but I make no apologies for this indulgence.  We love the chic-shift dresses, slinky biased numbers, or tailored ladylike dresses. Whatever your size or style, I can bet you, you will find a dress for you. 

Accessorise according to your mood. Large belts of all colours (challenge the colour of your dress with the colour of the belt. Go for a wedge heel to add length and trend. The tailored ones look great with the skinny belt.
The summer about to draw to a close has been a celebration of the female form.  This season’s dresses lent from a plethora of styles – all the frivolity, glamour, and femininity of bygone decades.  As the wheels of fashion turns slowly, it’s comforting to know that there are some styles whose return will always be welcome.