Wrap dress

Fashion Synopsis

Thank god for Diane Von Furstenburg. Royal socialite turned fashion designer, Von Furstenburg changed the way women looked at dressing when her revolutionary wrap dress melded function and fashion in one and became the foxiest fashion of the 70’s. Like the 60’s ‘little black dress,’ Von Furstenburg’s 'little bourgeois dress' was perfect for the office, the disco, and for Sunday Brunch. The wrap was simple sophistication for the woman on the go.

Von Furstenburg created her wrap dress in 1973 as an alternative to the unisex look that was infecting the corporate world. She believed women could be chic without being too sexy, but could be sexy without being inappropriate. Her answer was a dress that wrapped across the body, much like a robe, for an instant, elegant fit. The look worked for most body types and could go from office to disco with a switch to sexy high heels and some dynamite jewelry. Done in boldly patterned polyester or slinky jersey, the wrap dress was convenience and sexy chic.

Women were addicted to the ease and comfort, and loved that they could still embrace their sensuality in the body-skimming slip. Ladies didn’t have to be slaves to fashion to look good, nor would the feminists have to burn their bras and live in jeans for easy and comfortable fashion. As Diane herself said, “To some, the wrap became a manifesto for the liberated woman of the 1970’s.”

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