I for one don’t need any convincing. I absolutely love the look (and all the pieces you are describing above), I love wearing (flattering) voluminous pieces and am hoping to find at least one fabulous sack dress asap!

I’m definitely into the look and was doing it a few months ago. The irony is that now when I’d love to try these drapey sack dresses, I can’t. I’m afraid the clearly showing pregnant woman is the one person who can’t hide her waistline. (Correct me if I’m wrong.) Oh well, there’s always next year and enjoying the look on you and others.

I actually have a dress very much like the second one shown and it is my favorite summer dress hands down. It is the most comfortable item I can wear in extreme Houston heat!

Angie, evidently you are not alone because I really like it too. My reasons are that my waist is ummm, sorta MIA. I have one I swear but being short and busty if I wear a belt I look just odd. I like volume on top as long as the bottom is really skinny, leggings, or a really narrow shortish skirt with same colored tights. Anything to give me a longer line. I just styled a bunch of outfits that play with this shape on my closet website.

Yes, I have this look, very comfy, but it does make me nervous to wear the two SHORT trapeze dresses I bought in ‘06. If I could find some biker-shorts length leggings to wear under them I’d be set. Bebe sold out of their black mesh “biker shorts”, they would have been perfect to wear. Anyone know of anyplace to buy?

I like it and wear it all the time, as long as it also skims the body. Otherwise, people can assume that you’re overweight and trying to hide it.

It’s also very forgiving of the one part of my body that has surrendered ( not without a fight!) to middle-age, my once tiny waist. Sigh. Everything else is hanging in there fairly well, but not my waist. So, these looks are good for me.
I just have to be careful that they’re not too voluminous, as I am also busty, but have no hips!

I often wear a low-slung belt with this look, and leggings or skinny slacks or jeans.

Inge, that third dress from the left is calling your name!

Patience, why can’t you wear a sack dress as maternity wear? Imagine that you could buy one in your regular size and wear it after the baby arrives, too.

As you might be able to tell, I am already a huge fan of the sack dress.

I like the look, although you have to be very careful about fabric and strucure because it can give you a very pregnant/ nighty-night look. The right item looks sophisticated and clean, but it´s hard to find.

Even after a few years of this trend, I’m still skeptical of it, and I’ve yet to buy myself a voluminous top or dress.

Partly it’s personal preference. I like my waist and a look that emphasizes it suits my body type.

But here’s the other thing. Although an outfit that doesn’t have a defined waistline may be aesthetically appealing, it doesn’t emphasize or create an attractive female shape. As a single woman in my twenties, I have to admit, that’s something that I think about. I dress modestly but in a way that doesn’t hide the
shape of my body.

I like it fine, but the boyfriend hates it. These looks get called every unflattering name from “pregnancy mumus” to “tit curtains.” It makes me feel bad, so I avoid those types of clothes.

I’ve worn this look before in the late 60’s, I think, and would wear it again if the right piece turns up. The problem for me is the wide neckline on most of these styles in both dresses and tops. The second (Trapezoid dress) has a neckline that comes close to the neck, but I’d only wear that with a jacket or cardi because of the bare shoulders. The other problem is too much volume for a shorter person. Perhaps the right dress will turn up this fall.

In the Dallas heat this summer I find myself reaching for an unstructured silk top. The weather is really playing into my choice, plus it is very freeing to not be tailored and structured. A welcome break from the norm.

I love tops that hide my waist, esp. with necklines that are widely scooped and softly gathered. I’ve worn the look for a few years but have bought three new tops like that this year, so I must be liking it more and more. My boyfriend likes it, too.

I LOVE drapey sack-type dresses, but they aren’t for me. Believe me, I’ve tried and it’s not pretty I think you have to be very comfortable with you legs for it to work, and preferably have killer ones!

i’ve done it! it can feel so liberating to remove that restrictive belt, and i think with the right balance it can look very cute

I really like this look. I love trapeze jackets especially, but I have a voluminous woven tunic that I love wearing as well. The key for me is that the item needs to be fitted at the shoulders and under my arms. Because I tend toward an inverted triangle, I also find that a longer layer under trapeze jackets, or the longer length of my tunic help to balance things out. I’ve tried banded tops and they just aren’t a good silhouette for me because they usually stop at the waist and so it makes my top half look even bigger in comparison, and there’s no real way to layer something longer underneath to smooth out the bubble shape. Maybe if I could find one with fitted, elbow length sleeves, and wear it with a pencil skirt it could work, but I have other voluminous pieces that I enjoy wearing more.

I understand where Patience is coming from. I think for a long time, a pregnant woman’s only choice was to wear something huge and voluminous (my mom still talks about how hideous maternity wear in the 80s was). But now there are so many other options, and a slightly sleeker silhouette is very flattering and sleek. I definitely think pregnant women can wear the trend, if it’s very fitted on the arms, shoulders and under the arms, so only the stomach area is very blousy. To me, this still feels very sleek.

Please show us what you put on the short, busty hourglass woman. Then I might believe!

I’ve just recently tried this look. I was skeptical at first but I’m so glad I did. I recently purchased a dress similar to the one on the far right.

I am now trying to figure out different ways to wear it. Perhaps with gladiator flats and leggings for day and cage heels for a night out. It works for me because I have an undefined waistline.

I am however very very leery of empire cuts, or voluminous tops without the band waist. I’ve been asked on multiple occasions when wearing these if I’m pregnant (I’m not)!

I have never been able to find one of these styles that work – I am an extreme inverted triangle with broad shoulders and narrow hips. I feel like it emphasizes my worst feature – my shoulders and hides the rest of me.

I’ve been surprised by this trend… I’ve got wide shoulders and hips with a smaller waist so always strived to define the narrowest part. but following my sister’s Wildcard shopping philosophy (always try on one thing that scares you), my new favourite top has volume around the waist, slightly off shoulder then a wide band at the bottom. it’s the most flattering top ever… shows off the shoulders and somehow narrows the hips. i went out and bought a double, but i wish i could find other tops like it!

Adjusting, yes. Definitely like volume when it’s offset by something fitted … but still see a lot of women doing volume all over. It can be challenging to nail this look for so many body types.

I also wore this look in the late 60’s as Joy did, and I loved it back then. I loved the flowy fabric of a volumness dress. I had a favorite green one, wish I still had it.

I definitely enjoy the look on others. For myself, though, with my waistline as a part of my body I actually enjoy highlighting, and a pronounced tummy I try to minimize, this is not a good look. I do have a voluminous top and a sack dress, but the top is banded at the waist, and I wear the sack dress belted. That way I still feel fab, while wearing a very toned-down version of a fun trend.

I love this look and wear it often but I must say, it is not my husband’s favorite at all. “Whacha hiding under there?” he says. This weekend for our anniversary I wore one of my old figure-hugging wrap dresses and he loved it.

It’s all about proportions, getting the right length, etc. I have a couple in heavy rotation right now. With leggings, both cropped and long, they are heaven sent. Bending, climbing, even down on the floor, these work so well for work. And they still look feminine, fun and a little funky. And I feel more attractive in these, versus jeans and a top. Maybe it’s the comfort level that makes the attractive feeling go up.

This is a surprise. I did not expect as many takers for the waist-less look. Brilliant.

Susan H, if hiding your waistline is not your preference, that’s fine too!

A few of you hit the nail on the head. Ele, you have to wear this type of dress a little shorter so showing casing your legs is a must. If you’re not comfortable with your legs, you’ll struggle with the look. But a fab pair of shoes may solve the problem.

A strong shoulder line, flattering neckline and drapey fabric is essential. You don’t want this silhouette in a clingy soft knitted cotton. That looks like a nightie. Woven silk-rayon-cotton blends are best. Stiffer cottons can also work but they are harder.

If you’re short and busty, keep the neckline V, boat or scooped, the hemline a little shorter and the sleeves tapered (or better yet, go sleeveless). Add a nice pair of heels, and they don’t need to be high.

Patience, when you’re pregnant, showcasing the bump in all its glory is hands down most flattering. No curtains!

Fathenry, don’t get me started on people asking you if you’re pregnant. Whether you are or not, people need to refrain from asking that question. It’s nobody’s business. You touched a nerve and I feel very strongly about that one.

Actually, if you have a little extra around the mid riff area, this shape of frock *can* be the perfect way to go. Inverted triangles, as long as you soften your shoulder line (because you naturally have a strong one), you’ll ace this silhouette.

It’s the perfect type of dress in sweltering heat.

I love this look on others. I can see myself trying on 3 of the 4 dresses in the picture (except for #2) and leaving the dressing room without any of them. Maybe since I’m busty and tall, I feel like a curtain is covering my body. I would really like to see it on a person like me.

I love the look, although I have not been wearing this style yet. I have a black dress very similar to the olive green dress with sleeves above, but I have been wearing it with a belt as a tunic. My reluctance is that “the object in the mirror may appear wider than it actually is” so I need to work on it.

I do like this look! Unfortunately, on a full busted figure it just looks like maternity wear.

I like the look on others but with my large bust the no waist look makes me look pregnant. When I have worn the look I always get asked when is the baby due, so I avoid it. Too bad I can’t wear it though because when its 88 degrees and humid having a loose waistline can be a real pleasure.

Like Joy, I too wore this look in the late sixties. Mostly with short Go-Go boots. Now that age has turned the “apple” into a pumpkin it’s just a fantastic, comfy look.
And since my tights have come out of hibernation and my HUE order just arrived, (all fresh & new in 4 colors) all I need are some dresses. If anyone sees good graphic prints in petite, please holler!

ps. it needs a chunky shoe or an ankle boot, no?

I actually like this look because it is just super comfy. Defining the waist can be hard work, too, because you need to suck the belly in most of the day.

Love this look on me in small bits…. almost 2 yrs. in maternity clothes is why I guess I get my fill of volume quickly:)

This one is tough for me for two reasons: I can rarely find a dress like these that look right on me.They often make me look somewhat dumpy, and that’s with being fairly slender and five feet 5. The other reason is that when I do wear these dresses(I own two) I belt them as an alternative and find it looks SO much better on me that I just head for the waistline. Only my linen maxi dress is ever worn loose.

After years of being somewhat self conscious about having quite bigger hips in comparison to my waist and finally embracing that figure line, it’s tough for me to head back in the other direction.I do voluminous trend in other ways: the tops, the puff shoulders, some-what full pants,trapeze jackets etc. but for skirts and dresses, I find that sleek and shapely is just so much better for me

I think I’m reaching a point where I have at least as many waist-hiding garments as waist-showing. So far they have mostly been in shirt form, though. I would love to have more sack dresses in my life at some point. I’m especially fond of the first one in this set.

…and I am short and busty too, go figure.

I love wearing these dresses–I have several, my favorite being a small black-and-white print. I have a straight, rectangular figure without a defined waist, but I have nice shoulders I like to show off, so I try to find dresses that are fitted and cutaway or sleeveless at the top and then straight down. I feel like they make me look taller (I’m only 5′3) as well, especially with a little heel. My husband doesn’t like this look as much on me, but oh well! I also often pair these types dresses with a solid colored, very fitted cardigan, which can help define my figure so I don’t look lost in fabric.

I am all about the waistline too so this has been a difficult trend for me. I did buy one sleeveless dress with a sack shape, but I typically wear it with a structured jacket that does have a waist. I think it looks better this way and I’m not into sleeveless anyway. I leave the jacket unbuttoned so you still see the flowiness of the dress, but I get some waist definition on the sides and in the back.

I really like this look and find the freedom of not having to ’suck in’ my spare tire VERY pleasant!

I’m with Patience at the moment, though. In a counter-intuitive way, draping sack dresses over a baby bump just doesn’t look great. Partially, I think, because a voluminous dress is supposed to float away from the body and the baby belly still tends to obviously protrude, creating a messy line and an unattractive silhouette.

My eye has adjusted to the point where I admire this look on other people, and I even wear some tops that are a *little* more voluminous and float away from the waist. That’s about as far as I’m willing to go, though.

Every time I’ve tried a true “sack dress” silhouette in a dressing room, it just doesn’t feel like me. Even when I find something that fits correctly in the shoulders but doesn’t cling to my bust or hips, I only feel okay but not “fab” when I look at myself straight on, which is the widest part of my body, and I hate the way I look from the side – usually my slimmest angle. Instead I look large, round and blocky all the way around my body. It doesn’t make me feel very comfortable or confident.

I like the waist-less look, but normally I’ll pair a flowy top with shorter shorts or pick a dress with a shorter hem-line to show my legs. I’ve got a new boxy-shaped silk top that looks good with slim straightleg jeans.

I have always adored this look, but I’ve been wary in pulling it off. It’s not that I don’t WANT to, it’s just that I feel like since I’m an inverted triangle my large ribcage offsets the narrowness of the rest of my body, and it makes me feel like a square. :/ I would love nothing more than to figure out how to get this to work for me, but I always feel like only super narrow, columnal types can pull it off.

I really want to try this sack dress look, but have yet to find one I like. I’ll keep my eye out. Angie, do you think we’ll continue to see these shapes for another season at least?

I just don’t have the confidence to try dressing without defining my waist. Loose dresses and tops look so comfortable and breezy, but I have broad shoulders, a very, very large chest, large hips, and a medium-sized waist. Consequently, this is mumuu-ish on me and adds dozens of pounds.

If I had a smaller or straighter frame, I would be happy to try this look. But, it cannot possibly be flattering for my clothes to drape from the largest part of my body, my chest.

Honestly, I don’t think I have much hope of ever being stylish because I find few trends work for me.

This is a relatively new thing for me, but I have really gotten into the voluminous look lately, especially that with my drastic weight loss some of my things that used to be fitted look voluminous anyway. Actually I am wearing a very loose silk grey CM top today and feels great in the heat. But, I actually like switching between this and waist defining look, since my waist happens to be my best feature ( if I may say so myself). So my wrap tops and dresses are not going anyway any time soon

I recently wore a fringed flapper-inspired dress like this to a wedding. It was great for me, b/c I’ve gain a few pounds in the last few months, most of it on my stomach, so I was trying to avoid a closer fitting silhouette in that area.

The dress, though, was very short so I was showing a lot of leg, encased in black tights with 4″ black heels. The dress also had narrow straps at the shoulder, so I was showing shoulder and arm and collarbone. I liked the look, my boyfriend and mom liked it (they both have more conservative fashion tastes than me, in different ways), and I got a ton of compliments on the dress at the wedding, which I wasn’t expecting b/c I was visiting a relatively rural, conservative area.

I don’t like this look if the dress is too long (it should be well above the knees) or if it has a loose sleeve or covers too much of the upper chest and shoulder area. The length of the 4th picture is the only one I like, and I like the tops of 2 and 4.

I like this look but haven’t learned how to wear it yet, myself. Might have to give it a try with leggings for safety.

I actually do find this look difficult to wear, but not because I’m stuck in a habit. It really is about body shape for me.

I’m a small girl with a tiny waist and small hips, but disproportionately large THIGHS.

If you wear a sacklike dress, you must bear your legs above the knee, as Gina points out, or it’s waaay too frumpy. On my thighs, it’s instantly unflattering.

Sigh. So I do wear them, in winter, with dark stockings or leggings. Otherwise, it’s waist all the way for me.

I have always love dresses especially these loose fitting ones. Always imagine myself in one but don’t own any. In the ‘much too hard’ basket as I am very petite. It’s feminine, hides the tummy and easy to wear (just one piece).

As long as I have a waist (and I do) I will emphasize it.
I bet those styles look good on you! Most any thing does : )

Dee

I love this look, and I am lucky it works on me (because I have absolutely no bust whatsoever).

Love the look. I think it is very feminine and highlights other spots on a woman – the shoulders, the legs instead of waistline.
Part of problem is that the dresses especially look unflattering on the hanger (no “hanger appeal”) so it’s hard to imagine one on the body and someone may need to try on a bunch of dresses to find the right one.

I really like this look as well, and am tempted to try it with leggings. As a woman with a midsection, I think I’ll feel super comfortable in a forgiving dress like this!

I have two experimental dresses this season – one empire-ish and one stretch-fitting sheath. Somehow it’s always the sheath that I pick to wear because I fear looking as though I’ve chosen the floaty style because I’m fat. And with a growing middle-aged middle, I’m self-conscious about that.
It seems to me a tricky look for the pretty pear with big thighs as Lex says, because we don’t want to bare (so to speak) our upper legs and the short length can be problematical. Also, with wide shoulders and wide hips, what happens to the float? It seems to just make the middle look big as well and you can feel like a barrage balloon.
But I like Shauna’s wildcard idea (wear what you fear) and feel encouraged by Angie so will try harder.

This is my go-to look. It’s really easy for me to wear and pull off. Throw on voluminous top (particularly dresses in the summer), well-fitted bottoms, and off you go!

This is a trend I have to let pass. It has nothing to do with fear. I’m just not convinced, unfortunately. The stick-thin models wearing these pieces don’t convince me either. It almost accentuates their waifiness. I’m actually surprised that the maxi dress was touted as unfit on this blog and the unstructered mini dress is okay. To each her own, I guess.

I agree — waistless is flattering! My two favorite dress finds from the Nordstrom anniversary sale feature waistless styles:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/30.....05&P=1

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/30.....05&P=1

My waist is the most defined part of my mid-section, and there is no way I’d buy something that made it disappear! I’ll pass.

I have a “cornet” shape according to Trinnie and Suzannah, which means broad shoulders and a not-so-defined waist, and the rest of me is fairly slim. So I love the empire waist look and avoid defining my not-so-slim waist. Unless you have a lovely hourglass figure and a slim waist, I think it should be avoided!

I love this silhouette and have been wearing it quite a bit this summer. I have a figure that tends to carry extra weight around the waist, but with long legs so this type of dress works really well for me. However, because I haven’t found one that is long enough so that it’s comfortable to wear on its own, I have been wearing these dresses with leggings.

I went through a big crisis in regards to volume at the beginning of the summer. I went off the pill and resumed my adolescent hourglass type figure which is not flattered by volume generally. I had to go back on it for health reasons and though I have not swelled up or anything I feel 2-4 pounds heavier which is a lot for my 5′1″ frame. That said, I am conflicted about volume. I wear it frequently especially in the last 3 years of becoming a skinny jean devotee. I wore a version of the 2nd dress a few weeks and ago and felt terrible in it. I think it all a matter of overall proportion and lines. Long maxi dresses with the straight line to the ground, for example, have turned out to be one of my best looks this summer. I go waistless all the time and I actually have a great waist. Not sure what I will do about this.

Sorry, surrendering the waistline is something I simply cannot do. I spent most of my life, until I discovered YLF, wearing baggy clothes and not even knowing that I had a waist. No way am I giving it up now! I own two empire waist tunics that I consider voluminous, but even they emphasize the small area under the bust that you mentioned. Other than that, I love voluminous sleeves and such, but stay away from the half of voluminous clothes that eliminates the waistline. I’m not saying that this look cannot be done with style, just that because I wore volume without style for so long I avoid it almost completely now. I usually feel frumpy dumpy when hiding my waist because I looked frumpy dumpy when I dressed like that before. It’s as simple as that. And Rae is right, men in general (although not all men) hate this look and would much rather see a shapely woman showing off her stuff than a girl in a sack.

[...] the most part I prefer this shirt sans the belt because I get a kick out of surrendering my waistline. It makes me feel a little naughty and rebellious but in a lady-like way. A little weird perhaps, [...]