I’m not sure why, but fun and flattering casual dresses with sufficient hem length and sleeves are highly elusive every season. I bet that if retail supplied us with more of the right silhouette, they’d sell like hot cakes.

Here’s a roundup of casual dresses that recently caught my eye, some of which have worked on clients. Some of the styles come in several colours. 

• COS Dress with pleated sides: Architectural and very voluminous. Fabulous side entry pockets. Will blow in the wind and feel extra breezy. Runs big.
• Cloth & Stone Nila T-Shirt Dress: Great on Team Tall with broad shoulders and/or a larger bust. Works quite well on curvy figures despite not being shaped. Soft and unstructured. You can knot the front of the side slitted hem for more structure.
• 'Katie' Cowl Neck High/Low Maxi Dress: Beautifully drapey and the fabric is substantial. Can be dressed up or down. Also works well on a larger bust. Gorgeous in motion and runs big.
• Ann Taylor Double Dot Long Sleeve Shirtdress: A relaxed shirtdress in a soft fabrication. Works well on curvy and straighter body types. Versatile. Many rave reviews.
• Ann Taylor Striped 3/4 Sleeve Dress: Tailored fabness for Team Curvy. Not good on apple shaped body types. Runs big.
• Loft Striped Flare Dress: A great style for a curvy petite with a small to regular size bust. Very waist defining, yet breezy. It can work on a subtle apple shaped body type because the stripes are camouflaging. Soft fabrication. The stripes are bold so consider yourself warned. The vertical stripes on the bottom are unique and slimming.
• Linen Popover Shirtdress (Regular & Petite): An amazing uber casual shirtdress that's super soft, lined, and has pockets. VERY comfy. The curved hem adds structure. Runs very big so size down one or two sizes. Great with flat sandals.
• Utility Midi Shirtdress: A fashion-forward shirt dress in a rich shade of olive. The fabric drapes surprisingly well despite its stiffness. Love the side entry pockets. Works well on all body types except pretty pears. As roomy as it looks, it's cut quite narrow on the hips. You have to be okay with the shapeless sack silhouette, so watch out. Runs small.
• J.Crew Short-sleeve cargo dress: A fitted classic in linen. Read the rave reviews.
• J.Crew Ruffled bell-sleeve shift dress in stripe: Bell sleeve fabness for apple shapes. Good on petites. Runs big, and might feel a little short on regular height gals.
• Chambray Shirtdress: Sporty Luxe Fabness.
• Tencel Chambray Roll Sleeve Shirtdress: Soft and lightweight. The drawstring waist adds great definition to the torso. Fab on petites.

Visit the collection page to see the pictures alongside my descriptions.

Three seasons in and the wrap jersey skirt is still an all-round winner with my clients. And for good reason. My only complaint is that the silhouette is hard to find, and I wish there was a greater assortment of colours and patterns. 

Here’s why the wrap jersey skirt is fab.

Flattering on a Range of Body Types

The clever silhouette works well for curvy and straight figures. It straightens OR flattens the hip and thigh area depending on your preference thanks to well-positioned ruching and magical diagonal lines. The silhouette is forgiving on the midsection, making it a style that apple shaped body types can also feel confident wearing. 

Great with Flats

The style works particularly well with casual flats like sandals, loafers, espadrilles and sneakers. This makes it an excellent option for gals on the go, and for those who like to wear skirts, but not heels.

Can be Dressed Up or Down

Although I think of the wrap jersey skirt as more of a casual piece, it can be dressed up and worn with heels and a dressier support act. It can also be worn casually as a beach cover-up with tee, denim jacket, flip flops and hat. Or dressed up with silky top, jacket and strappy heeled sandals.

No Uni-Leg

The maxi version of this skirt is fabulous because it showcases a part of the leg in the front of the skirt. That makes the style look grounded, thereby preventing the uni-leg effect. It also makes the silhouette easier to walk in.

Covered Yet Alluring

The leg baring integrity of the skirt is subtle, but increases as you stride. Covered from the back and on the sides, but party in front. Some of the front slits come up higher than others so make sure you do the walk-test and sit-down-test before you commit to the item.

Comfortable

Jersey, if nothing else, is extremely soft and comfortable. The silhouette stretches over all the right spots on the body without it looking overly clingy. The elastic waist is forgiving on the midsection. The front vent makes the style breezy and there’s no need to worry about the skirt blowing up in the wind.

Convenient

Many wrap skirts are machine washable making them easy to maintain and take along on a trip.

Finally, a note on fit: Petites should try to buy the style in petite lengths to ensure that the back isn’t too long because it’s often a difficult item to hem.

Stain-resistant white jeans, sustainable bridal wear from H&M, Hedi Slimane exiting Maison Yves Saint Laurent, and other style news that caught our attention in March.

• Canadian handbag company Matt & Nat is branching out into footwear.
• Giorgio Armani has agreed to stop using fur for all its products.
• H&M and the World Wildlife Fund are embarking on a five-year partnership to create a more responsible fashion industry.
• In other H&M news, the Swedish company is adding bridal wear to its Conscious Collection.
• In the meantime, ModCloth has also come out with a bridal collection.
• Earlier this month, Nike unveiled its first self-lacing sneaker.
• Here’s a look at the full Target x Marimekko collaboration which will launch on April, 17.
• Zara is now selling its first unisex collection, Ungendered.
• Fans of Ines de la Fressange can now shop at her very own atelier-boutique on the Paris Left Bank.
• Christian Louboutin just added a pointy toe ballet flat to its Nudes collection.
• According to Old Navy, wine, ketchup, coffee, juice, and other commonly spilled substances will wipe right off their new Mid-Rise Stay-White Rockstar Super Skinny jeans.
• Ted Baker and G-Star Raw are two of the brands who are making their sustainability scores public.
• Glamour is “entering into a multi-pronged partnership with Lane Bryant laser focused on courting the plus-size market and promoting a message of body positivity.”
• After months of speculation, Maison Yves Saint Laurent confirmed yesterday that creative and image director Hedi Slimane is leaving the company.

Fun Fashion Fact

Did you know that the Monnaie de Paris (the Paris Mint) has released an Yves Saint Laurent coin. The coins come in silver and gold, and also feature the designer’s iconic Mondrian dress and the Centre Pompidou. The Saint Laurent coin is meant to symbolize contemporary artistic France.

This ensemble was inspired by my own love for suits and a recent conversation on the forum about power dressing. Crisp tailoring, luscious fabrications, perfect fit, a sleek silhouette, and intense polish is the armour that shields us at work and in social settings. On some subconscious level, a suit gives us the confidence to fight back under adversity. There’s definitely something about wearing one that makes us feel authoritative, powerful and strong.

The bouclé Chanel suit is the original power suit, and is still widely worn by women in politics, business, and high-end social settings like charity events. Its retro integrity and rich history make it a chic modern classic that will stand the test of time. By all means invest in a Chanel suit (or a lookalike) and feel fabulous.

But looking to the past for power suit inspiration isn’t our only option. We can also look to the future. And if my instincts are correct, the future of power suits is already with us today. Not yet commonplace on the retail floors, but ubiquitous in popular culture. The look is fashion-forward, comfortable, crease-resistant, slimming and wears like iron. It’s a graphic vibe that is thoroughly modern. A look that can make us feel superhuman. I call it the Super Suit.

I’ve stuck to dark neutrals and primary brights, but feel free to use any colour palette. Here are the components:

Jumpsuit, Leotard or Dress: For an authentic super suit vibe, choose a leotard in a silhouette that works with your body type. Or go for a leather mini dress if you prefer a little coverage on the thigh area. To make less of a statement — “ultimate power suit lite” if you like — choose a jumpsuit, as I have done in the outfit on the far left. You don’t need to wear tights with this option, which makes it somewhat less “super”, but it is a good option if you’re not into hosiery.

Tights: You’ll need tights for the leotard and mini dress options, but not for the jumpsuit. Choose a full or cropped length, depending on what works best with the footwear. You can create either a low or a high contrast between the tights and the rest of the outfit. Low contrast will create a column of colour and is more conventionally flattering. But there’s no doubt that a high contrast is more bold, more fun, and delivers more impact.

Cape: The cape was made for this ensemble. You can choose either a long or a short version. The former works well for the “lite” rendition and for petites. Longer capes make a bolder statement and are a slam-dunk for Team Tall. Lace capes add textural interest, especially with monochromatic versions of the outfit. Bright capes in solid colours make the most powerful statement. Just what you need when presenting to board members at the next annual meeting.

Patent Boots: It’s all about boots and only high shine will do. No substitutes. Heels add height to your outfit, enhancing your physical presence. Choose booties, mid-calf lengths, knee-highs, or over-the-knee styles. Choose neutrals or brights, depending on which works best with your outfit. It’s an extra bonus if the boots have steel toes. Some of my clients swear by the practicality of a reinforced toebox when it comes to resolving workplace conflicts.

Accessories: A wide belt adds structure and definition to the silhouette and is an extremely popular accessory with this ensemble. Cuffs, gloves and masks are optional but do add to the mood. A shield can be useful in some situations. Choose one in colours that work with the palette. I vote metallic or brights. Black shields tend to look heavy — especially with an all-black suit — so stay clear of those.

Finally, while my renditions above are for the ladies, men can also get in on the action. Here’s a photo of my client Sam in his own super suit, which he wears when he wants to feel particularly strong for a day of work defending the house from all manner of intruders. You look fabulous, Batsam. Thank you for being a stylish and powerful inspiration to us all.