Back cut-outs are looking bigger and more obnoxious than ever... - YouLookFab Forum

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Back cut-outs are looking bigger and more obnoxious than ever...

Maya

Veteran

I'm mighty annoyed about this. I'm starting my spring and summer shopping early so I don't have a last minute panic, and as if it wasn't already impossible to find dresses that are wearable with a bra, I'm finding that around 50% of the ones that look adorable and perfect from the front have a lot of stuff and nonsense going on in the back. Mullet dresses!

I was almost sold on these until I saw the back:

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com.....ngPriority

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com.....ngPriority

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com.....ngPriority

It's not just UO either. I must have combed through several on 6pm which all had the same problem, as did this dress, which I also almost tried:

http://us.asos.com/ASOS-ASOS-B.....3MvUHJvZC8.

The ones that don't have this problem have other problems like spaghetti straps or empire waists, or they're just plain frumpy. It's so frustrating!

General

33 replies

Latest reply was from RandomThoughts (Andrea)

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I find summer dress shopping unbearable frustrating. This cut out back thing is something that I remember from the 80's. I hated it then, and I hate it even more now!

Lisa

Veteran

I was in Lord and Taylor yesterday and found more than one dress that fit me (which is not always easy for me) and then I turned around, what the heck!

Deb

"Mullet dresses" ... so funny!

My pet peeve on the new arrivals is that they're so *short* I'm 5'7, which is not that tall, but the average dress or skirt would hit me somewhere mid-thigh. What the ...?! Another 4 inches would make them so much better. As sold, they're ideal for a woman standing 5'3 - but couldn't the dresses be available for them in petite sizes instead? I'm simply scratching my head here, with big pouty lips.

Steph

Veteran

I have always thought that the back cut-out is particularly dumb because I know pretty much no woman who is willing to go the day around without a bra--and this was even the case back in my teenage years. It seems that these dresses would only be feasible for an incredibly small portion of the population.

This also reminds me of a restaurant I went to in Chicago a few years ago. While there, I noticed two young teens who looked fine from the front, but when they turned around they were wearing backless dresses...with normal bras. The backs of their bras were completely showing, and it wasn't like the dress had just slipped down a little--the bra straps were across the center of their backs and the dresses dipped all the way to the small of their backs. What was even stranger was that the bras weren't even cute or decorative--they were grimy-looking flesh-colored bras. We were at a nice restaurant, and were just flabbergasted.

Deb

Steph: Gah! How bizarre...

Sandi

Ick on the Chicago story. And I'm convinced those dresses were designed and selected by men. No thought about how to actually wear the dresses.

Jonesy

Veteran

Yes, this is a bizarre trend.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Have you tried stores that market to a more conservative woman? UO and ASOS always struck me as geared toward teens and college students, who are... well, more prone to bralessness, at least in my experience. I haven't been looking for dresses lately, so I don't have suggestions, but I certainly feel your pain!

Maya

Veteran

Steph, that makes me shudder.

Rae, I am not a conservative dresser, so while I have checked those stores in the spirit of keeping an open mind, I rarely find anything. UO had tons of cute dresses last season (I ended up with three), but I guess this year the braless craze has taken over. Maybe I'll have better luck at off-season stores.

Even the smallest-busted women I know still wear a bra. It's one thing to have this as a fringe trend but it's all over the place! What's next? A backless, strapless micro mini? I feel like we're being pushed a little further to just go naked every year..

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

This trend is driving me crazy too. I was looking for long sleeve dresses earlier for winter and saw several backless styles.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Back cut outs are a big trend - I mentioned that in my 25 trend forecast for Spring/summer 2011. As long as you can still wear a bra, they are fine - quite breezy. But many of them are so big

Steph, I see that quite a lot in the Summer months here in our grungy neigbourhood. Not condoning the look - just sharing

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

Just wanted to say that the term Mullet Dress is brilliant and should be patented asap.:)

Traci

Veteran

Some of those dresses had a fairly wide strap across the back at approximate bra level. Do you think it's possible that you can wear a bra with them?

These two in particular:
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com.....ngPriority

http://us.asos.com/ASOS-ASOS-B.....3MvUHJvZC8.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Steph - I have noticed this too; makes me cringe and want to eat elsewhere. Apparently they think it is "hot"

(Yes, I approached one and asked).

Maya

Veteran

I still wouldn't want to, Traci.

biscuitsmom

Veteran

I am SO not a fan, either! I need dresses that cover the knee and they are almost impossible for me to find -aaggh!
LOVE all the funny comments!

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Dresses that fall -to- the knee are hard enough to find; I have to hit up stores geared towards people over 50 to find anything even close.

I just go with a thicker legging and hope no one complains :p And avoid sitting down.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Hrm... backless bra?
http://www.barenecessities.com.....ENFORM7445

http://www.herroom.com/Natori-.....001-731025

Jenava

(website)

Veteran

rae, every time you shrugged your shoulders your bra would fall off! LOL....

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

On a related note. I had a salesperson (a man) try to sell me this

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/ma.....sultback=0

He suggested pasties or braless. I'm a D-cup, um that would be a no.

Maya

Veteran

Maybe I'm cynical but I'm not surprised a man would suggest pasties or braless.

I actually managed to find a strapless bra that manages to hold up my massive bosom, but I'm undecided on keeping it. I realized that even with that I have no options, so I'm tinking of sending it back.

Patty

Veteran

I've seen bra straps thru holes in dresses to--I thought maybe girls/women are feeling since it's ok to show bra straps with tanks and camis that it's ok to show strap with open back dresses--do you think it's a desensitization to bra straps showing????
I cringe when it shows through a t-shirt!

Steph

Veteran

What makes me skeptical of the type of backless bras posted is that the part of the bra that provides the majority of support is the strap across the back. I should probably try one before dismissing them completely, however.

Maya, I would encourage you to keep the strapless bra. I find that a good strapless bra is incredibly difficult to find, so if you have one you like, hold onto it. Eventually you will need one (if only because you're stuck wearing a strapless dress as a bridesmaid in someone's wedding) and it's awful to have to scramble to find one that works.

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

Don't shoot me... but... l actually quite like those back cut out dresses!!

BUT, I'm a small busted woman, and have actually found that I can wear those stick on bras (assisted by strapping tape LOL), with quite ok results... Not for everyday wear, but still something I really like

Having said that though, it would be nice to find some dresses with back cutouts that are bra friendly because then I would consider them every day dresses!!!

And maybe I'm slowly becoming desensitised because going braless, using a string bikini as a bra, or having some cheap/nasty looking bra hanging out is TOTALLY mainstream in my little seaside town - for young and old (and I'm talking really old here too!)... not by me though LOL

A friend and I were shopping Friday lamenting that, as 31 & 38 yr olds, the length of almost every dress out there is just too short

Good luck on your dress hunt Maya!

Maya

Veteran

To clarify, it's not just the bralessness (although that is reason enough). I just find the look very limiting in terms of versatility, and kind of skeezy (putting my bare back up against a seat on the subway, bus, or a park bench? Uh, no thanks).

Steph, I thought about that, but the thing is, I don't know what size I'll be if and when I do need one, and I'm also not sure it will actually end up being that easy to wear. The center gore comes up quite high, so I think it would stick out from most dresses.

elpgal

Veteran

A strapless bra for massive bosoms!? Maya (and others), please share.

Maya

Veteran

It's this one:

http://www.bravissimo.com/prod.....views-PNK1

This one appeals to me more though, because of the lower gore, but that (along with the seamlessness) might make it less supportive:

http://www.bravissimo.com/prod.....0quRs6k%3d

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

This bra has the feature that turns me away from so many strapless designs -- padding. Do they use that to compensate for the lack of straps? Believe me, I have more than enough in there without extra material! Maya, is the padding very obvious?
I think I'll emulate you and stick to exclusively bra-friendly dress/top designs, especially for every-day wear!

Maya

Veteran

I think people commonly confuse padding with foam. A foam lining is needed to shape the cups. It's not possible to have a strapless bra without shape or structure, otherwise how would the cups stay up?

Padding is another thing entirely and is, in my experience, hardly ever seen in full figure brands.

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