Style Q&A-How to wear a red shift dress?

Jan 7, 2011 by Clueless Fashionista

Lauren wrote:

I am thinking of buying a red shift dress to wear to a political event in Washington DC in March. I am a plus size girl (2X) and was thinking of wearing a black belt around the waist with a white cardigan over top and black patent leather pumps. I’m not sure if this will look ok. Do you have another suggestion as to how to wear a red shift dress?

First of all, kudos to you for wanting to rock a red shift dress. If you haven’t already bought it, go and get it right now. Shift dresses are perfect for all body types because of their basic shape. This is a great choice and will definitely make a splash at the event. It sounds like you’re on the right track with the black belt, cardigan and black patent leather pumps. The belt will do wonders to highlight your waist and you can’t go wrong with black patent leather pumps. I’m not completely sold on the white cardigan. Depending on the length, it could cut the dress in half in an unflattering way. If the white cardigan hangs a few inches below your waist, it could work nicely. You should also consider wearing an animal print jacket like this one:

If you’re feeling sassy, a jacket like this (or in a leopard print but with the same cut) would really make the ensemble pop. I suggest a single breasted cut because as a lady who wears a 2X, you need a jacket that will be tapered to your figure to be most flattering. Now, if you are a bit intimidated by an animal print jacket and the white cardigan is too short, I would suggest a basic black cardigan like this one:

However, since you are rocking a black belt, you have to keep any jacket or cardigan you wear open to show off your waist. In fact, if you go with the cardigan, you could put the belt over the cardigan and wear it open to pull it all together and divert attention to your waist even more. I hope this is helpful. I would love to see what you decide to go with. If you’re so inclined to send a picture to info [at] cluelessfashionista [dot] com, I would love to see the final product!