One of the things that I love about summer is the opportunity to wear one of my halterneck dresses. Wearing a backless halterneck dress on a summer’s day even allows you to flaunt your bikini tan line if you so choose. My spine is sensitive to a light touch so dancing with someone in a halterneck dress lets me feel their hand on my back and gives me delicious tingles.
A halterneck dress is a dress that features a strap or straps that holds the dress up by the neck. When wearing a halterneck dress you often have your back, shoulders, and arms exposed. Marilyn Monroe’s iconic white dress in the movie The Seven Year Itch was a halterneck dress.
Let’s look at the features, origins, and styling options of this iconic dress to see why you need one too.
What Are The Significant Features Of A Halterneck Dress?
A halterneck dress is a dress that features a strap or straps that holds the dress up by the neck. Sometimes you’ll need to tie the straps at the back of the neck or the dress will feature one strap that runs around the neck and has a closure. When wearing this dress, you’ll typically have your back, shoulders/arms, and a little chest on show. However, you can get halterneck dresses that cover the majority of your chest but leave your back and shoulders/arms on-show.
Some halterneck dresses criss-cross over the bust, some feature a keyhole style neckline and some have spaghetti straps. They can also have different skirts from tight-fitting ones to flared ones and they can be long or short. Basically, there are many different styles of halterneck dress available, and some show off a lot more skin than others!
What Are The Origins Of The Halterneck Dress?
Halterneck dresses have been around for many years and back in the 1920s Paul Poiret designed some modern style halterneck dresses but they were not widely known at that time. Then in 1936, a designer called Madeleine Vionnet created what is known as the “Carnival Dress” which was a silk halterneck dress that also had a sheer, rose-covered tulle skirt that could be removed, essentially creating a second look. This dress was a really big deal back then and brought international attention to Vionnet’s designs.
Fast forward a little to 1955, when Marilyn Monroe wore that white dress in the movie The Seven Year Itch, and it was then that the halterneck dress, well…that dress, in particular, became famous and earned its place in history books. After that, the world went halter-crazy and halterneck dresses, tops, and swimwear became super popular and stayed that way through the 60s and 70s.
So, although we don’t know exactly when the halterneck dress came to be, it has certainly made its mark in fashion!
What Figure/Body Shape Is Best Suited To A Halterneck Dress?
As the halterneck is all about the top half/neck area and there are so many different versions of this dress out there, all body shapes can wear it. You just need to choose the right style, color/pattern, and skirt for your body.
Inverted triangle body shapes will look great in halterneck dresses with wide straps and loose midsections as they will balance out the body. Rectangle body shapes may want to go for a halterneck dress with a cinched waist to create the illusion of hips and hourglasses may also want to do the same to show off the waist and hips. And a good choice for apple and pear body shapes is a halterneck dress with a loose, flared skirt or A-line skirt as it will take the focus away from the hips and hide the stomach area.
But whatever your body shape, you can absolutely find a halterneck dress to suit…unless you really don’t want your back, shoulders, or arms on show in which case this probably isn’t the dress for you!
Etiquette: When Can You Wear/Not Wear Your Halterneck Dress?
Halterneck dresses can be worn to weddings, dinners, and parties if the style, fabric, and color are right. You can also get casual style halterneck dresses which are perfect to wear when shopping, going to the beach, or going to brunch.
But these dresses can actually be quite sexy and chances are you either won’t be wearing a bra or you’ll be wearing a strapless bra so it might look like you’re braless. So, this dress isn’t going to be appropriate at many workplaces or when attending a job interview!
What Shoes/Bag Works Best With A Halterneck Dress?
There are many shoes that go with the halterneck dress from sexy, barely-there sandals to cute wedges to stylish ankle boots. It just depends on what look you are trying to achieve, where you are going, and what the weather is like! But if you are going for the casual look then trainers, ballet flats, or flat sandals are the way to go.
When choosing a bag, avoid ones with shoulder straps where possible because this dress looks better when the shoulders are completely bare. Clutch bags work well if you don’t need to carry much as do mini top-handle bags and during spring/summer a small wicker bag is a fab choice.
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