Cheap Party Dresses - Why are strapless dresses so popular when they are not flattering on most women?

Why are strapless dresses so popular when they are not flattering on most women?

Meanwhile trying to find any other style is like finding a needle in a haystack unless you design it yourself and have a local seamstress assemble it for you?

Public Comments

idk but I definitely agree with you. I think some women especially the older ones should not wear strapless dresses. It is so inappropiate. Seriously. And about finding another style it is difficult for me too. Not only because I am the conservative type, but because I am 5' feet tall and I wish to find dresses proper for my age. Great question, by the way.
that question is just as important as the meaning of life to me at the moment, i've noticed exactly the same thing. i think theres some sort of conspiracy amongst the designers to make todays brides as ugly as possible. there is a ray of hope though, i've discovered that a custom dress in my local area is cheaper than an off the shelf one
I know what you mean. Nothing is less attractive than watching the bridesmaids fidget and adjust and pull up on the tops of their dresses all night long. There are some sleeveless and halter styles out there, which may or may not be better, depending on the builds of your bridesmaids.
So true!!!! I will not wear a strapless dress and I am having a hard time finding what I want, which is a simple, off-the shoulder dress without a bunch of fluff. Strapless doesn't look good on girls who are too skiny or don't have enough boobs, and it doesn't look good if your arms aren't perfectly toned, and it looks horrible on anyone who is overweight, yet everyone wears them. Not to mention, a lot of churches wont allow completely strapless dresses.
This is only my opinion! I think that a lot of larger chested or just larger women think they're figure flattering which they can be if it's fitted. personally though i think most brides need to broaden their horizons mine is halter! :)
I've been saying this for years. Glad someone else gets it! Strapless gowns do NOT look good on most "typical" brides. And yet they are the most popular style. Wishful thinking perhaps? Unless you are thin, delicate boned, have a B-C chest, and toned arms, you won't look good. Trust me. It's true. That's just the way it is. Few exceptions. The dresses look great on the models...because they're MODELS. Unless YOU look like that, don't even think of it. Plus sizes, top heavy women, etc are beautiful too...but not in these types of dresses. Edit: Actually this DOES have to do a lot with weight. How many size 24 brides do you know with delicate shoulders, thin toned arms, and a firm high chest? Not many! Flabby large arms, saggy large chests, and large frames typically do NOT look good in tube styles, period. It's really not flattering for a women to be spilling out like a stuffed sausage. I agree that one person at the same weight may look better than another in a strapless, we agree there, but you are missing my general point. I am sick of going to weddings and seeing a 50 year old grandma hanging out (and busting out) of her strapless gown. NEVE says it best. I know I'm going to tick some people off, but if anyone thinks they look good stuffed into a strapless gown with rolls hanging off the sides, they are deluding themselves. That simply does not look good, although most people will never say that in public to the bride's face. Wear something more flattering and cover up! It's OK to admit that some styles do not work on all women. Also, strapless gowns do NOT look good on broad linebacker shoulders! Think about it! You want to draw the eyes inward, not across bare wide exposed shoulders. A subtle v-neck would be the most flattering. Anything else simply does not look feminine and highlights what you want to hide. Women need to stop kidding themselves!
I've noticed that a lot of styles are NOT flattering on most women. It's very difficult to find a flattering wedding dress. However, there are ALWAYS going to be women who THINK something looks really great on them, but doesn't. As a result, a majority of brides actually look hideous in their dresses. I've seen some women on this website post pictures and I just cringe. The dress they picked is beautiful, but it's ALL wrong for their body type. It's almost like the dress itself (ex. being poofy enough, having enough crystals, having a long train, having lace, etc) was more important than how it looked on. Personally, I think strapless can be really elegant and flattering. But, only on the correct body type. Some brides wear strapless beautifully and really make their dresses look amazing. I'm thinking other brides want to achieve that same look, but just don't realize it's not for them. It's just like everyday clothing. Some women wear ALL the wrong things, because they want to be "in style" or because "everyone else is wearing it" I get it and I understand, but it doesn't mean every style looks good on them. Sometimes, going for something classic is much better than sticking with the trend. But, some brides will never realize that. I think brides want to look like magazines or weddings on TV. Somehow, they THINK strapless is the only way to go; just because halters, v-neck designs or straps aren't featured in bridal ads or what not. Personally, I don't look good in strapless. So, I know I'm going to have some sort of straps. There are many options out there. You just have to look. P.S.-This has nothing to do with size or weight. It's all about your particular body type. You can have two people weighting 150 pounds. One might look fab in strapless and the other looks horrible. People have to really look closely to determine if that dress really looks all that "good"
I don't like strapless dresses either, just because they are too naked for my taste. I never wear tube tops either. I like V neck dresses and off the shoulder dresses.
I beg to differ with all of you who think bigger than average girls don't look good in strapless. I think I am going to look beautiful, thank you! :) P.S. What is the point of this question? For girls who have already bought strapless dresses to panic and wonder if they're going to look hideous on their wedding day, as almost all of you suggest they are? Hmph.
i disagree im a d38 and my dress is strapless and beautiful on me it flatters me very well
reginach... just thought i would say that i am a plus size bride and i tryed on so many different styles because i hated strapless, in the end i tryed one and it was prefect made me look so slim and i just loved it, so i dont think its the size of the woman
I have a size 44ddd and my dress is strapless and I look fab in it! I think it depends on the dress and not necessarily if its strapless. I tried on many dresses and some strapless gowns didn't fit me the right way. I was coming to the conclusion that i was going to have to wear a halter style gown(not a biggie), but I went in to another boutique and tried on a few gowns, straying away from strapless due to my past issues lol, but the consultant handed me a strapless, sweetheart style gown and begged me to try it on....OMG Im glad I did! Thats my gown and I am so glad she convienced me. So from personal experience, its not always the person, but the gown.
I am of average weight but I have a large chest; I like strapless dresses but only certain ones. I dislike the way strapless dresses with a straight neckline look on me; however sweetheart necklines look nice on me, and this is not just my opinion; absolute strangers have come up to me while I was wearing a strapless dress and said I look lovely. It's mainly just a matter of finding the right dress! P.S. Katie you look beautiful! I adore that dress, it's just like something I want for my wedding!
I've worked in the bridal industry for a while, and for plus size women with broad shoulders, strapless dresses can be a really good look. If you are wide across the shoulders, straps make you look like a linebacker! Spaghetti straps are the worst. On anyone over a c-cup, they look like they are straining to hold the dress up! If the dress fits well, and the cut of the neckline is flattering (many strapless gowns are cut to be higher in the front so there's not so much cleavage), then a strapless dress can look great. That said, I'm just so over it. lol You just get sick of looking at ste same style of dress after a while. And don't even get me started on those darn pick-up skirts! Does anyone else think they just look like static cling? lol http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dpick%2Bup%2Bskirt%26fr%3Dyfp-t-501%26ei%3Dutf-8%26js%3D1%26x%3Dwrt&w=589&h=800&imgurl=www.weddingsbybecky.com%2Fimages%2F589_745_B.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.weddingsbybecky.com%2Fvalerie.html&size=165.4kB&name=589_745_B.jpg&p=pick+up+skirt&type=JPG&oid=66a2ccb855bae958&no=2&tt=146&sigr=11bigtca0&sigi=11cacvor2&sigb=12tmjm3ce My gown is ivory silk with a bateau neckline. I have great shoulders, and the cut of the neckline really accentuates them. :) I think it's such a lovely and feminine look, plus you don't have to worry about leaning over to talk to Uncle Fred and giving him an eyeful. lol Fortunately, dresses with higher necklines and even sleeves are coming back in style. I LOOOOOOVE the styles I've been seeing with long lace sleeves, reminiscent of 40s and 50's styles. I think that for every dress out there, there is a bride that it will look amazing on.
oh my God, i totally know what you mean!!! i personally do not like the way strapless dresses look on most women. even on very thin women, you can see that little flap of armpit fat hanging over the dress!! i had such a hard time finding a wedding dress that had thick straps!!
I think it is just a trend-sort of like pick-ups on gowns. I don't find them particularly flattering, either. And, yes, trying to find a dress that isn't strapless difficult. I went in looking for one that had straps and ended up with a strapless. Lucky for me, I am about a size 4-6 and a C cup. I also work out my arms religiously. Edit: LOL at Squiggle. Yes, I don't like pick-ups, either.
AGREED. Very few women look good in a strapless gown. If the bride is even a little bit stout, the horizontal line of the bodice makes her look really stumpy. Meanwhile, the dresses have to be cinched so tight that even a tiny bit of pudge is going to pooch out around the arms and back. I would love to see more brides in dresses with interesting, flattering necklines.
Strapless wedding dresses are flattering on size 2 models that have an endless supply of doublestick tape. Women are delusional - we often wear clothing that is chic but unflattering. We see something that looks cute on someone else and think it'll look cute on us. Wedding dresses are no different. Brides-to-be see gorgeous pictures of models paid to make the dress look amazing, and forget that they are likely closer to a 12 than a 2 and can't airbrush real life. We need to surround ourselves with people that will tell us the truth!
I had to fly to Utah to find a dress that wasn't strapless. OK, I didn't just go there for that, we actually went to see my fiances mother. But we did make plans to go to some of the boutiques there and it was a big part of the trip. The only non strapless dresses I could find either looked like something out of the 80's {ugly shoulder pads included} or weren't small enough for me. I was just going to buy a bridal jacket. The real conspiracy is how dresses fit. I'm a size 7, my prom and home coming dresses were all size 7. My sisters wedding last year I was maid of honor, wore a size 7. It all fit perfectly! No alterations needed. Every WEDDING dress I've tried on, I either need to go down a size or up a size and still need alterations! I think they purposely mess up sizes just to charge that extra fee.
They're popular because they look good on the models. What the bride forgets is that the model is airbrushed, doesn't need to move, and probably has binder clips holding the dress perfectly in place in the back. Heck, I'm having a church wedding, and they looked so good on the models that I almost considered them. (I did come to my senses, but it was odd). I think that another reason is that people keep buying them. There's so much stress with the wedding that most people can't be bothered to find a good dress, so designers can keep making money off of strapless dresses. The same thing happens with everyday clothing. If people would just put the effort into finding wedding dresses with sleeves or everyday shirts that weren't see-through, we wouldn't have so many of them to sort through to find something wearable. And yes, it's a real annoyance, especially if you want to get married in a church. I ended up needing a jacket anyhow (sleeveless jacket), but I discovered after the fact that most designers have a "modest" line which translates to "dresses with sleeves"/"dresses that don't show to much skin to wear to a formal event".
Well, this is a million dollar question, not just 64,000! The strapless dresses don't even look good on the models, who are often sticks, so I just don't get it. Same with pickup skirts - yeowtch! However, been through tons of websites, there ARE lovely dresses out there, just takes poking and prodding. Luckily lots of them have great search functions, so you can find sleeves, or basque waist, or halter, etc.