style guide

Magic Wrap Dresses

Whether it's in the form of a dress, sweater or top, the wrap is one look that can boost nearly any body type. This versatile style cinches you in the right places, obscures troubled tummy areas, and showcases décolletage. Take a look at how these real women make it work.
Image credit: Fair Winds Press

Beth's wrap dress perfectly suits her body type -- small on top, larger on the bottom. It cinches at the empire (the ideal spot for a wrap to fall), and the sash lets Beth control her focal point. The A-line cut skirts over her larger hips and bum, and the V-neck and wide shoulder straps draw eyes to her face.
Image credit: Fair Winds Press

This Old Navy dress accomplishes many of the same figure adjustments as the style modeled on Beth. The empire cut bodice will accentuate the narrowest part of your torso, while the A-line skirt smoothes out your hips and tummy. Sweater-Knit Wrap Dress, $39.50. www.oldnavy.com.
Image credit: Old Navy

Amy's green dress has mid-waist shirring -- ideal for those with a tummy. Like prints, shirring distracts the eye by keeping it moving. Meanwhile, the shape accentuates Amy's waist at the empire, turns her curvy bust and hips into a flattering hourglass,and draws the eye to her face and neck.
Image credit: Fair Winds Press

This fluid jersey dress by Velvet has similar waist-defining and tummy-masking shirring action, and the V-neck and just-below the knee length make it sexy and youthful. Wear it with tights while you're waiting for the weather to change. Velvet Cut Rush Dress, $98, www.anthropologie.com.
Image credit: Anthropologie

This printed wrap dress simultaneously flatters Yvette's curves while smoothing over her less desirable areas, and the self-cinching belt lets Yvette define a lower waist that minimizes her bust. The trumpet flare balances out her hips rather than obscuring them in too much fabric.
Image credit: Fair Winds Press

This Isaac Mizrahi for Target dress has many of the same features as Yvette's. The line of the button placket crosses the bust and heads down the empire, literally tracing your best figure line and defining your waist from its narrowest point. The subtle A-line cut accommodates hips (and the hipless). Isaac Mizrahi for Target Wrap Dress, $39.99, www.target.com.
Image credit: Target

Amy's bold wrap dress gets it right in every way. It falls at empire rather than the waist, it has a sash you can control and a great V-neck, and the bold print does wonders for obscuring less than smooth areas.
Image credit: Fair Winds Press

Diane von Furstenberg is the master of the wrap dress. Each new season, the veteran designer offers a variety of fresh prints (like this one) if you dare, as well basic solids. Just remember - never let a wrap cut you in the middle of your waist. Diane von Furstenberg dress, $345, www.neimanmarcus.com.
Image credit: Diane Von Furstenberg

A wrap top has all the benefits of a wrap dress for shaping your top half, plus you can pair them with flattering pants. In this case, the cinch falls at the empire, the cut away peplum bottom skirts out and masks Beth's larger hips, and the print distracts from her tummy.
Image credit: Fair Winds Press