TREND: Mermaid Dresses

We saw a lot of the mermaid shape last year and will be seeing even more of it this year.  A mermaid dress is set apart from other styles by its unique shape, a fitted dress that flairs out below the hips, anywhere between the mid-thigh and the knees. Mermaids are great for accenting or creating an hourglass figure and highlighting curves. Make sure to stop in and see a Mestads Stylist to find the right mermaid for you.

TREND: The Carwash Skirt

In the last trend post we talked about ruffles.  One particular type of ruffle that we are seeing a lot of this year is the “car wash” skirt. In this particular type of dress the ruffles cascade down in twirls that resemble a car wash. The ruffles are often at varying lengths giving the skirt shape and definition creating a fun, flirty look that’s perfect for prom.

Staff Pick: AMANDA - SOUTHDALE

Amanda is new to Mestads Southdale location as an employee, but not as a customer! Amanda purchased most of her formal gowns at Mestads, and loves that Mestads registers the dresses they sell for prom. Amanda is a competitive figure skater, loves volunteering at hospitals and shelters, and loves spending time with friends and family. Her favorite color is yellow, which is the color of the first Mestads dress she wore!

Amanda graduated from Eastview High School in 2011, and is currently pursuing a Journalism major and Spanish minor at the University of Minnesota. Amanda recently pledged Alpha Gamma Delta sorority at the U of MN, which is the same house that Southdale manager Julie was a member of while she studied at the U of MN!

Amanda loves selling dresses because of the reaction on a girl’s face when she finds a dress she loves.

Amanda’s staff pick is Sherri Hill 1403. She loves the shattered glass stones that sparkle, and how the corset structure of the bodice is really slimming on any figure. The nude color is really in this spring, and also elegant and timeless.

TREND: Ruffles

One of our favorite trends this year is ruffles. They are showing up on just about every shape and style of dress and we LOVE it! The great thing about ruffles is that they accentuate everyone’s best feature. For example:

A full skirt of ruffles helps accentuate the waist giving it a cinched corset look.

A ruffle mermaid accentuates the hips, helping them appear firm and sculpted

and a full ruffle skirt with a drop waist makes the torso appear longer, and the hips appear fuller.

Make sure to stop in to Mestads so we can help you find the best ruffle dress for your figure!

TREND: Feathers

Feathers are a fun accent that many designers are putting on their dresses this year. We’re seeing everything from fully feathered skirts to small feathery embellishments. The feathers create a light, floaty, feminine look that will make you feel like the belle of the ball.

TREND: Cocktail Dress with Removable Skirt

Just like the High-Low dress, a similar style that is popular for 2012 is the cocktail dress with removable skirt.  This dress has the same concept of a High-Low, being short in the front and long in the back, but with this style the skirt attaches around the waist and can be removed to create a whole new dress for your dance. The best part about this type of dress is that you can continue to wear the cocktail dress underneath for years to come, but still have the long look for prom. What’s even better is that you don’t even need to have a bustle hook added to the dress to keep it off the floor. You can simply remove the top layer and dance the night away!