If you want your figure to look like an hourglass shape, you can choose to wear a peplum dress.
Peplum dress will help you accentuate your curves and give you an hourglass figure.
Moreover, by just adding a piece of fabric to the waist area, designers have found the best way to make your body and shape look great.
By styling it the right way, you can make major fashion statements on your next outing.
The peplum dress is a wardrobe essential as you can wear it on different occasions.
Furthermore, these dresses look great on different body types and shapes.
If you don’t have already one in your wardrobe, now is the time to get one.
And if you are looking for some style tips, scroll down to learn more about a peplum dress.
Peplum Dress
A peplum is a short strip of fabric that flounces out from the waistline of a shirt, jacket, skirt, or dress.
This ruffle style tends to aim to create an hourglass body type, thus, emphasizing the smallest part of the waist and blooming out at the hip.
Moreover, a number of peplum jackets and dresses have wide, structured shoulders that give accentuate this look.
The etymology of the Greek word ‘peplos’ refers to an ancient Green tunic tied at the waist.
These ancient-inspired fashion details have gone through a number of waves of popularity throughout history, from the nineteenth-century overskirts to the mid-century “New Look” to the 1980s power suits.
Today, these garments are available in a variety of styles, materials, and patterns.
YOu can find them in long sleeve, short sleeve, or sleeveless styles.
While pleated fabric, chiffon, and rayon are all common fabric choices that help to add an extra flair and movement to this fashion feature.
A Brief History of Peplums
This short overskirt has floated in and out of fashion like a number of other clothing items.
Whether you are a fashion historian or simply a fan, here is a brief history of peplum:
Roots in Ancient Greece: The word ‘peplum’ comes from the greek word ‘peplos’
This was the tunic that ancient Greeks used to wear.
A peplos is a fooled sheet wrapped around the body and cinched at the mid-waist for shape, often with extra fabric or a cord tie.
Moreover, this created a bunching effect at the waist that causes the fabric to bloom out at the hips, which is just like the modern peplum.
Renaissance Era: Many renaissance-era fashions for both men and women featured early versions of the modern peplum.
A number of doublets that were fitted hip-length jackets that men wore between the middle ages and the seventeenth century featured small peplums.
These extended from the waist and accentuated at the hips.
The detailed bodices of gowns that aristocracy wore often featured peplum falling over full skirts.
Nineteenth-Century Popularity: This fashion staple became an identifiable fashion detail that the masses wore in the mid-nineteenth century.
Moreover, women during this era tend to wear streamlined, comparatively narrow skirts underneath peplum-style overskirts, they found this new style easier to move in than the previous versions.
Some fashion historians associate the rise of peplum with the rise of bustle, another fashion convention of this era.
A bustle consists of a fabric that gathers around the posterior area of a narrow skirt for extra volume.
Mid-century Fashion: Peplums again rose to popularity in the late 1940s with the post-World War II rise in fashions accentuating an hourglass body shape.
Moreover, fashion designers featured this in collections, the most notable example being Christian Dior with his “New Look” designs.
This high-fashion exposure trickled down to everyday wear with ready-to-wear fashions frequently featuring peplums on jackets and dresses.
1980s Power Suits: Fashion of the 80s that was drawn from the 40s looks, with ’80s does 40s” becoming a shorthand for this decades-driven trend.
The “power suit” features a fitted, nip waist jacket with shoulder pads and a peplum.
These we sold with a pencil skirt in a matching fabric become ubiquitous.
Fashion designer Thierry Mugler became famous for featuring these jackets, many of which featured geometric styles.
Today: Since the 80s and 90s the peplum has floated in and out of fashion.
Moreover, it experienced a brief resurgence in the early 2010s, with many fast-fashion retailers featuring peplums on work-appropriate blouses.
The use of peplums in garments has become even more creative in recent years, rather than limiting them to one garment.
A sleeve peplum, today is a common shirt detail and you can even find peplums on floral print boho skirts.
Furthermore, t-shirts, mock neck turtlenecks, v-necks, and scoop neck tops often feature a peplum.
Also, you can find children’s clothing to have a lace ruffle peplum for some playful flounce.
Let’s learn more about how to wear peplum according to your shape:
Peplum Dresses and Body Shape
Read on to learn how to look amazing in a peplum according to your body shape and type:
Slim and Slender: In case you have a slim figure with a slightly defined waist, you can opt for a peplum dress that sits right where your waist is.
It will help create a contrast between your hips and waistline.
However, if you have narrow shoulders, tops or peplum dresses with padded shoulders or puffed sleeves with your figure more proportion.
Pear-Shaped: If you have heard that curvier women should avoid peplum dresses, then that is a wrong notion.
A peplum dress can help you flatter your figure just by opting for a sharply structured piece that nips at the waist.
Apple Shape: It is important to note that peplum dresses look great on apple-shaped figures.
This is because it draws attention to your torso.
Thus, adding more volume to your curves while also balancing out your hip-to-shoulder ratio.
Moreover, you can try out a number of various styles, tops, and dresses.
Make sure that the peplum sits below the waist and stands right on the hip bones.
However, if you find it a little tricky to find, simply try on a few styles to find the perfect one that flatters your figure.
Hourglass Shape: If you have a great hourglass figure, and want to make sure that your peplum does not look too frilly, avoid adding too much volume to your curves.
For both plus 0sezed and hourglass figures, you should opt for sharp and clear-cut peplums.
However, you can add a little more life to your dress and opt for pieces with prints or bolder hues.
Styling Tips
Some styling tips for peplum dresses are:
These dresses look great with belts.
Thus you can opt for a metallic belt that will help to accentuate your waist a bit more.
When wearing a peplum top, make sure to opt for skinny tight denim pants.
While low waist types of denim do not look good with peplum, so make sure to avoid pairing them with such jeans.
Moreover, avoid wearing chunky necklaces with peplum dresses and tops.
You can choose to wear a peplum with skin tights and shirts.
For footwear, make sure to opt for high heels as they complement the dress.
If you, however, want to show off your fun and funky side, you can opt for faux leather pants.
In case you are wearing a shimmery top, opt for plain denim.
And if you are wearing a shimmery lower then opt for a black or white peplum top.
Do not forget to add a bag to complete your look.
Clutches look best with peplum dresses.
Furthermore, you can also turn a simple top into a peplum by adding a piece of the net or net waist skirt on your top and securing it with a belt.
Make sure to choose a color that helps to make you stand out in a crowd.
As peplums give an illusion of a heftier bottom, avoid pairing them with bell bottoms.
You can also wear shapewear inside if you want to hide your fat rolls.
Make sure to opt for softer cuts that do not cling too much and yet create a curvier and softer look for them.
Final Thoughts
Peplum is a short strip of fabric that gathers or pleats at the waist of your dress, blouse, or jacket. It helps to create a hanging flounce or frill.
Moreover, it helps to enhance the feminine appeal of an ensemble by adding an extra dimension to an outfit. These dresses are all about ruffles.
The place of this ruffle is the most significant deciding dress that often starts at least two inches below the hipline,
In some cases, it can rest exactly at the waist or be lower on the dress. However, in some styles, it can also appear at the bottom of the dress.
Ruffles are the main feature of the peplum style and play an important role in creating an alluring and attractive feature, so make sure to choose wisely.
This design is unique, fun, and frilly, that suits most body types and you can wear them to different occasions as well.
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