10th Commandment: August 12
Aug 12, 2014
Many readers sing the praises of the Gemma wrap from Banana Republic. BR is having a great sale on them. The dress comes in seven colors, petite and tall.
I love wrap dresses for many reasons. They’re easy. They’re comfortable. If you are a woman whose weight fluctuates, they’re forgiving.
If a solid wrap or faux-wrap is what you’re after, this cobalt wrap from Ivy & Blu is a good choice. I also like this simple black dress from Chico’s (up to size 22). This Karen Kane faux-wrap is also a good option; I like the way it’s draped.
Looking for a printed dress? I love this short-sleeve faux-wrap with an ikat print for the rest of the summer months. This black-and-white wrap dress has a fabulous print.
Plus-size? I like this floral-print Anne Klein dress in shades of blue. I also like this short-sleeve wrap from Land’s End.
Check back later today for styling tips for wrap dresses.
This will probably be mentioned later with the styling tips- but i struggle with the front opening with cleavage- and I’m not even large chested. I hate safety pinning it because you almost always can see the pin. Ideas/ tips?
I use Hollywood fashion tape
I just ordered the Gemma and had the same issues even with a pin. I’m exchanging it for the faux-wrap to keep the girls covered.
Same here! I had my dry cleaner / tailor add a snap, but she didn’t line it up correctly. It looked even worse than a pin. I assume it would be pretty expensive to have this done by a real tailor (especially in the DC area), but I’m not sure if there’s another option. Maybe fashion tape like someone suggested below?
A tailor fixed mine with an internal button and loop, it was $22.
Yikes – that’s so much. My Ann Taylor wrap pilled like crazy after one season. I’m hesitant to cough up the cash for that type of tailoring on a dress from a low-quality store like BR.
For all you ladies with a Gemma, how has it held up over time?
I usually wear a lace tube top and leave the dress as is, doesn’t add the bulk and keeps the girls covered..pinning it has caused my other Gemmas to eventually get holes where I pin..and thus I avoid them now..but yes, the faux wraps do a much better job than the gemma wraps.
I just wear a thin cami with a pretty neckline underneath.
i can’t wait for your style tips. i need some creative ways to wear wrap dresses.
I love the Gemma wrap dress… I own a few DvF wraps and they’re gorgeous and I always feel amazing in them but the Gemma is easier to care for (DvF need dry cleaning, Gemma I just toss in the wash) and are much easier on the wallet. I actually had a girl stop me last week while I was wearing a printed Gemma wrap and ask if it was DvF. Just goes to show you don’t always have to go for the pricier option to look great!
I just received and wore my new Gemma for the first time yesterday. I had always avoided wraps because I assumed they would show my “lumps and bumps” but the opposite is true! With the right size, the dress was amazingly flattering. I wore a lightweight cami with lace to help with the low cut issue. I felt like a million bucks and like I had lost 15 pounds. Plus I received multiple complements. I can’t wait to get more.
I’ve heard rumors that the new Gemma dresses aren’t the same quality as previous ones, and that seems to be corroborated by some of the reviews on BR. Can anyone here verify?
For those concerned with modesty issues, I have a couple of camisole bras from Soma that are really great for this purpose. I wear them with my Gemma dresses
Sometimes I’ll wear a scarf over a wrap dress. I always wear a slip or cami underneath just in case. Boden has a great faux wrap dress, but it is still a little revealing on top.
I’ve found that plain top camisoles look especially nice with wrap dresses. Sometimes lace can look like lingerie, depending on the lace, or course, or look out of place with a geometric print. Jockey makes some sleek ones but my favorite might be the ones I buy in a two-pack at Costco. They’re cotton blend with some stretch but not bulky and extra long so they stay in place. Love Costco’s two-pack tank tops, too. Sometimes it’s helpful to have a little bit on the shoulder to cover bra straps.