The Range: Button-Front Dresses
Mar 30, 2020
As a child of the 90s, it’s interesting to see the old fashions return to store shelves. During the age of grunge, the button-front, printed dress was a staple. Now it’s back, and without the tattoo chokers and Dr. Marten’s combat boots, it’s a prettier, more lighthearted look.
Corner Office
Saloni Lea Floral Midi Dress ($695)
Cubicle Farm
Michael Kors Printed V-Neck ($105)
Front Desk
Gap Button Front Midi Dress ($64, also in petite and tall)
Plus-Size
Ava & Viv Short Sleeve Dress ($30)
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Abra, is there any way to tell if a button-front dress is going to gape other than trying it on? I bought one from Loft loft last spring, and I discovered some awkward angles when I sat. Is wearing a slip the best strategy if this happens?
To be really frank, sometimes it’s a matter of what bra you wear. I have a button-front dress that gapes badly if I wear a normal bra, but I have a nicer sports-type bra that flattens everything a bit, so it stops the gaping.
I feel like more gap than don’t, at least for me (even if there’s extra fabric/no pull across the bust). I’ve learned a DIY fix: I add snaps/hook-and-eye closures between the buttons from the center of the bust to the bellybutton.
Of all the 90s trends, this one is my favorite. It reminds me of my mom ????
I love it! It’s very 90s, but also a touch romantic 50s? Something about the fact that it looks like a shirtdress with the collar removed, I think.
Also, game changer for me and button down anything… safety pins. I don’t know why it took me so long to realize that some things just need to be pinned shut for larger chests. Black safety pins especially disappear in printed dresses like these. If you do it discreetly, anyone who notices a sliver of the pin… well, they’re looking too hard.
You can also have a tailor sew in a double placket with an extra button to prevent gape. Even with my smaller chest, I have one top that gapes terrible, had to have one sewn in.