As temperatures start to rise and flowers hint at a type of bloom, the fashion world undergoes its annual transformation. For those who missed it (do keep up), the fashion wheel has turned, and the deciders have already ushered in the latest trends for the spring-summer season...
Among the myriad of styles gracing the runways, one trend stood out: the white dress. Yes, we saw frothy pastels grace the springtime landscape at Fashion Week, roses played a big part, and tones such as ice blue were given lots of attention. That said, designers truly embraced the white dress, creating styles that exuded everything from pared-back chic to romance and femininity.
Diaphanous and sheer, embroidered and densely worked, the white dress was the hardest-working item of the season. It spoke volumes with subtle intricacies and delicate craftsmanship, offering a departure from the androgyny we have been pushing toward for the last few seasons. While white may traditionally symbolise purity and innocence, most of these garments felt anything but demure. They exuded confidence and allure, commanding attention with sheer panels and strategic cutouts.
‘Designers have reimagined the classic white dress in myriad ways, offering options for various styles and occasions.‘
Yet, for all the emphasis placed on the reimagining of the white dress, its impracticality for the lifestyle of the average woman felt very much an afterthought.
They say there is a white dress for every taste. But despite the allure of billowing white sleeves and cascading ruffles or even the sleek sophistication of tailored silhouettes, the white dress does not translate well into real life.
For one, it’s financially out of reach for many women and girls. High-end designer options often carry hefty price tags, so finding affordable, quality white dresses that flatter different body types can be a daunting task. Let’s be real, a white dress requires pretty good material inorder to work well with underwear and to survive more than one wash! Then there’s the struggle to keep a white dress pristine amidst the chaos of daily life. From spilt coffee to accidental smudges, wearing white requires constant vigilance and can often go as far as restricting freedom of movement – especially for those at work or navigating life with children in tow.
‘A white dress may dazzle on the runway, but its impracticality for many women’s lifestyles cannot be ignored.’
Are we being dramatic? After all, it’s just a white dress.
Well, the real-world implications can be far from liberating for women and girls. The pressure to conform to certain standards of beauty and propriety still exists – especially when advertisers, designers and the media are promoting smaller-sized models wearing these dresses as the standard and the norm. Moreover, so many of these dresses will be bought to be worn once and then discarded; they’re not a sustainable option for the forward-thinking shopper. Even the most determined will struggle to put forward a case for a white dress that can be worn regularly or for a very long time (unless it’s a high-end, designer item with a price tag to match).
Of course, this raises a bigger question about women’s fashion.
Here, to make our lives better – isn’t it time that designers created fashion pieces to fit more of us, not less? The days of us having to change ourselves for brands and trends are over; brands need to create for us or be left behind. Whether women’s fashion will ever prioritise comfort, practicality, and inclusivity over trends is debatable. One thing is clear: the white dress fails to acknowledge the multifaceted roles and experiences of women in today’s society.
‘I can’t recall the last time it was fashionable for men to wear an all-white ensemble...’
Styles that empower women to express themselves authentically without compromising comfort or practicality – now that’s great design.