STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Deuce · Dooney & Bourke

We need some help

atlgirl · Gucci

I'm a little smaller than your friend (6-8) but also curvy - 36 chest, 36 hips - and I feel best in drape-y styles. A wrap dress (DVF or otherwise if she doesn't want to pay DVF prices) is ideal. Something with drape (jersey, etc) will emphasize her curves. The trick with this is to size absolutely right - no squeezing into something she shouldn't, or it will look terrible.

If she doesn't feel comfortable in something that drapes, try something that skims the body - like silk, or maybe a blend. Also, I like things that are more fitted on top with a wider (a-line, for example) bottom. It delineates the hourglass figure.

I've had good luck with Macy's this year for dresses, and some from BCBG. I hate to pay BCBG prices but usually my size is gone by the time it goes on sale. Some of the Macy's here have BCBG in-store, as well as Dillard's if you have them near you - there are probably some sales going on right now at the dept. stores.

If the top of a drape-y dress is too low cut for work, she can always put a cami underneath for more coverage. I do this all the time.

Good luck!

kmd · Kate Spade

I have boobs and a butt and have a somewhat hard time finding things that fit right- I'm a size 8 right now, but I was a 12 not too long ago. I think wrap dresses fit most people really well- I just can't t do them because I always feel like one boob looks way bigger than the other. Anyway...
If she's proportioned, something a little more tailored and body-concious could work, too. Empire waists are sometimes good, but I feel like the dress needs to be short for them to look right on most people. Something with a cinched/emphasized waistline it good, too.

Here are some that I think would work:

$188 anthro

$168 anthro, I'd dress this up with a festive cardigan.

$188 anthro

$125 anthro

comes in a few colors $78 nordstrom

$138

$148

Kitty · Hermes

I am a dress size 10 and am curvy. The cuts that work best for me are ones that emphasize my smaller waist and also have some sort of v-neck or low-neckline so that there's some skin showing up top and emphasize my neck. I like thicker strapped dresses so I can wear a bra.

This is pretty much the ideal cut dress for my body:

Maggie London makes dresses for about $150 that have similar cuts.

Suasoria · Chanel

Great advice on the wrap dress. I think it's the web site for the British 'What not to Wear' that has a feature where you plug in your shape and it gives recommendations. The obvious one is to go for wide straps so she can wear a supportive bra. No strapless, no spaghetti straps, no halters.

She can also try an evening suit (not if she's under 40 or so), or separates - like a knee-length ball skirt and a cashmere shell, for example. She could even wear silky black slacks and a very dressy sleeveless blouse with a shawl/wrap and killer heels. "Cocktail attire" tends to be fairly open-ended.

She shouldn't have trouble with that price range.

Hedvig · Coach

I definitely have hips and a butt and I love waist-defining a-line dresses. Anything clingy in the hip area looks terrible on me.

A deep v-neck would look great. I love the dress Kitty posted!

blubirde · Chanel

I'm very curvy also and about a 10/12, depending on the brand and I agree with the other girls. I've tried on several of the Anthro dresses kmd posted and they are very flattering. Wrap dresses also work, esp. if she has bigger boobs (mine always end up looking weird because I'm pretty tiny on top - at least in the boob area).

The secret is to look for something in a good fabric and with an a-line skirt (or fuller if it doesn't make her hips look too large). BCBG dresses generally work well for me as well. You can usually find them on sale at Dillards or Macys so I'd try there first. There are lots of DVF knock-offs out there as well - I've seen tons in department stores.

Good luck!

Deuce · Dooney & Bourke

Thanks Ladies!! I will send her into anthro. I love the one kitty posted but I saw the price tag and it is pretty steep so I didnt bother to show her. I will check out the Maggie London ones too.