Cool Blue Dresses

Cool Blue Dresses

So many of the examples above featured blue tones, Santorini blue, bright Yves Klein blue through to sea green blue tones, all make the blue family a major colour for 2009. These dresses below show not only the variety of the blue tone, but also the changing silhouette of the year 2009.

The silhouette of the first blue dress begins with an undefined drapery in the sleeve shoulder area. Moving along the line, the royal dress develops a slight A-line that compliments the asymmetric shoulder line. Next is a simple blue summer shift with decorated neckline, it has an easy flared A-line silhouette. The final dress in the line-up features a green dress with extra fullness in the form of medium restrained pleats, but the skirt has visibly widened.

Far Left - Wallis Spring Summer 09 - Blue stingray dress £50/€80.
Centre left - Matalan Dresses - Et Vous ruffle one shoulder dress £25 - Matalan SS09 Women's Apparel.
Centre Right - Wallis Spring Summer 09 - Beaded neck shift dress £60/€95.
Far Right - Dorothy Perkins Spring Summer 09 - Blue jacquard mini dress £40/€60.

Citrus Yellow and Green Dresses - The 2009 Fashion Silhouette

Even with so many styles of dress available, the most noticeable trend for summer dresses 2009 is for a bold strong colour, with drapery in a gradually widening skirt silhouette. Fashion designers achieve this by employing double layer skirts.

Volume, once a dirty word in early noughties fashion, now seems so normal compared to just a few years ago. The shoulder line has widened and covered bare shoulders giving a fifties/early sixties touch of fashion. This is groomed dressing. You can also see actresses wearing examples of this dress style in the TV series 'Mad Men'.

In the line-up of 4 summer dresses below, the rich green strapless dress shown left has a fuller silhouette with a much wider skirt and a deep inverted pleat. The prom bodice is also higher than in previous seasons. The apple green sleeved and yellow dresses all have draped soft pleats which add volume fullness.

Far Left - Dorothy Perkins Spring Summer 09 - Green taffeta prom dress £40/€60.
Centre Left - Dorothy Perkins Spring Summer 2009 - Lime bow front shift dress £40/€60.
Centre Right - Dorothy Perkins Spring Summer 2009 - Yellow linen shift dress £35/€55.
Far Right - Dorothy Perkins Spring Summer 09 - Yellow bow front dress £45/€70.

Orange Red to Hot Pink Dresses - The 2009 Fashion Silhouette

In the warm toned dress line up below, the silhouette moves from the popular A-line yoke shift, to the red prom line full skirt. This red prom dress is also much more modest than bustier styles of last year. The silhouette moves back to tiered half skirts on pencil line underskirts and in the final pink dress the waist shows 1920 influence as it drops to a high hipline. As a result, skin exposure is additionally much more restrained in the 2009 summer dress.

The silhouette is changing and it is obvious a wider skirt will very soon be the norm.

Far Left - Dorothy Perkins Spring Summer 2009 - Gold jacquard shift dress £40/€60.
Centre Left - Dorothy Perkins Spring Summer 09 - Red bow front prom dress £45/€70.
Centre Right - Littlewoods Direct Spring Summer 2009 - Two layered peplum dress £49.
Far Right - Dorothy Perkins Spring Summer 09 - Pink bubble hem dress with bow £45 €70.